This just came in as scrap metal at my work, and I just made a deal with my boss to take it out of my check. I can't wait to start cleaning it up. So far, it seems everything works as it should, although very crusty and sticky. I'll completely dismantle it, clean and grease everything, and paint it. It'll need a few new parts, but hey, it was cheap!
I can't find any name on it, but I'm guessing it's from the 50s or 60s, US made, seems to be good quality.
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Nice score!
there is a sears craftsman that looks like that.
shop mate or something like that was another brand that made these little hobby lathes back in the day. there were a couple brands.
it will have journal bearings so don't even try to turn it over until you take them apart and clean out all the crusty grease and replace with machine oil. looks like a fun project!
Nice deal! Probably very little runout but that's fixable. I just got a free table saw. Hobby quality 70 Jap made, runs true as hell.
Graham, the spindle on this uses ball bearings, unless you were talking about the bushings being in the tailstock or uhh... Toolpost holder dealio majig (damn, high school machine shop was a long time ago).
I'm also trying to figure out the purpose of this gear set. The shaft ends before it goes into the case, so obviously something is missing, but what? This looks nothing like the big lathes I used in school, so could it be for a auto-feed, or taper attachment as an accessory? I honestly don't know.
Also another photo.
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A few more.
Now someone just needs to scrap a hobby mill.... (edited)
Those are the change gears that run your lead screw (that moves the carriage/tool holder). It looks a lot like an ATLAS, a lot of Sears Craftsman lathes (like Graham describes) were re-badged Atlas lathes.
Carriage! That's it! Atlas would make a lot of sense, as the tool in it now says Atlas MFG. I never even put 2 and 2 together. Thanks. Now to refurbish, collect tools, and make some room....
I'd say that was a good call. Looks almost identical to this Atlas.
how useful would that be for motor cases and metal working? is that like a wood lathe?
i make all kinds of spacers and shims with mine. made a tomos case guide pin once cuz i lost mine. trimed a wrist pin once. they are very useful for moped stuff.
I've been dying to get a small lathe to build/modify moped and car parts, as well as help with my other hobby, building model cars and scratch building an antique motorcycle from brass and copper stock. Eventually I'd love to get into model engineering and live steam engines, but that's a looooong way off. Pipe dreams are the best.
You don't come across shit like that ever, totally cool, the one with the lever arm is power feed......
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