Art & Inspiration school me on benchtop lathes

I'm a semi retired machinist, with 40+ years in the trade, and a hot rodder for almost 60 yrs., so I believe I can speak for both sides of this with some degree of knowledge. There's a lot of stuff to consider here.
As a machinist, I agree, get a bigger, floor model lathe that is from a US maker of days gone by. Mine is a 1942 16CW Monarch, swings 19.2". I also have 2 Sheldons, 1 a 12" long bed, but lots of bed wear close to chuck, would be great on long stuff out on the right end, but kinda sloppy up near chuck.
The other is a 13", shorter bed, but in great shape except a busted face gear.I found a face gear on the Sheldon online site, but before I got it back together I got that Monarch, plus I started on my roadster build and haven't gotten back to either of them. The Monarch has done all I wanted to do, large work (that the smaller ones couldn't perform) as well as the smaller work. Have single point chased threads up to a shoulder as small as 5/16"X24 NF with it. As a consequence I just keep moving those Sheldons further down the priority list!
But that Monarch is a monster that weighs 3 TONS and cost me a trip to Chicago, $3500, another $500 to get it off the trailer and into place in the shop, plus another $1200 for wiring and starter relays to allow the machine to run on 240V 3 phase elec. I already had.
You don't wanta go that way unless you are damn sure you're gonna be there a long time! Some of my friends who are younger and know there's a good chance in today's job market that they could have to relocate, or another friend making plans and buying property in another country for an upcoming retirement have to consider that. But I own the shop,and other properties here in my hometown, retired here and hope to still be around when my son retires in another 10-15 years!
But if I didn't have a lot of space, and/or was unsure of time in same shop, I'd jump on that Atlas and all that tooling like stink on ****!!!!!! That's ***uming decent condition, of course.
There's a wealth of info on both Home Shop Machinist, and Home Machinist, and a lot of machine specific Yahoo groups that can give lots of good info. Pracitical Machinist is aimed more at accomplished macihnists and shop owners, both retired and active. Get yourself a little knowledge before you go there or you could get flamed like a newbie here who doesn't do an intro!

 

I picked up a 1978 Jet 1236P last year and it has been a pretty decent first machine. It's not American made, but has been a great machine and paid for it self in just a few months of use. I was originally looking for something smaller, but like many have said, get a larger machine than you think you need, you can always do smaller, but can't go larger.

Speaking strictly from my limited experience, I recommend the first two useful things to get for the machine are the drill chuck, and a quick change. I got both from the littlemachineshop.com, have made things much easier and quicker. I worked from the factory tool holder post and it was a bear to make anything complicated.

 

I believe there is a limit to the truth of that statement. Probably be tough using a 36" swing to do watchmaker's work.

 

And don't be afraid of tiny ones. My friend caught somebody throwing away a Unimat, they gave it to him and he gave it to me. I didn't know how much they are bringing on ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Austria-EMC...925?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b37a234d

 

It's kind of funny, this post came up just before I went to look at a small lathe that a co-worker of my neighbor had for sale so I found a lot of good information just at the time I needed it.

I know squat about lathes. I used my neighbor's LaBlonde lathe for the first time about a month ago when I needed to make some stand offs. My neighbor has been a machinist for over 40 years so I left it up to him to let me know if he thought this was a good lathe. He told me he thought the lathe was a really nice unit.

Here are a few pictures of the lathe and the tooling I got with it. It is a Wade. It came out of a tool room and it looks like it was well taken care of. I didn't get a chuck but the guy said he has it and will get it to me.

 

I've got to tell you that this thread has got me going. I've spent the last few days looking for a lathe and talking to friends about what is a good one and what I should expect to pay for one. It has also helped me reconnect with my great uncle who has been a tool maker for more that 40 years. Just got off the phone with him tonight and he said to come and see him cause he has some tooling he'll give me to get started when I get my first lathe.

Note: I said FIRST lathe cause I also heard they can be addictive!!

 

Very true, blanket statements are not usually a good idea.

 

Another point to consider is the type of bearings in the headstock. Many of the older ones had babbit bearings (or bushings) while the newer ones used Timken style tapered roller bearings which are much preferred.

 

well the atlas fell through. hes holding it for someone......... for 2 more months. really strange situation, anyways im still lookin. awesome info on here fellas

 

I have had my '49 Logan for over 25 years and never have I taken the 3 jaw off, how do you take it off? Have locked the head stock and put a bar between the jaws but that seems kinda crude. Have a 4 jaw and want to see if it fits before unloading some tooling. Thanks

 

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT lock the headstock by engaging the lock pin normally used to operate at high speeds while also engaging the back gear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's how you find so many old back geared lathes with a few broken teeth on either the back gear or the "face" gear to which it is engaged to use back gear slow speeds, like my best Sheldon. Someone in the past did exactly what you are doing, but used more force than you did, and broke off a tooth.
You will have to make up a clamp, using hardwood or soft metal, that will clamp over the face gear and contact a stationary part of strength on the headstock and prevent spindle rotation.
Then, after a couple of weeks of generous daily applications of a good penetrating oil both inside the chuck at point where it is screwed on spindle and on the back where you see the spindle disappear into the chuck, and also some fairly heavy raps on that bar between the chuck jaws just before each oil application, get serious on that crossbar!
Others have used a piece of hex stock clamped in the chuck jaws and then using a damn big air impact wrench on the hex.
Either way, the oil for a couple weeks daily with a bit of rapping induced vibration helps.
But don't use the spindle lock to lock the spindle, that is only for locking spindle from left to right for direct drive rather than the gear reduction. This is one of those "There ain't no easy way" situations!
Dave

 

My first lathe/mill was a Smithy when they first came out. I used the hell out of that machine till I graduated to bigger seperate units. Honestly, hindsight, other than a few larger things I do (making windshield frames, modifying wheels, axles, etc) I wish I had kept that Smithy mill/lathe combo.

 

I still have my Smithy and use it all the time

 

You might almost get the impression that Dirty Old Man knows what he's talking about...