Questions about atlas/craftsman 12" metal lathe

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
P

PAturner

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
10
Location
PA
Does anyone on the forum have experience with the atlas/craftsman metal lathes? I have some questions as I have been looking around at a few.
First, what's the spindle thread on the 12" version? Actually as a follow up, do metal lathes even have spindle threads or is everything put in the morse taper?
In either case, will I be able to use a nova G3 chuck on a metal lathe? I'm really planning on using the lathe for plastics and such, but on the off chance I throw some aluminum in it would that chuck still work?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
PAturner said:
Does anyone on the forum have experience with the atlas/craftsman metal lathes? I have some questions as I have been looking around at a few.
First, what's the spindle thread on the 12" version? Actually as a follow up, do metal lathes even have spindle threads or is everything put in the morse taper?
In either case, will I be able to use a nova G3 chuck on a metal lathe? I'm really planning on using the lathe for plastics and such, but on the off chance I throw some aluminum in it would that chuck still work?
Click to expand...

I use my Craftsman 12x36 pretty much every day. Mine is an older one, vintage late 40's early 50's with the babbit bearings (so uses lots of oil).

The headstock is 1.5"x8 tpi. Yup, it takes a huge nut! The headstock is MT3 and the tailstock is MT2 (I have lots of MT3 to MT2 adapters).

I made my first pens on this lathe, using a cutter in the tool post. Now I do all my turning on the wood lathe. I use the Craftsman for drilling, squaring, sanding, and as an assembly press.

PSI (and probably others) sell adapters for the huge 1.5x8 threads--I have one for my PSI drilling chuck.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.

Regards,
Michael
 
I bought the larger collet chuck for mine. It threads on. It works well and you don't ha e to worry about hurting anything.There are places that have parts for them. With aluminum you will have to tighten the chuck more than you do with wood.

Sent from my phone using some program.
 
Metal lathes work with much higher cutting tool pressures than wood lathes. A morse taper will not handle that kind of load and vibration.
 
"will I be able to use a nova G3 chuck on a metal lathe?"

Nova does not make an insert that will fit the 1 1/2 by 8 thread on the 12 inch atlas/craftsman.

The G3 is made for a wood lathe and does not have the inherent precision that a metal lathe chuck with proper back plate fit to it will have. Go for the better precision of the metal lathe rather than cobbling together something for the Nova G3
 
You guys likely know much more than I do, but couldn't you turn aluminum between centers?

To the OP, if you're looking at lathes, pick one that comes with tooling. Mine happened to come with a 4 jaw self-indexing chuck on a back plate that comes in very useful from time to time. Before I got the PSI drilling chuck, I used it to hold blanks for drilling (worked well for square/round blanks). I've also made a few small metal parts with it, including some bushings.

For an antique, these work great for pen making. The speeds are easy to change, and assuming you get one with back gears, you can go down to 30 RPMs or so. I generally leave mine set at around 400 for drilling, squaring, and sanding so I never have to mess with the wood lathe.

Regards,
Michael
 
With the metal lathe you can mark a shaft and put it in your 3 jaw at a similar mark in it. Then cut a thread on the shaft to match the wood chuck. If you do a good job of threading it the chuck will have the same concentricity as the best wood lathe. Now you can mount the wood chuck anytime you want and it will run as true as the chuck was made to as long as you line up the marks.

Or make your own adapter that fits the metal lathe spindle and the chuck.
 
You could just grab a piece of 1"-8 all thread stock (or cut the head off a bolt)with the metal lathe chuck and see how true the Nova chuck will spin.
 
Last edited:
low_48 said:
Metal lathes work with much higher cutting tool pressures than wood lathes. A morse taper will not handle that kind of load and vibration.
Click to expand...

I cut aluminum all the time in a morse taper No.3.

The only way it wouldn't work is if you don't set it properly, or your really taking to big of a cut for a 12" Atlas lathe.
 
Metal lathes

low_48 said:
Metal lathes work with much higher cutting tool pressures than wood lathes. A morse taper will not handle that kind of load and vibration.
Click to expand...

I would be willing to debate that.

Please note I am turning this piece round using a dead center ..
I pretty much cut all my woods using a live cutter not a cutting tool .
Now all my live cutters are set up with carbide mill ends ,
Right now all the pictures I have are with router bits .
They make a nice stress free cut. but the mill ends make the cleanest cut so far.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom