Atlas Lathe Restoration

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in high school, I had a dream that I would someday own my own metal lathe. Online I had watched and read days and hours worth of information regarding the usage, maintenance, and construction of a metal lathe. Luckily for me, after scouring hundreds of estate sale and craigslist listings, I was able to find one with a lathe that was relatively close and had not listed an expensive price. Restoration of the lathe required me to deconstruct the lathe in its entirety. I cleaned, repaired, and greased/oiled each component back to a functional state.

 

The project challenged me to learn how the machine worked, how it was constructed, and how it was operated. As a final finishing touch, I added a 4-way (DPDT) lightswitch to the motor wiring as a way of reversing the motor when needed for operations such as threading. Other additions include a custom toolpost, faceplate fixturing, chip tray, and an improvised milling attachment.