开云体育

-----Original Message-----
From: 7x12minilathe@...
[mailto:7x12minilathe@...]On Behalf Of Michael Jablonski
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 7:46 PM
To: 7x12minilathe@...
Subject: RE: [7x12minilathe] compare mini lathe to 6" atlas





Well you're comparing products that really don't compare other than all of
them being lathes.

The Atlas and South Bend lathes were larger heavier production machines
that would run for years without failure with good general maintenance. The
South Bend was the in my opinion was the top of the heap. Most of the South
Bend lathes had quick change gear boxes making threading changes and feed
changes in a couple of seconds. I've never seen a 7x with a quick change
gear box. They all use removable gears sets which is time consuming. The
South Bend used a clutch system for the power feeds and was driven from a
keyway cut into the length of the Lead Screw which also served double duty
in keeping chips out of the split nut.. This saved wear and tear of the slip
nut and lead screw threads which were only used for threading. The split nut
was engaged with a lever, the power feed was engaged by tightening a knob on
the apron to engage the clutch. The South Bend also had power feed on the
cross slide.

The Atlas was a little lighter than the South Bend but still a very good
machine. It used the lead screw for both threading and power feeds. (Someone
can correct me if I am wrong on the lead screw.) Atlas made lathes for Sears
under the Craftsman name, so if you run across a Craftsman lathe it is most
likely an Atlas.

Once Sears started selling lots of these Atlas/Craftsman lathes,
Montgomery Wards wanted in, so they contracted with Logan Engineering to
built them a lathe to compete with Sears with. The first Logan lathes were
sold through Montgomery Wards under their Power Kraft label. A year later
Logan started manufacturing lathes under their own name and the Logan Lathe
was born.

The South Bend lathes started out in 1906. Later they moved into the old
Studebaker auto plant which had closed its doors in South Bend Indiana.
Through buy outs and mergers with LeBlonde and others, they ended up going
through several companies and I believe ended up as part of Grizzly
Industrial Inc.

The Logan/Wards were built in Chicago, Illinois from 1940 - 1971.

The Atlas lathes were built in Kalamazoo, Michigan from 1936 - 1980???

If you buy one of these larger work horses expect to do some rebuilding on
them. They have probably have lots of years of use on them but with a little
rebuilding they will be running long after you are gone.

Michael


-----Original Message-----
From: 7x12minilathe@...
[mailto:7x12minilathe@...] On Behalf Of gwelo62
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 1:15 PM
To: 7x12minilathe@...
Subject: [7x12minilathe] compare mini lathe to 6" atlas



Some of you gents have used a wide array of lathes. How do the 7x and 8x
lathes compare to an Atlas or South Bend (size excepted)?

Cheers