So, a strange thing happened the other day - I got a bug and picked
up an Atlas (Craftsman) 618 101-7300 lathe and an FB-2 (Austrian)
Bench Mil.
Why?, oh that's a great question! And as soon as I come up with a
reason my wife will buy, that's what I will start using!
I just feel a need the have Machines!
They came with VERY little and no manuals. I need to CLEAN them
(BAD), adjust, (repair if needed), lube, and come up with ideas to
Start making chips.
I haven't touched a machine since high school (yes, been awhile).
So now what? Any ideas, suggestion, comments would be helpful.
The little Atlas is just so neat! I think it may be to small but I want
to maybe restore it (and put it in the living room as a conversation
piece (she'll warm up to the idea, NOT!).
Looking forward to being a part of the group!
Chris
SF Bay Area, CA
The newbie amateur
-
hammermill
- Posts: 2938
- Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:43 pm
- Location: pendleton or
Re: The newbie amateur
run fast before comming infected, oh hide parts in the oven and dishwasher. 
most info can be found online with a little searching, welcome to the group
most info can be found online with a little searching, welcome to the group
-
mechanicalmagic
- Posts: 1431
- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:11 am
- Location: Pleasanton, CA Land of perfect weather
Re: The newbie amateur
Chris,
Welcome to the group. This is a good bunch of guys. Nice to have more Bay Area folks around.
Mechanicalmagic
Welcome to the group. This is a good bunch of guys. Nice to have more Bay Area folks around.
Mechanicalmagic
Every day I ask myself, "What's the most fun thing to do today."
9x48 BP clone, 12x36 lathe, TIG, MIG, Gas, 3 in 1 sheetmetal.
9x48 BP clone, 12x36 lathe, TIG, MIG, Gas, 3 in 1 sheetmetal.
Re: The newbie amateur
Yup welcome Chris,
Your Emco FB-2 is a pretty nice machine, they were quite expensive while they were still being sold. I think I recall hearing there's a Yahoo group for those mills if you run into something we can't answer. Is yours the 4 or 6 speed head?
Pete
Your Emco FB-2 is a pretty nice machine, they were quite expensive while they were still being sold. I think I recall hearing there's a Yahoo group for those mills if you run into something we can't answer. Is yours the 4 or 6 speed head?
Pete
Re: The newbie amateur
Thanks everyone.
It's the 6 speed. It's 3 phase so I have
To come up with a converter (so I can
See if it runs!).
Is there a Bay Area hobby machinists group?
I'm starting with machines from scratch.
Chris
It's the 6 speed. It's 3 phase so I have
To come up with a converter (so I can
See if it runs!).
Is there a Bay Area hobby machinists group?
I'm starting with machines from scratch.
Chris
Re: The newbie amateur
You'll want to go the VFD route, other than a bit of added cost, 3 ph really is the very best way to go. A VFD will give you the option of variable speeds, so with that 6 spd, you can tweak the rpm up or down in each gear.
There is a very famous Bay area Model Engineering club, but damned if I can recall the name right now. Somebody here will have a better memory than mine right now.
Pete
There is a very famous Bay area Model Engineering club, but damned if I can recall the name right now. Somebody here will have a better memory than mine right now.
Pete
Re: The newbie amateur
Thank you Pete!
Like I said I'm so wet behind the
Ears on this I'm drowning.
Where should I be looking for a
VPD and about how much?
I also need to find an English
Manual for the EMCO and I
Really think I want to rebuild
My 101-07300, it's so complete
(accessories) just small, so
I have to locate the manuals
And literature for it.
Chris
Like I said I'm so wet behind the
Ears on this I'm drowning.
Where should I be looking for a
VPD and about how much?
I also need to find an English
Manual for the EMCO and I
Really think I want to rebuild
My 101-07300, it's so complete
(accessories) just small, so
I have to locate the manuals
And literature for it.
Chris
Re: The newbie amateur
Hi Chris,
Well even though I own a good VFD, I know very little about them, but your in luck, somebody here will know exactly what you need for sure. Your motor on that Emco will be fairly small, so it shouldn't hurt too much to get what you need. But if it were me? I'd do a search for that Emco Yahoo group, I'll bet they have the manual you need stuffed away in there files. If it's like most Yahoo groups, you'd need to join to access there files though.
Blue Ridge (machinery?) was the main North American dealer for Emco equipment, last I checked they still carried a few parts for the various Emco machines. Very expensive parts, but they did have some.I almost bought a FB-2 years ago from Blue Ridge, that's why I know a bit about them, accessories like rotary tables etc are hard to find and expensive when they do turn up, but other makes will work. Emco did a nice job building those mills. Even though there a round column, they have that key to maintain alignments during height adjustments.
Jose Rivera, a member here has one.
Pete
Edit, after a thought, you might find some info about your mill tucked away in the 3 n 1 forum here. That deals with just the heads and column bolted to the rear of the Emco lathes, but there might be some info in that area. There are a lot of other 3 n 1 machines in that section, but a search should be easy.
Well even though I own a good VFD, I know very little about them, but your in luck, somebody here will know exactly what you need for sure. Your motor on that Emco will be fairly small, so it shouldn't hurt too much to get what you need. But if it were me? I'd do a search for that Emco Yahoo group, I'll bet they have the manual you need stuffed away in there files. If it's like most Yahoo groups, you'd need to join to access there files though.
Blue Ridge (machinery?) was the main North American dealer for Emco equipment, last I checked they still carried a few parts for the various Emco machines. Very expensive parts, but they did have some.I almost bought a FB-2 years ago from Blue Ridge, that's why I know a bit about them, accessories like rotary tables etc are hard to find and expensive when they do turn up, but other makes will work. Emco did a nice job building those mills. Even though there a round column, they have that key to maintain alignments during height adjustments.
Jose Rivera, a member here has one.
Pete
Edit, after a thought, you might find some info about your mill tucked away in the 3 n 1 forum here. That deals with just the heads and column bolted to the rear of the Emco lathes, but there might be some info in that area. There are a lot of other 3 n 1 machines in that section, but a search should be easy.
Re: The newbie amateur
Chris, a search for VFD on this site produced 1943 matches, so there might be some info there. Maybe it could fill the upcoming cold winter nights for you? ( no, wait! you guys don't get them down there. 
).
Anyway the VFD route is the cleanest, easiest and most efficient way to go for 3 phase power and I'm anxious to return a couple of my machines back to the 3 ph motors they came with as soon as I can find the best deal for a 5hp VFD.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.
BTW, by the time you gain a bit of experience with that 618 you'll be well on your way to convincing your wife to add it to the ornaments in the living room.
(hey, gotta start somewhere).
).Anyway the VFD route is the cleanest, easiest and most efficient way to go for 3 phase power and I'm anxious to return a couple of my machines back to the 3 ph motors they came with as soon as I can find the best deal for a 5hp VFD.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.
BTW, by the time you gain a bit of experience with that 618 you'll be well on your way to convincing your wife to add it to the ornaments in the living room.
(hey, gotta start somewhere).Re: The newbie amateur
Welcome Chris, you have come to the right place. The people here are great and what answers they don't have they can link you to them that do. 
Jack.
Jack.
Re: The newbie amateur
I think I found the club - Bay Aera Model Engine club.
I may try to make there next meeting (in Hayward).
I found a Yahoo board, but they seem most into the
EMCO Lathe and Combo (with the FB-2 head).
I'm going to post there for a manual (seems they are
not easy to get in English).
So where do you start? Lathe projects will be first (until
the power issue is sorted on the mill).
I may try to make there next meeting (in Hayward).
I found a Yahoo board, but they seem most into the
EMCO Lathe and Combo (with the FB-2 head).
I'm going to post there for a manual (seems they are
not easy to get in English).
So where do you start? Lathe projects will be first (until
the power issue is sorted on the mill).
Re: The newbie amateur
Welcome!
I actually have a Craftsman 101 in my garage right now, that I have been working on for a friend of mine. I need to clean up the change gears and put the head stock back together with new bearings, then see if I can coax some life out of the motor. They're neat little machines, for sure. Many times, the first lathe projects end up being replacement/upgrade parts and accessories/attachments/tooling for the lathe itself. Not counting some practice attempts, my first real lathe project was a special little tool for polishing screw heads. I've made probably about 20 different spade drills, counterbores, and reamers for various tasks, they can be fun (and very rewarding) to make. A filing rest for your lathe might come in useful, especially until you've got the mill running. Combined with the indexing function of your headstock, it can be useful for putting a hex head on something, or squaring the end of a shaft or arbor. Most of the parts that go into a filing rest can be made on a pretty basic lathe, but you'd have to saw and file the body of it unless you had the mill running. The more you use the machine, the more ideas you'll probably come up with for handy little fixtures or attachments to make.
I actually have a Craftsman 101 in my garage right now, that I have been working on for a friend of mine. I need to clean up the change gears and put the head stock back together with new bearings, then see if I can coax some life out of the motor. They're neat little machines, for sure. Many times, the first lathe projects end up being replacement/upgrade parts and accessories/attachments/tooling for the lathe itself. Not counting some practice attempts, my first real lathe project was a special little tool for polishing screw heads. I've made probably about 20 different spade drills, counterbores, and reamers for various tasks, they can be fun (and very rewarding) to make. A filing rest for your lathe might come in useful, especially until you've got the mill running. Combined with the indexing function of your headstock, it can be useful for putting a hex head on something, or squaring the end of a shaft or arbor. Most of the parts that go into a filing rest can be made on a pretty basic lathe, but you'd have to saw and file the body of it unless you had the mill running. The more you use the machine, the more ideas you'll probably come up with for handy little fixtures or attachments to make.