# Lathe turning on a Atlas Mill?



## Goldxxx (Apr 10, 2022)

Has anyone here ever turned steel on a horizontal mill. In my case it will be an Atlas?

I have ER32 2MT tool holder with the full range of collets for close up to the headstock for smaller diameter round bar. . I can also probably rig up a spindle adapter if I wanted to buy a small 3-4inch four jaw chuck. And there is also the overarm support that I can probably rig a live centre to support longer stock over the table. Is this doable in theory. It’s almost like using a lathe and milling attachment but in reverse. The length of the things I can turn might be limited but the diameter I turn will only be limited to how low I can drop the table on the Atlas. I also think in theory that the Atlas mill might end up being more rigid than any of the micro lathes

I’m just wondering if anyone has had to do this in a pinch to get a project finished? Or someone that is limited to a couple of tool. I haven’t figured out how to turn round stock on my shaper yet, but it keeps me up at night thinking that there might be a way.

 The reason why this has come up is that I think I might enjoy having a small lathe again. I started to price out getting a Taig or Sherline. I have owned both in the past so I am aware of their limitations. I’m also kicking myself now for not keeping at least one of them when I upgraded to larger machines. My reason for selling them always came down to not using them much and I always had a larger lathe.

 Also I want to rebuild my South Bend in my garage this spring-summer and it will be out of service for a while. So I either drop the money on a new micro lathe that I don’t really need, or I try spinning steel on the Atlas.


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## kevin.decelles (Apr 10, 2022)

I believe @Janger tried/used the horizontal spindle on the mill I bought from him , John?


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## Janger (Apr 10, 2022)

kevin.decelles said:


> I believe @Janger tried/used the horizontal spindle on the mill I bought from him , John?


Yes I bought an R8 backed 3jaw chuck and did do some cnc turning on the horizontal mill spindle. It was an interesting experiment. The main limitation is the length of the Y axis. After adding the length of the chuck there is very little Y left to hold a part and be able to get lathe tools across the part. It does work I did some turning of ball shaped parts to test. I think holding the material in the vertical spindle would work better as there is usually more Z length than Y available. 

You can mill on a lathe and turn on a mill but the correct machine works much better.


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