Atlas/Craftsman Serial Numbers and Bearing Dates (if applicable) For Database Entries

Yes, it probably irritates SB owners in particular but there is little doubt that there are more Atlas and Atlas-Craftsman machines still in existence today than any two of the next most prolific badges. They built and sold at least 92407 of the 10" alone. And never mind the other 21 or so size groups. :cool:
 
I don't know if you're still looking for folks to email you this information directly as stated in an older thread, but I just purchased a new-to-me Atlas-built Craftsman machinist's lathe with the following information. It was owned by a local man who presumably used it to support his welding company in the Chicago suburbs. It's not inconceivable that he was the original owner, judging by some of the other tools which were in his shop. He passed in 2002, but someone in his family was taking care of his shop and tools in the last 20 years. Although it has a lot of grease and grime from years of use, and the (apparently original?) motor could use some TLC, if not a replacement, my little brother was able to turn out an aluminum top as a test run on it. Of course, like every little brother, he left Big Sister to clean up the mess (and swarf). :p

I'm happy to send the following via email if you prefer.

Serial Number: 10825 S

Model Number: 101.07383

Bed Length: 36"

Bearing dates (if known): Unknown - but I'm happy to look if someone can point me to where to start (Is this referring the bearing that holds the lead screw?

Location of nameplate (rear of bed or right end of bed): Rear of Bed

Location of serial number (right end of front way or nameplate or both): Right end of front way.
 
Metal Lathe 101.07383 original location.jpg
This was the lathe in its original home - Note the after-market switch box which replaced the broken original toggle somewhere along the way.
Metal Lathe 101.07383 smaller.jpg20220508_204714.jpg
Here she is in her new home in my shop (with my wood lathe out of frame to the left). And with the mess left behind by my dear little brother after he turned his little top. The more things change, the more they stay the same ...
20220509_132621.jpg20220509_132641.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Metal Lathe 101.07383 original location.jpg
    Metal Lathe 101.07383 original location.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 7
  • Metal Lathe 101.07383 smaller.jpg
    Metal Lathe 101.07383 smaller.jpg
    108.5 KB · Views: 7
Brin,

Actually, the way that you reported it is fine. I really don't recall ever writing that I preferred info sent direct by email. If you will give me the post number (assuming that it was a post in this thread), I will correct or delete as required.
 
Brin,

On the subject of dates, that probably only applies to the 101.0740x and the 101.27430 and and 101.27440, and only to those made prior to about 1953. The babbit bearing models have no known way to date them other than an educated guess based upon serial number and model number tied to the Craftsman Power Tools catalogs and which models appear in them. And the 101.07383 at least originally was a babbit bearing model.

WRT the size of your particular lathe, in the USA lathes are generally sized as Swing x Distance between centers. Scaling one of your photos, it looks like yours is probably a 12x18. This is probably the rarest size. (paragraph edited to match reality). You can confirm this by measuring the length in inches of the front way. The conversion list is:

12x18 36"
12x24 42"
12x30 48"
12x36 54"

The distance between centers is measured with a dead center in the spindle 3MT taper (no chuck installed) and with a 2MT dead center in the tailstock ram with the ram retracted to the Zero mark and with the right end of the 10D-6 tailstock base flush with the right end of the ways.

The only thing that I see wrong with your machine is that the Previous Owner who removed the motor switch and either oval or rectangular switch mounting plate and installed the drum switch should have reinstalled the plate (which changed circa 1942) and put a blanking plug in the switch mounting hole. If you check, I would expect to find swarf inside the headstock at that point. If you do not find the plate, use something else but plug that hole before the next time that you turn the motor on.
 
Last edited:
wa5cab said:
Brin,

I don't recall writing such a request about anything except the Mk 2 6". But if I did, if you will tell me the thread title and post number, I will track it down and correct it.

On the subject of dates, that probably only applies to the 101.0740x and the 101.27430 and and 101.27440, and only to those made prior to about 1953. The babbit bearing models have no known way to date them other than an educated guess bases upon serial number and model number tied to the Craftsman Power Tools catalogs and which models appear in them. And the 101.07383 at least originally was a babbit bearing model.

WRT the size of your particular lathe, in the USA lathes are generally sized as Swing x Distance between centers.. Scaling one of your photos, it looks like yours is a 12x18. You can confirm this by measuring the length in inches of the front way. The conversion list is:

12x18 36"
12x24 42"
12x30 48"
12x36 54"

The distance between centers is measured with a dead center in the spindle 3MT taper (no chuck installed) and with a 2MT dead center in the tailstock ram with the ram retracted to the Zero mark and with the right end of the 10D-6 tailstock base flush with the right end of the ways.

Scaling one of your photos says that your machine is probably a 12x18 (I must have been looking at the wrong scale). This is probably the rarest size.
Click to expand...

wa5cab said:
The only thing that I see wrong with your machine is that the Previous Owner who removed the motor switch and either oval or rectangular switch mounting plate and installed the drum switch should have reinstalled the plate (which changed circa 1942) and put a blanking plug in the switch mounting hole. If you check, I would expect to find swarf inside the headstock at that point. If you do not find the plate, use something else but plug that hole before the next time that you turn the motor on.
Click to expand...
Yes, the ways bed is 36" long from tip to tip, giving this an 18" center-center distance, if I understand your conversions correctly. I apologize for not being clearer in my post. This would then be a 12X18 with a 36" bed.

And thanks for the tip about the switch hole. I'll figure out a plug for it.

Do you know approximately when this would have been manufactured based on the serial number of 10825 S?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Brin,

As the original plate is likely long gone, probably the best way in which to cover the hole would be to get a piece of about 16 gauge aluminum or brass sheet and cut out a rectangular piece about half an inch wider and taller than the hole location dimensions and attach it with two screws in the existing tapped holes.

On the age question, where is the name plate (two choices are on the rear of the bed near the center or on the right end of the bed). And where is the serial number (two choices are stamped into the top of the front way near the right end or stamped into the nameplate).

One thing to bear in mind when dating a serial number is that Atlas with the 10" did not start the serial numbers over with each model number change but Sears for some reason did. So the 10" serial numbers got much larger than did the 12".

You may be happy with the short bed but if you would prefer having a 12x36, someone within the past month or so had a lathe with a 54" bed and was looking for a short bed. I don't recall whether he had a 10" or a 12" but if his machine was about the same vintage as yours that might not matter. I also don't recall where he was located.
 
The stamped serial number is stamped into the bed on the right hand side, and the Craftsman model number plate is on the back in the center. I'm ok with the 36" bed at this time. I'm not sure I would have sufficient room for a 54" bed in my shop (which is primarily a wood shop).
 
One other thing I'll mention is that should you ever have all of the shims removed from under the bearing caps and the spindle is still too loose, one fix that some owners will make is to replace the headstock with one from a 101.07403 which has Timken bearings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top