Introduction - New member

Thomas,

Up until sometime between 1947 and 1957, the model number was on the nameplate, the nameplate was on the rear of the bed, and the Serial Number was stamped into the top of the front way near the right end, in the strip where neither the carriage nor the tailstock run. At some point in that time frame, the nameplates moved from rear to right end of the bed. Also within that period, the serial number moved from stamped on the way to stamped on the nameplate. We don't currently know whether the serial number moved at the same time as the nameplate or later. So short answer is that if you bed still has its nameplate and the serial number isn't on the nameplate, then it should be on the way.

Jim,

OK. Not long after I posted the question, I saw that you had put the serial number in your first post. Sorry that I forgot it.

On dating your machine, we are hampered by the fact that Atlas production records, which almost certainly existed at one time, do not appear to have survived. Atlas, on the succession of 10" models (except for the first two or three years of QC model production) seems to have started with Serial Number 000001 in 1935 and run consecutively up to something over 088786 in 1951 (strangely, we have no records of 10" with either higher serial numbers or later dates, but that's another subject). So with some margin or error, you could ID the original 10" model number from the serial number. But on the 12" built for Sears, we have enough examples to conclude that each of the three model lines (101.0736x, 101.0738x and 101.0740x) started at 1 and ran up. So with several caveats or assumptions, your machine was probably made in early 1942.
 
Thomas,

Up until sometime between 1947 and 1957, the model number was on the nameplate, the nameplate was on the rear of the bed, and the Serial Number was stamped into the top of the front way near the right end, in the strip where neither the carriage nor the tailstock run. At some point in that time frame, the nameplates moved from rear to right end of the bed. Also within that period, the serial number moved from stamped on the way to stamped on the nameplate. We don't currently know whether the serial number moved at the same time as the nameplate or later. So short answer is that if you bed still has its nameplate and the serial number isn't on the nameplate, then it should be on the way.

Jim,

OK. Not long after I posted the question, I saw that you had put the serial number in your first post. Sorry that I forgot it.

On dating your machine, we are hampered by the fact that Atlas production records, which almost certainly existed at one time, do not appear to have survived. Atlas, on the succession of 10" models (except for the first two or three years of QC model production) seems to have started with Serial Number 000001 in 1935 and run consecutively up to something over 088786 in 1951 (strangely, we have no records of 10" with either higher serial numbers or later dates, but that's another subject). So with some margin or error, you could ID the original 10" model number from the serial number. But on the 12" built for Sears, we have enough examples to conclude that each of the three model lines (101.0736x, 101.0738x and 101.0740x) started at 1 and ran up. So with several caveats or assumptions, your machine was probably made in early 1942.
Hi Robert, I found the serial # it is 25364 thanks for your help thomas s
 
Thomas,

OK. Calculations based on bearing dates of one earlier and one later example puts yours as December, 1949. Given that from examples where we have both bearing dates, we know that Atlas did not follow any First In - First Out procedure and that the largest time lag we have between the dates on the two bearings is about a year, the best that we can say is minus nothing (couldn't have been made earlier than the earliest known bearing date) to plus a year. So December of 1949 to December of 1950.

What is the bed length on your machine (choices in your case are 42 or 54, which correspond to a distance between centers of 24" or 36")
 
OK. I assume that you mean 12x36, so the bed length is 54".
 
Nice lathe and there is heaps of literature on them. I gave an Atlas one to a friend a couple of years ago and he has done stuff that I wouldn't have thought possible probably because he is a carpenter and knows not.
Check out the downloads section page 37.
 
N,

If you searched through 37 of the currently 39 pages of files in Downloads to find something, you need to read the Downloads instructions in the Sticky area. You shouldn't normally have to search manually through more than one page.
 
Been hanging out in the forums since this past summer, picking up info here and there.

Jumped on a chance "Craftsman lathe" at an estate sale nearby in Abilene, TX. Turned out to
be a Craftsman 12x24; 101.07403 (Serial # 6069 S) for sale. Was able to look it over pretty well
and it ended up going home with me; now my first operational lathe (I've got parts of a 618 in storage).

(added picture)
View attachment 245717
First off, thanks to the many folks who have discussed their lathes here. Those comments and references
helped me to go over all of the lubrication points and such to make sure everything was ok.
Once I got power to the lathe I noticed that it was quite noisy at the tumbler. Took that completely
apart, cleaned everything well and applied some lube to everything that moved. Smooth and quiet now.

Still quite a bit of cleaning to go; the carriage is filthy and has quite a few chips everywhere.
Since I haven't used a lathe since the 9th grade (1971/2) I'm "hitting the books" and will be taking
it slow for a bit.

Jim Korman

So a correction! Got looking closer (and using the 1942 Sears Catalog as a guide) - this lathe is a 12x18 - measured the bed at 36 inches.

Jim Korman
 
OK. Thanks for the correction. I'll correct the database.
 
Back
Top