# Need help with tooling ID for 10" Atlas lathe



## aforsman (Sep 27, 2013)

This question got buried in the thread where I showed my finished restoration, so I will repost on a new thread with hopes that someone will actually see it ).  This tooling came with my great-grandfather's 10" Atlas lathe.  Can anyone identify the pieces and what they're used for?  I reoriented them a little between pics for better view.

Thanks,
Allen


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## Inflight (Sep 27, 2013)

According to Tony's LatheUK site, the table is a: 



"Simple but very useful Boring Table 7" x 7" designed to replace the cross slide and fitted with a fully-adjustable vice: - jaw width 3", jaw height 1-5/8", opening 4-5/8"."


You also have a wood lathe style tool post (missing the part you'd rest a gouge against). 

Not sure about the two "Centers" type attachments, but the dovetail appears to match the cross slide of atlas lathes.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/page10.html




check the old metal working machinery site too


Matt


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## aforsman (Sep 27, 2013)

Very good.  I also googled "lathe boring table" and came up with this pic:




From this pic and from examining the base, it actually replaces the compound on top of the cross-slide.  I can see how this might be very useful.  I'll figure out the other stuff eventually if no one else chimes in.  Thanks!!!


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## kchmn (Sep 29, 2013)

Hello,
    I'm pretty sure the other 2 pieces are for turning and undercutting commujtators on armaturesd for electric motors. You still need the actual cutter that used to be available. If you ever want to work on motors.


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## aforsman (Sep 29, 2013)

> I'm pretty sure the other 2 pieces are for turning and undercutting  commujtators on armaturesd for electric motors. You still need the  actual cutter that used to be available. If you ever want to work on  motors.



Thanks.  Now that I know what they possibly do, I've tried searching for information to no avail.  I found a couple of Atlas accessory catalogs at vintagemachinery.or, but can't find any such animals in there.  I even tried googling "Atlas armature accessory" and similar phrases.  All that I can find is a motorized attachment that fits the 6" Atlas.  Baffling.


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## fgduncan (Sep 29, 2013)

aforsman said:


> This question got buried in the thread where I showed my finished restoration, so I will repost on a new thread with hopes that someone will actually see it ).  This tooling came with my great-grandfather's 10" Atlas lathe.  Can anyone identify the pieces and what they're used for?  I reoriented them a little between pics for better view.
> 
> Thanks,
> Allen
> ...



I have a TH42 well accessorized, but with none of these items.  I have catalogs going back to 1966 that don't show them so they went out of production a loooong time ago! I have most of the parts for the armature repair kit, but none of these look like those parts. The only time I did some boring, I used the milling attachment. The base casting for the armature repair kit is 9-511, while the sliding holder is 9-512, if that's any help. None of these items look anything like it, though.

Frank Duncan


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## Inflight (Sep 29, 2013)

Lots of old catalogs available at one of the vintage machinery sites.  Here's a list of publications: http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=51&tab=3&sort=2&th=false&fl=


I quickly found a couple items that help you:







Matt


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## aforsman (Sep 29, 2013)

*Re: Need help with tooling ID for 10&quot; Atlas lathe*

Matt,

Thanks.  I actually did look there under Atlas lathe docs, but didn't find the pics you came up with.  According to my grandmother, my great grandfather was an auto mechanic by trade, so that would probably explain the valve grinding attachment.  Also, the wood cutting attachment I have is obviously missing the tool rest.  One could be easily made if I get a hankering to cut some wood.  That leaves only the tool in the upper right corner of the pics as still mysterious.  It could be related to the purpose of the valve grinding gizmo.  I'll keep searching as time allows.  Thanks to you and everyone else who has assisted here.

Allen

- - - Updated - - -

Frank,

Until you mentioned it I didn't even consider looking for  casting numbers on the mystery pieces.  I'll check them as soon as I'm  able and see if I can use them to get more info.

Thanks,
Allen


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## Matkins (Nov 24, 2013)

I believe the piece in the upper right hand corner is a reamer grinding attachment. My 1937 Atlas manual shows it and how to use it.


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## aforsman (Nov 25, 2013)

Matkins said:


> I believe the piece in the upper right hand corner is a reamer grinding attachment. My 1937 Atlas manual shows it and how to use it.



Thanks.  Is the manual you're referring to the standard Atlas Manual of Lathe Operation?  If so, I should order a new one.  The original went underwater in my grandfather's shop during Hurricane Katrina, so it's in really bad shape and hard to read.  Luckily, the lathe had already been moved out.


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## Matkins (Nov 26, 2013)

aforsman said:


> Thanks.  Is the manual you're referring to the standard Atlas Manual of Lathe Operation?  If so, I should order a new one.  The original went underwater in my grandfather's shop during Hurricane Katrina, so it's in really bad shape and hard to read.  Luckily, the lathe had already been moved out.



That would be the one, I recently purchased a 10 x 24 Atlas Screw Cutting Lathe and the original manual was included. It was in very good shape and kept in a plastic bag and there is a wealth of information inside of it. The former owner had owned the machine for 40 years and told me he learned everything he knew about machine work from a high-school shop class and that manual.


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## wa5cab (Nov 28, 2013)

Allen,

The current (new) version of the Atlas MoLO is dated  1982.  All of the tables and the general information is still applicable  to your 10".  But the majority of the photographs are of the 12"  "Commercial".  And some of the older accessories (which went out of  production in the mid 50's) are no longer shown.  If you want one that  shows your machine and the older accessories, you should look for one  dated about 1940 to 1955.  If your machine doesn't have a QCGB, then better would be 1940-1947 or so.  However, this range is apparently rare, as I've been looking for over a year and not turned one up.  For some strange reason, there seem to be a fair number of 1937's around.  I actually have an extra 1955 (not sure how I ended up  with two) that is in fair+ condition (some water damage to some of the pages).  I paid a little more but will take $25 plus shipping for it.  The front cover says Craftsman, though.

Robert D.


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## pollardd (Nov 28, 2013)

Hi There,
i found a scan of a 1937 version of the Manual Of Lathe Operations on line.  It has details of of many of these attachments and how to use them.  I don't condone reproduction of copyright material but when you can't find a legit copy what can you do?

They were not giving it away for free which makes it worse.  Funny how I ended my membership befor the free period was over.

Please let me know what the forum policy is before I post details of where I found it.

thanks
David.


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## wa5cab (Nov 28, 2013)

David,

From comments posted here and on or through other sites by people who profess to know about these things, the copyright situation of the Atlas (and Craftsman version) Manual of Lathe Operations is ambiguous for at least three reasons.  

(1) the company is still in business today (as Clausing) with no breaks in ownership of the original name "Atlas".

(2) they still sell new copies of the most recent version (1982).

(3) the page (back side of the Title Page) of all versions contains a list beginning with 1937 and ending with the year/version of the then current copy.  In between are listed all of the years/versions.  The page makes no mention of Copyright or of a copyright start date for the copy.  There is no statement identifying what the years shown actually mean (edition, etc.).

People who have or have seen copies of the book with different final years know that in general something changed each time that Atlas incremented or added the final year shown.  Most of those who claim more than casual familiarity with copyright law have concluded that from a legal standpoint, the book might have never been "out of print".  

The owners of the several Atlas-related sites I happen to be a member of have generally said (if the subject ever came up) not to upload scanned copies of any year to their sites (groups, forums).

On the other hand, I know of at least two eBay vendors who have been offering for sale hard copies of one or more years, although at least one has them ID'd by which machines are covered and not the print year.  So far, at least, eBay has not pulled the ads.  Whatever that means.

That all having been said, the general rule here on posting URL's to other sites has been not to do it if the owner of the other site objected.  I'm a little puzzled by your third sentence.  Why don't you send me the URL (PM, I guess) and let me take a look, and then ask the H-M owner what he thinks.

Robert D.


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## pollardd (Nov 29, 2013)

Hi Robert,
The front inside cover of the scanned version I have certainly says "Copyright 1937 Atlas Press Company Printed in USA" (Price One Dollar)

As for my third sentence 
"I don't condone reproduction of copyright material but when you can't find a legit copy what can you do"

I mean if someone is trying to find an old version of a book and can't, using legitimate means.  If there are copied versions available it would be hard to resist obtaining one if you really want to know the information.  Your right it is confusing when modern versions of the book are still in print although the removal of the old information kind of makes it irrelevant in this case.

I did a Google for copyright in USA  out of curiosity and as you said.  It's complicated especially for works published prior to 1978.

The site where I found the scanned book is called Scribd.  I wasn't suggesting anyone should join that site to get the book.  They are probably breaking copyright as much as anyone else in this case.

Anyway, I don't want to take the thread too far off track.  I really just wanted to say details of the old lathe attachments are in the 1937 version and you can get it if your really want to.

Thanks 
David.


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## wa5cab (Nov 29, 2013)

David,

I wrote a longer reply to this but it apparently ended up in the bit bucket.  You are of course correct.  Several years of looking at the back of the title pages only to see what the final year listed is has apparently resulted in tunnel vision and tunnel memory.  It does of course say "Copyrighted" farther up the page.  Anyone who wants to download the 1937 edition can certainly go to scribd.com and do so.  I don't know what Scribd's policy on copyright is nor how much effort they expend trying to see that it is followed.  But generally the onus is on the seller.  .  I noted that there are four copies on the site.  Three are of the same 1937 first edition.  Two even appear to be the same scanned file uploaded by two different persons.  Poor QC on Scribd's part.  The fourth is of the Threading Supplement which added partial application to the 10F.  All appear to have been made quickly with a camera, as all of the pages are curved.

To get back to the original topic, your photographs show that with modification to the top of the compound, it is possible to use the BXA tool post on the 10".  Having done that, I'm sure that it will work OK for you.  But I think that anyone else, unless they acquire a complete BXA set cheaply, would be well advised to opt for the AXA.  I have an AXA (actually Yuasa 100 Series) on my 12" and have never felt any inclination to wish I had gone with the BXA.

Robert D.


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## aforsman (Dec 5, 2013)

Robert and David,

My apologies for not responding to my own thread for a while - the last week or so has been quite a blur.  Nevertheless, it seems you guys have been able to carry it just fine without me )  I understand David's comment - I am not one to thumb my nose at copyright laws.  I don't believe in getting "something for nothing", so I only consider it as a last resort when I'm in a pinch.  Anyway, Robert, I appreciate the book offer.  I plan on spending a little time over the holidays trying to carefully salvage my book.  If I don't have much success I may take you up on it.

Allen


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