# Purpose of ATLAS & CRAFTSMAN MACHINES forum.



## wa5cab (Feb 2, 2013)

Group.

I recently got the displayed title of this forum changed to reflect more accurately the generally acceptable equipment topics (and in writing this I see that I left out a couple of nouns). I want to correct any misapprehension that this forum is JUST for Atlas or Atlas-Craftsman lathes. Although probably 95+% of the recent posts have involved Atlas or Atlas-Craftsman lathes, it is also open to posts concerning anything metal working related that Atlas made, including those that Sears sold under the Craftsman badge. This includes lathes, mills, shapers, grinders, band saws and drill presses plus any and all accessories therefor. It also includes, in part because there isn't any other forum for them to go to, any and all other metal working machine tools sold by Sears under the Craftsman, Companion or Dunlap badges (including lathes made by AA) and their accessories. You won't have to look too far back to find threads pertaining to Atlas horizontal mills and Craftsman (depending upon the year, it may actually have a Dunlap badge) Model 109.xxxxx lathes, and some of the other equipment.

So if your post pertains to an Atlas or Atlas-Craftsman lathe, please say so at least once, and if you know it try to give the full model number. In many cases, it will eliminate several back and forth messages before it is discovered what you are actually talking about.

Also, please don't just describe your machine as "Craftsman 101", "Craftsman 101 lathe " or "Atlas 101". "101" is just the Sears Contractor Code for the Atlas Press Co., later Clausing and a couple of minor variants in between. Between about 1932 and 1981, Atlas/Clausing built and Sears sold (if in the early years you include the four different bed lengths) at least 70 different models of lathes alone. And an unknown number of models of the other type equipments (mills, etc.). At a rough guess, pushing 100 total different model numbers. Plus in the mid 1930's several more lathes advertised as woodworking machines (but with metal working attachments available that look just like other Atlas made ones on the next page). No one seems to know the model numbers of these but that I am nearly convinced that they must have been built by Atlas. All of these machines have model numbers beginning with "101.".

Robert D.
Moderator


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