# Improving the Atlas-Craftsman 101-07403 and 101-07301



## jlrice54 (Aug 30, 2014)

I just finished getting my "new to me" South Bend 9A under-drive lathe running and making chips and I'm making progress on refurbishing my South Bend 16" with the 12' bed.  For the last 6 years, I've been using a A-C 12x36 model 101-07403 and a 6x18 model 101-07301.  I've noticed during the last several years how both of the Atlas lathe lack a lot of rigidity.  On 12L14, how deep of a cut will they take?   It seems that the compound and cross slide ways have a lot of lay in them even with the gib screw tightened to the point they make the handles a bit hard to turn.  Is there any way to take out the slack that allows movement under load or should I relegate them to light duty like brass, aluminum and plastics only?  Since I've never turned a single piece of aluminum or plastic and only one piece of brass in the past 6 years, it seems a waste to let them sit there on the bench.  

Should I look at making new gibs out of bra, use moglice to build up the ways to compensate for wear or maybe look for replacement parts that have less wear?  Or just pass them on to someone who may be just getting started?  I'm not expecting to turn them into Monarch 10EE class machines, just improve them a bit.  After using the 9A, I'm not sure that either of them will get any future use in my shop.  I've actually started looking for a SB 13" to slot between my 9" and 16" machines.

James


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## wa5cab (Aug 30, 2014)

What is a '16" with a 12" bed'?  

Robert D.


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## rammed (Aug 30, 2014)

What is a '16" with a 12" bed'? 

 South Bend 16" with the 12' bed. 


16 inch swing and a 12 foot bed.


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## HACKMASTER (Aug 30, 2014)

jlrice54 said:


> I just finished getting my "new to me" South Bend 9A under-drive lathe running and making chips and I'm making progress on refurbishing my South Bend 16" with the 12' bed.  For the last 6 years, I've been using a A-C 12x36 model 101-07403 and a 6x18 model 101-07301.  I've noticed during the last several years how both of the Atlas lathe lack a lot of rigidity.  On 12L14, how deep of a cut will they take?   It seems that the compound and cross slide ways have a lot of lay in them even with the gib screw tightened to the point they make the handles a bit hard to turn.  Is there any way to take out the slack that allows movement under load or should I relegate them to light duty like brass, aluminum and plastics only?  Since I've never turned a single piece of aluminum or plastic and only one piece of brass in the past 6 years, it seems a waste to let them sit there on the bench.
> 
> Should I look at making new gibs out of bra, use moglice to build up the ways to compensate for wear or maybe look for replacement parts that have less wear?  Or just pass them on to someone who may be just getting started?  I'm not expecting to turn them into Monarch 10EE class machines, just improve them a bit.  After using the 9A, I'm not sure that either of them will get any future use in my shop.  I've actually started looking for a SB 13" to slot between my 9" and 16" machines.
> 
> James


 don't waist your time those machines were never very heavy duty i have had several SB lathes in my day even a  16" and tried everything to make them more rigid i think it is best if you can sport two or more lathes  i bought a 17" new import lathe heavy duty and love it even for the small stuff it just consumes lots of power but it is my go to lathe. the more beastly the better


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## wa5cab (Aug 30, 2014)

Hackmaster,

jlrice54 was talking about the two Atlas machines, not the two SB's.

Rammed & jlrice54,

Sorry, I misread what was typed and had forgotten that the SB 16" had been available with a 144" bed.

jlrice54,

So you are going to end up with a 6X18, 9X?, 12X36 and 16X144.  You didn't indicate that either of the Atlas machine's beds are worn out so I would say no to the moglice.  It won't stiffen either one.  You could stiffen up the 12" by buying or making a longer cross slide (and/or by swapping out the bed with an Atlas Commercial one).  But if the 9" bed is long enough for the work that you used to do on the 12", I would probably sell the 12".  If you actually needed a 6" over the past few years, you are still going to need one.  On the other hand, if you didn't need it before, you aren't going to need it now.  As far as stiffening it up, about all that you could do would be to put a longer heavier cross slide on it.  Which I think you would have to build from scratch because unlike the 12", AFAIK Atlas never made anything else for it.  Bear in mind that if you do, you probably won't be able to run a follow rest on it without reinstalling the original cross slide,  But that only takes a few minutes.

Robert D.


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## iron man (Aug 30, 2014)

I cant get a bigger lathe down my basement steps or I would own a different one. But you do with what you got I dont know how your setting up your machine but I cut some very large steel items in mine without a problem. I have made several modifications to my Atlas and as far as it being accurate or being able to take a heavy cut I have not seen one that will beat mine after the modifications as long as the lathe it is going up against is the same size. But I turned some pretty beefy things before the mod's here are just some of them. Ray

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=23042

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=22268

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=21046

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=20863

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=11924


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## jlrice54 (Aug 31, 2014)

Ray, you have inspired me.  I'm not so concerned with the 6x18 lathe but your modifications of your 10" Atlas showed me toward where I'd like to go with my 12".  
after I finish with the 12" I may apply some of the same type of improvements to the baby 6".   I loved the idea of adapting the SB large dial setup to the Atlas.  My 9A came with the large dial option.

Robert, I do currently have a SB 9A with a 3 1/2' bed.  I haven't even looked up what that means in terms of between the center capacity.  But that one is almost finished. I only have to mount the 5 unit control station for the VFD and install the VFD into a Hoffman box to protect the electronics from swarf.  My 16"x144" is being disassembled for scraping, painting, replacing all the felts and  reassembly.  I'll power it with a VFD also.  The 6"x18" is my first lathe.  It was purchased as a basket case and I spent way more than it will ever be worth collecting all the missing pieces of the puzzle.  The 12"x36" was my second and under went a partial restoration by the previous owner close to 10 years ago.  He replaced the bearings, cleaned everything, put on new belts but never got around to painting the lathe.  Neither have I.  As to whether I could do everything on the 9" that I do on the 12", the answer is probably yes as I've never hit the limits of capacity on the 12".  If I needed to do something large and heavy, I took it to a friend who owned a 14"x40" Grizzly.

Thanks everyone for your input  I now know what direction I'm going to go with the two machines.

James


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## iron man (Aug 31, 2014)

I hope it was some help BTW I scrapped the southbend dial and made my own on the Atlas Lathe. Ray

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=25037


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## ZZYL-Vulcan (Nov 7, 2015)

Hey Ray awesome work on the mods. I just bought a Craftsman 12" and I have been nervous about the machines rigidity affecting finish. When I get the thing mounted up, I anticipate copying some of your work...


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## Rob (Nov 8, 2015)

Here is what I did for the cross slide on my Craftsman 12".





I made a T cross slide from http://www.statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/A-11.html.  This raised my compound higher than I liked so I used a 10" compond and made a raised button with markings all 360 degrees around it.  It really made a differance on rigidity.


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## ZZYL-Vulcan (Nov 9, 2015)

Whoa that thing looks like a beast! I looked at that link, there are some pretty interesting things on there. I just want to confirm, you made that right? Any experience ordering from that site? Thanks again,

Vulcan


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## Rob (Nov 11, 2015)

A friend has a Bridgeport mill and he machined the cross slide for me.  I had a good experience ordering my cross slide.  I have also read on several forums that the owner Andy is good to deal with.  As I mentioned it raised my compound about 1/4" which raised my QCTP higher than I like.  It also was harder to tighten the compound down using the button that you see at the back of the cross slide.  I made a button that was about 3/4" high and put degree marks on it all 360 degrees.  I then used a 10" lathe compound.  This really stiffened up the lathe.


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## my machine shop (Nov 13, 2015)

The crossfeed screw assembly off of an Atlas/Craftsman 12 inch commercial lathe has the big dial and the whole assembly will retro on the older lathes.


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## ZZYL-Vulcan (Nov 16, 2015)

OK thanks I will keep my eye out for one!


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## wa5cab (Nov 17, 2015)

There are two versions, late 1957 through 1967 and 1968 through 1981.  And if you upgrade the cross slide, you should also upgrade the compound slide, which uses the same larger dial.  The latter version (on lathes that have the lead screw slip clutch and lever actuated cross feed) is the better of the two.  You will need the complete assembly including the screws and bearing with bushings (cross feed) or bearing plate (compound).  The  only parts that are the same as on the 3/8" bed 10" or 12" are the cranks, ball crank nuts, cross feed gear, and Woodruff keys.


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