# Help Determine year of my lathe



## chevydyl

hey fellas, I bought a lathe from an old man last week, he says its a clausing, the parts book he gave me says ATLAS Lathe Accessories available only from Clausing Service Center   the lathe has been tore down and has been painted, the name tag on the quick change lid isn't there, but the two feed/speed tags are, there is no tag on the end of the bed either, in the parts book the numbers 101.28940 is underlined, in the Lathe operations book (grey covers) it has his name dated 1985....I would like to know ballpark year or maybe theres another spot to look besides the TIMKENs thanks guys


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## wa5cab

chevydyl,

Atlas actually bought Clausing circa 1949/50.  Then years later (I forget the date but early 60's) the company name was changed to Clausing.  However, the lathes continued to be called Atlas even though near the end both names were on the badges and nameplates.

Your lathe is either an Atlas 3981 or a Craftsman (Atlas) 101.28940.  If the parts list says Craftsman and the Manual of Lathe Operations front cover says Craftsman, then it's probably a good guess that it was sold by Sears.  

The 101.28940 (and 3981) was made from late 1957 until some time in 1966.  Key visible features that differentiate it from earlier and/or later models are:

 Different shape (flat front) headstock, belt cover, tailstock and compound from pre-1957 models.

1/2" thick ways (came out in 1957).

Same knob-type power cross-feed engagement and right end lead screw bearing as machines made since 1939 (both of which changed in 1968).

No feed screw slip clutch (first offered in 1968).

Why the MoLO has 1985 written in it I couldn't say.  Maybe that's when the PO bought it from the OO.  The last Atlas lathe (a 3996) was built 06 March 1981.  Look on the back side of the title page in the MoLO at the list of edition years.  If the latest one is after 1966, the book wasn't bought with the lathe.  If 1966 or earlier, until (if ever) you pull the spindle, take that as the year of manufacture (+2 -0 except not later than 1966).

According to the UK site, the bed casting date is cast in between the ways.  But I have a 3996 made Summer of 1980 and if that's true, the date cannot be read.  I know at least one other person who reported the same thing.

Robert D.


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## chevydyl

the lathe opertation book says atlas on it, and it has reprinted dates to 1981, so I know that he got it from a machinist friend of his back in the 80s but don't know anything of its life before that, I was just curious as to how old it really is, I know that its older than me for sure, but how much (born 1985) the PO, Joe, did say that he searched around and got these books after he bought the lathe, when I get back from work next week I will give him a call, maybe he still has the plates just didn't want to put them on after the paint job     thanks for the info


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## kd4gij

If craftsman the badge would be on the back side of the bed, about in the middle.


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## chevydyl

there isn't a single badge on it that has a brand name, there is however two holes on the end of the bed where there was a plate at some point. so I don't know why those numbers are underlined in that book I have, if its the right numbers or if its just a used book the guy found way back and someone else had underlined it, its not really a book rather a printout of a few sheets


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## wa5cab

chevydyl,

OK.  I own an Atlas 3996 that I bought new.  I've also owned two Craftsman 101.28910 (originally bought for parts but a friend took parts from both and made a complete one which is still in service) which despite the lower model number is the later (1967-) version of yours.  I've seen photographs of two or three Craftsman data plates and at least one Atlas off of the 1957-1966 vintage machines like yours.  So I think I am correct in saying that unlike the badges on the headstock cover, the same size data plate retained by two screws and mounted on the right end of the bed was used on all of the 1/2" bed machines.  Plus both the Atlas and the Craftsman parts lists (owners manuals) either say that the data plate is on the right end or don't say anything.  That being so, unless we could possibly gather enough data about the badges and mounting hole locations on the headstock, there is no way without original badges or data plate being present to differentiate between Atlas and Craftsman machines.  However, at least according to the catalog photos, the headstock Craftsman badge did not change until 1971 when it became Craftsman Commercial.  So absent the bearing dates, the best we can say is that your machine is either a 101.28940 or a 3981 and was made as I wrote earlier between 1957 and 1966.

If the PO turns up any of the original badges or plates, let us know.

Robert D.


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## mickri

I know that this is an old thread.  Did a search and didn't find any threads that were more current on the year built on Craftsman lathes.  This is my first post on the forum.  I recently bought a Craftsman model 101-28910 12x36 lathe serial number 100796.  I am the 3rd owner.  All of the tags are on the lathe.  In between the ways in about the middle of the bed is a tag with a date of 11-24-65 and just below it is another tag with the numbers 058-016.  So I believe my lathe was built in November 1965.  Or could this have been the date the bed was made and the rest of the lathe made at some later date.
Chuck


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## wa5cab

Chuck,

The date in the bed casting is the casting date (and the 058-016 is the casting number).  Which according to a statement in most if not all editions of the Atlas MOLO is typically two years earlier than when the bed casting is actually machined and used.  This was the casting "seasoning" period.  Plus the 101.28910 was first built in 1967, the year of the last significant change in the machines when they added the lever for engaging power cross feed, added the slip clutch, and changed the right leadscrew bearing to the final multi-piece version. 

When the 1/2" bed 12" machines first came out in late 1957, the serial numbers started at 000001.  When the final revision came out, the serial number range was incremented to either 100000 or more likely 100001.  So your machine is the 786th one built.  Which means either late 1967 or perhaps more likely early 1968. 

Because Atlas or Timken apparently stopped hand engraving the bearing receipt inspection dates onto the bearing cups and cones around 1957 or so, absent the original invoice showing your machine's serial number, that's as close as we can get to saying when yours was built.  FYI, to date, no 1/2" bed machine has been reported as having bearing dates.

Note that this is the earliest serial number for any model of the final version of the late 12".  

With a simple inspection, you could add some info to a different dating subject.  In case you don't yet know, a "gib" is a relatively thin strip with adjusting screws to move it slightly.  One is typically used to adjust the "fit" of a part that slides relative to the part that it is attached to or sits on.  On all of the Atlas built lathes, there are four.  The one on tailstock between it and the vertical front of the rear way and the one on the carriage between it and the rear of the rear way are both rectangular (meaning that the front and rear gib sufaces are perpendicular to the top and bottom).  The one on the carriage slide or cross slide (different names for the same part) between it and the carriage dovetail, and the one on the compound slide between it and the dovetail on the compound swivel are trapezoidal, meaning that two narrow edges are not perpendicular to the two ones.

Originally, all four gibs were made of steel.  The carriage gib and the tailstock gib remained steel through the end of Atlas lathe production.  The cross slide gib and the compound slide gib were changed to plastic sometime during production of the 1/2" bed 12" machines.  This probably happened in the late 1970's but would you look at the front ends of the two gibs and report whether they are steel or plastic?

I'll open this question up to anyone with one of the 1/2" bed lathes.  Take a look at the machine and if it does have plastic gibs, send me the serial number.


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## mickri

I have had the compound off and I am pretty sure that the gib was steel.  It didn't look like plastic.  I am traveling over this holiday weekend and will check this out when I get back home next week.  Thanks for all the info that you provided.
Chuck


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## mickri

The gib on the compound is steel.


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