# Please Help Me Identify This Atlas Lathe Model



## Trc687 (Aug 4, 2016)

Hello,

I found this Atlas lathe on Craigslist. It's a bit of a hike from me but it certainly appears to be a stout piece of history. Nevada is a desert, both literally and figuratively when it comes to used mills and lathes. I have contacted the seller and am eagerly awaiting a response. Can you guys help me identify the model and give me an idea about what to expect in cost of restoration, probable repairs that may be needed, fair price, etc? I'm handy and will be doing all of the work myself, I just know next to nothing about machining/machine tools and am looking to start with a decent piece of machinery. Here is the link:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/pts/5699253926.html

Thanks!


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## markba633csi (Aug 4, 2016)

I believe that's called a TH-42 if I'm not mistaken- check the site Lathes.uk I think they have a picture. 
I can see that there are some broken handles/cranks on it, and the motor wiring looks ancient.  Fairly common lathe tho and many parts available on Ebay.  Ask the seller if he has any accessories like extra chucks, change gears, tools. 
If it's just what's shown, maybe 600$ maybe less if it's really worn.  Tighten the carriage lock bolt with the carriage near the headstock till the carriage just moves, then crank the carriage toward the tailstock.  You want it to go all or most of the way without too much binding.  
Mark S.


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## wa5cab (Aug 5, 2016)

It is an Atlas 10F.  If you zoom in on the first photo, you can just see part of the power cross-feed knob peeking out from under the cross feed knob.  But it isn't a TH-42.  "T" means Timken spindle bearings.  And zooming in on the first photo, you can easily see three out of four of the bearing cap bolt heads.  So it has babbit spindle bearings.  "42" means a 42" bed, or 24" between centers.  It is difficult to judge length in a photo, especially when the photo is made from such a high angle.  But it is probably an H-42.  From the rectangular switch plate, it was made 1942 or later.  With babbit bearings, it was made 1945 or earlier.

Going prices for machine tools vary significantly in different parts of the country.  But I would still judge $450 as being a little too high.  The lathe seems relatively complete but it is missing the tailstock dauber (they are almost always missing), the motor belt cover, and the motor pulley and the countershaft pulley driven by the motor belt are not original.  Both were originally 2-step and the one on the countershaft was larger than the one there now.  Also, the cross feed crank and the half-nut lever are both broken.  I don't see any of the rest of the change gears, and except for one headstock chuck and the drill chuck in the tailstock ram, I see not other accessories.

If he will come down on the price, it might be worth the drive to check it out.  But I would insist on removing the spindle chuck and on pulling the right end bearing cap in order to inspect the bearings and to see how many thou of shims are still present.


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## westsailpat (Aug 5, 2016)

Tailstock dauber , I never heard of that before . How does it work?
https://www.google.com/search?q=tailstock+dauber&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=x4-uArcxkFlP5M%3A%3B24YXKQqQQ_aEyM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.practicalmachinist.com%252Fvb%252Fsouth-bend-lathes%252Fmaking-tailstock-dauber-130321%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=x4-uArcxkFlP5M%3A%2C24YXKQqQQ_aEyM%2C_&usg=__fRjr4KL2wKy3Pgh7gwyIuY8-Z00=&ved=0ahUKEwj39eCf36rOAhUGy2MKHU0fDiwQyjcIQQ&ei=U8WkV7eAKoaWjwPNvrjgAg#imgrc=Q9TXwd-y1oycKM:
OK now I see it , cool .


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## markba633csi (Aug 5, 2016)

Too bad you can't take Robert with you when you go LOL can't put anything past him! Seriously tho it's an old lathe and probably has a fair amount of wear. But it's ok to buy a worn machine as long as you know what you are getting. That's why checking for bed wear is so important. Most other issues can be fixed, repaired, replaced, etc. and that's the fun part. Fixing a worn bed is too big an undertaking for most people.  Even so, worn lathes can still make good parts, you just need to bump up your skill level a bit. 
Another thing is that if you get there first you usually don't have alot of bargaining power- and prices here in the west tend to be on the high side.  Happy shopping!
Mark S.


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## Trc687 (Aug 5, 2016)

Thanks guys! With the babbitt bearings, I think I'll probably pass. I hear that getting them repoured is a nightmare and of itself. This one is also listed by a different gentleman. 

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tls/5623178864.html

 It's a craftsman, but it looks like it has a qcgb in the bottom of the first picture. I didn't realize craftsman had a model with qcgb, so I might very well be mistaken. Any thoughts on this fella? I need to call and get more info and maybe a few more pictures.


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## Charles Spencer (Aug 5, 2016)

Wow, even for Craigslist those are crappy pictures.

Atlas made most of the Craftsman lathes.  

$500 is not a bad deal.


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## Trc687 (Aug 5, 2016)

Charles, any idea what model it may be? Again, I'm trying to determine parts availability and what repairs or upgrades may need to be made before I jump in head first.


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## Charles Spencer (Aug 5, 2016)

Impossible to say from those pictures.  It could be a 10" or a 12" swing.  I've seen more 12" than 10" with the gear box.

If its in decent shape then you shouldn't have to buy parts.  No idea what tooling besides the chuck.

I will tell you that I sold a non working gear box off a 12" Atlas for $350.

Either size will take common tools that fit Atlas, South Bend, and Logan lathes in that size group and are readily available. 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2057872.m570.l1311.R7.TR11.TRC1.A0.H1.X1+1/2"-8+.TRS0&_nkw=1+1/2+8+lathe+chuck&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...13.TR7.TRC2.A0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=axa+tool&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...2.TRC2.A0.H0.X.TRS0&_nkw=atlas+lathe&_sacat=0

There's a lot of information on Craftsman lathes here:

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=222&tab=3

And here:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/craftsman/page4.html


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## Charles Spencer (Aug 5, 2016)

I looked on Las Vegas Craigslist for lathes.  I found the deal I'd like to go for:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tls/5708461579.html


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## Trc687 (Aug 5, 2016)

No kidding! I saw that ad as well. The machine shop on wheels concept is interesting and I wish I had room for that mill!


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## bret.wilson.7334 (Aug 5, 2016)

Looks shorter than 42, more like 36. Tool Room size

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk


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## schor (Aug 5, 2016)

Looks like an older 10f th36 with babbet bearings, motor pulley and outside countershaft pulley is not correct, missing parts for the back gears, god knows what else is wrong. Pass unless you can get it for $150.


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## wa5cab (Aug 6, 2016)

schor said:


> Looks like an older 10f th36 with babbet bearings.



It cannot be a TH-36 if it has babbit bearings, because the "T" stands for Timken.  It could be an H-36, although it looks more like an H-42 to me.  And as I wrote earlier, it was most likely made between 1942 and 1945.


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## wa5cab (Aug 6, 2016)

Trc687 said:


> Thanks guys! With the babbitt bearings, I think I'll probably pass. I hear that getting them repoured is a nightmare and of itself. This one is also listed by a different gentleman.
> 
> http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tls/5623178864.html
> 
> It's a craftsman, but it looks like it has a qcgb in the bottom of the first picture. I didn't realize craftsman had a model with qcgb, so I might very well be mistaken. Any thoughts on this fella? I need to call and get more info and maybe a few more pictures.



The reason that I said earlier to pull the right bearing cap was three-fold.  First, you can inspect the upper bearing half for scores and gouges.  Second, you can determine how many shims out of the original pack are still present.  If there are several on both sides (there is a pack under each bolt), it may be OK.  And third, you can inspect the bearing area on the spindle for wear, both even and uneven.  With a short straight edge and a narrow feeler gauge set you can get a pretty accurate measurement of the actual wear.  If the wear is uniform and comfortably less than the remaining shim pack, it will probably outlive you.

It still depends upon what shape the bed is in.  It really isn't that difficult to strip the bed and have it reground or replace it with a better one.  The problems are that the grinding operation will likely cost more than the lathe.  And although there are probably plenty of good beds around, generally no one is willing to pack and ship one.  And/or the buyer isn't will to pay what proper shipping costs.

The lathe at http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tls/5623178864.html is probably an Atlas/Craftsman 101.27430 or 101.27440 (made circa 1950-1957), depending upon bed length.  The spindle belt cover is homemade.  And I can't find the spindle belt tension rod.  The second and third photos are only thumbnails, so worthless.


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## schor (Aug 6, 2016)

You are right Robert, I misquoted on the th. Still seems small for a 42.


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## wa5cab (Aug 6, 2016)

You could be right on the length.  It's hard enough to judge from a photo made with the camera in the optimum position.  This one was in about the worst possible position.


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## Trc687 (Aug 6, 2016)

Thanks, folks! I just received an email from the Atlas seller. It'll be a 10F-28, so Schor was right when he said it looked too small to be a -42. 

I'm going to meet the seller of that craftsman next week and take a look at his machine. If the only thing missing is the belt cover and everything else looks good, I'll likely take it home right then. Belt covers are only about $70 online as far as I can tell. What else should I try to inspect while I'm there?


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## Charles Spencer (Aug 6, 2016)

Check if the gear shifters on the quick change box work.

Check out this advice from Nels:

http://hobby-machinist.com/threads/...the-and-a-milling-machine-by-dave-ficken.269/


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## wa5cab (Aug 7, 2016)

As I agreed earlier, the 10" machine you first asked about might be a 10x18 instead of 10x24.  But 10F-28 is not a valid model number.  10F is the series identifier..  Like 10D (and 10, 10A, 10B, 10C and 10E).  If the lathe really has the shortest 36" bed, then the model number, which should be on the nameplate, is H-36.  But it's I guess a moot point anyway.

On things to check on the 12", I'll add the comment that when you are checking the gear shifters, you'll probably have to rotate the spindle (with the tumbler in either FWD or REV) in order to mesh the gears as you shift them.  You can sorta see what's going on if you stoop down and look up through the open bottom of the gear box.  And it will probably make shifting easier if you carry along an oil can with long spout and squirt some on the shaft that the shifters slide along.  And on the two gears in each shifter arm.

Of other things to look for, confirm that the tailstock slides along the bed (more oil here) and that the ram moves out and in freely (oil) as you rotate the tailstock handwheel.  Before you try to move the carriage, also wipe off the ways and then oil the four felts, one at the end of each saddle arm.

Compare the width of the lead screw threads near the right bearing with those down toward the head stock.  They should appear to be the same width.  If you can tell an obvious difference, the lead screw is worn out. 

Don't worry too much if the cross feed crank has a lot of back lash as at least part of that can be adjusted out.

Confirm that the belt tension rod is present.  Should have a round black knob on the operator end.  I couldn't find it in the photo but we've already determined that whomever took the photos didn't know what they were doing.


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## pollardd (Aug 12, 2016)

I have a lathe very similar to the model in the first fixture.  Mine has the plain bearings (not timken) and I find they still work quite well.  I have left the shims alone so far.  The only thing I have a hard time with parting off.  But that has allways been hard for me  
I have been able to find a few parts I needed on eBay and had a lot of personal satisfaction making the old girl work well again.  I have just purchased a milling attachment and I'm keenly awaiting it's arrival.

I'd say give it a chance.  
David


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