# New Craftsman Lathe



## hukcats1 (May 4, 2014)

Whilst I was working this weekend, my lovely bride scored a new metal lathe for me. What a woman! I have no idea what model Craftsman Metalcraft it is; I just know that it is at home in my garage for the low, low price of $150.00. Apparently, the old man that owned it took a shine to my lady. He originally wanted $300.00 (which I was willing to pay!) but she wasn't sure if I wanted it. When she left the sale, he told his partner that if she came back for it to give it to her for $150. Did I say that I love this woman? 

So, be prepared for a lot of questions during the whole clean up phase. I don't intend to do a rebuild at this time, just a clean and lube then use.


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## Mondo (May 4, 2014)

That lathe was built in 1935 or so. What you have is a 12" swing x 24" between centers. Single piece carriage/apron casting, 5/8" dia leadscrew, manual only cross feed and Zamak compund. EXACTLY what I had when I bought my first lathe. Mine lacked the switch in the electrical box, that had been dispensed with long before it came to me. Yours is historically correct for 1935. See this page: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/ Third illustration down is a 10" version of your 12" lathe, having the verticle countershaft configuration vs the horizontal as yours.

I suggest you tear it down, sub assembly by sub assembly, piece by piece, clean throughly, lubricate and reassemble, painting as you go if you want it to look pretty.

If you want to seriously use it I suggest upgrading the saddle and leadscrew to gain advantage of power cross-feed (not terribly important but very nice to have) and an iron compound. At least get an iron compound - that Zamak compound is tender, weak, and a bit awkward to use.

Let me do some digging and I can point you to a thread where I show how I modified a 3/4" leadscrew so I could use a more modern carriage with power cross-feed.

BTW:  That was a BARGAIN! Your wife is a real keeper.  Don't let go!


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## Don B (May 4, 2014)

hukcats1 said:


> Whilst I was working this weekend, my lovely bride scored a new metal lathe for me. What a woman!



Very nice, your lovely bride and the lathe are both keepers, I've always been lucky that way, my wife has understood and supported me with my tool obsession, have fun with your new lathe..!


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## rferrara (May 4, 2014)

Its amazing what you can find at garage sales, It looks like you found a great deal with complete lathe and tooling, not to mention a great wife. about ten years ago i found a 1930 Southbend 9 inch lathe with a flat belt and motor at a garage sale. the guy wanted 150.00 and we got him down to 90 dollars, it was missing some gearing but works fine for me as Im not making space shuttles. now i have 3 different sized metal lathes and one milling machine. not to mention an shopsmith and 3 wood lathes, it never stops but make life interesting.


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## wa5cab (May 5, 2014)

Howie,

Officially it is a 1936 model.  The 1935 catalog only lists the 9".  The model number should be 101.07380,  What is the serial number?  Should be stamped in the top of the bed right in front of the tailstock as shown in your first photograph.

I would be hesitant to make any changes to it.  Although there are a few 9" around, it is likely the oldest Atlas/Craftsman 12" that's been reported either here or on the Yahoo Group.  Putting later parts on it would be akin to dropping a Jaguar engine and gearbox into a complete unrestored Model A Ford.  When you're done, you no longer have a Model A but you don't have a Jag either.

Robert D.


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## hukcats1 (May 5, 2014)

Thanks for all the information on the new lathe. This is my first metal lathe. I have been a wood turner for awhile, mostly pens. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to even look it over very well. I work 12-hour shifts and have been on shift since I got it home. I'll have a few days off in the middle of next week, so I'll have time to play with it. I don't believe I'll make any adds to the lathe. I just want to clean it, lube it and use it. I don't know enough about metalwork on the lathe to even know what's good and bad. Maybe a year or two down the road, between using the lathe and learning from you folks, then I can decide what I like and don't like about it. I do know that the person I bought it from was excited that my son and I get to learn on his old machine.

- Robert D., I'll get the serial number to you as soon as I get time to play with the lathe. On 12 hour shifts, sleep is the most important (after wife and kids!) thing on my agenda!

hukcats1 (h - for Howie, UK Cats #1 fan = hukcats1)

Howie

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rferrara said:


> Its amazing what you can find at garage sales, It looks like you found a great deal with complete lathe and tooling, not to mention a great wife. about ten years ago i found a 1930 Southbend 9 inch lathe with a flat belt and motor at a garage sale. the guy wanted 150.00 and we got him down to 90 dollars, it was missing some gearing but works fine for me as Im not making space shuttles. now i have 3 different sized metal lathes and one milling machine. not to mention an shopsmith and 3 wood lathes, it never stops but make life interesting.



Sounds like a real sweet deal. Now the wifey has marching orders to find me a milling machine.

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Spiral_Chips said:


> That lathe was built in 1935 or so. What you have is a 12" swing x 24" between centers. Single piece carriage/apron casting, 5/8" dia leadscrew, manual only cross feed and Zamak compund. EXACTLY what I had when I bought my first lathe. Mine lacked the switch in the electrical box, that had been dispensed with long before it came to me. Yours is historically correct for 1935. See this page: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/ Third illustration down is a 10" version of your 12" lathe, having the verticle countershaft configuration vs the horizontal as yours.
> 
> I suggest you tear it down, sub assembly by sub assembly, piece by piece, clean throughly, lubricate and reassemble, painting as you go if you want it to look pretty.
> 
> ...



I'll not be letting her go anytime soon, that's for sure! We've been inseparable now for over 36 years (other than those Navy enforced cruises!)

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Don B said:


> Very nice, your lovely bride and the lathe are both keepers, I've always been lucky that way, my wife has understood and supported me with my tool obsession, have fun with your new lathe..!



It is very nice when we have understanding wives, isn't it. I do believe I'll keep 'em both. I do intend to have fun learning on the lathe.

Howie


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## Mondo (May 5, 2014)

I was not able to find the thread I posted somewhere else on changing my leadscrew so I posted that project in this forum.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=22627&p=200389#post200389

That was done in 2009.  Nothing in the major parts of the lathe were changed, no modifications to the bed, headstock, or tailstock.  I can restore this back to it's original configuration is less than ten minutes because I kept the original carriage, leadscrew, and leadscrew bearing.  The power cross-feed  has been well worth the effort and expense of buying a newer carriage and all the apron parts that are required to make it work.  Not only has this helped when facing off large diameter work, it has been especially useful when using the milling attachment because I can configure the gearing for very slow feed rates and make very smooth controlled cuts.


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## Mondo (May 5, 2014)

wa5cab said:


> Huk,
> 
> Officially it is a 1936 model. The 1935 catalog only lists the 9". The model number should be 101.07380, What is the serial number? Should be stamped in the top of the bed right in front of the tailstock as shown in your first photograph.
> 
> ...



Hello Robert:

As noted in my previous post I can restore my lathe back to it's original configuration in less than ten minutes. I kept the original parts and carefull packed them away for historic preservation. Changing the leadscrew and carriage is not permanent and no permanent modifications were required be made to anything but the worn 54" leadscrew I used. I don't have a model A with a Jaguar power plant.

(But by shortening the worn 54" leadscrew to use it on this lathe put the worn area too close to the headstock for the split nuts to engage that area so the worn section becomes irrelevent. And chopping that leadscrew has no impact on any historical significance to anything.)

BTW: to what 1935 catalog are you referring? The Atlas or the Sears?
As I am sure you know Tony Griffiths has a web site on which these lathes are well documented: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/ Based on that web site and other documentation I have found my best guess is my lathe was manufactured after the 1934 10" model pictured on that page, but prior to the 1936 and 1936 1/2 modifications.

My 12" Craftsman has no ID plate with model and serial numbers. There is no evidence that one was ever mounted on it. Not on the back of the bed, either behind the headstock, midway on the back of the bed, or on the right end. No rivet holes, nothing. It has been my understanding that these lathes did not have an ID plate until Sears required that be added sometime in the late 1930's or early 1940's. It is also my understanding that there is no record or archive of the numbers stamped on the front way at the TS end and therefore not likely, if at all possible, to ID the manufacture date of a lathe based on these numbers. If you have information to the contrary I would love to hear it. Please share! The number stamped on the front way by the TS on my lathe is L6-860.

My lathe as received before I did any cleaning or rebuilding is pictured below. Though it came with the lathe, the lever operated turret tailstock is for a 10" lathe and would not work on my 12" unless I were to fabricate a 1" riser block. I had no interest in using the turret TS so it has since been sold. But because of where it is in the picture the bed foot on that end is not clearly visible. What can't be seen is that foot has only a single mounting pad on the end, no mounting pads on the front or back as at the headstock end, which hjas only two, one front and one back. This helps provide at least a clue to the year of manufacture. From the pictures and other documentation I have seen the earlier lathes had a smaller foot with mounting bolt provisions at front and back, then they increased the size of the foot keeping the two mounting holes, then for a year or so the right end foot had only the single mounting bolt at the end. This was before they made the much larger feet as seen under the 1936 model first pictured on Tony Griffiths page reference above.


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## ddushane (May 6, 2014)

Nothing like a good woman that's on your side! God is Goood!


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## wa5cab (May 7, 2014)

Spiral,

I've pointed out a few errors or possible errors on the UK site to Tony, some of which he said that he would correct.  I've also told him that my research led me to disagree with two or three of the dates but haven't heard back from him on any of those.

As I've stated several times here, if I post a date based on spindle bearing date I say so or try to remember to.  Otherwise, the date is based on the published catalog year.  Since Atlas, until the new 12" models appeared in late 1957 and 10" production ceased, never published any catalog under their name showing a 12" and Sears never published any catalog showing an Atlas built 10", by default if the comment isn't based on a bearing date and applies to a 10" it is based on an Atlas catalog and if to a 12" on a Sears catalog.  

I recently acquired the elusive 1935 Sears Power Tools Catalog, previously thought not to have existed.  I have all of the known Sears Power Tools catalogs published between 1931 and 1982. I'm trying to re-correlate the catalog numbers with the known Model Numbers and may possibly adjust dates slightly.  It's possible that your machine could be the one shown in the very small photo on the second page of the listings.  Which does look like the one in the larger photo in the 1936 catalog as nearly as can be told.  However, there is no evidence that the 9" style feet were ever sold under a 12".  The only metal working lathe shown in either the 1934 Power Tools Catalog or the Big Book is the 9".

Atlas practice was to cast a part number into all castings large enough to hold one.  No one has ever shown a stamped part number that I know of.  So the conclusion is that the serial number of your lathe is 860.  About the only thing that can be said about serial number prefixes or suffixes is that both Atlas and Sears seem to have been consistently inconsistent.  The "L" plus single digit part number prefix seems to have applied to cases where the part for the 12" was different from that on the 9" or 10".  But the digit(s) following the hyphen were usually the same as on the corresponding 9" or 10" part unless those machines did not have that part (the tumbler would be an example).  Why they chose to prefix a serial number with a part number prefix I haven't the foggiest idea.  But the bed part number at that time (for a 12x24) would have been either 942B or 942C.  What I have pretty much concluded is that the serial numbers of the 12" models (unlike some of the 10") started at either "1" or at "100" when the first one was built and ran up continuously through the at least 16 known model numbers through sometime in 1957.

The main difficulty in calculating dates from serial numbers using known bearing dates and matching serial numbers is that we have no production data.  It was apparently lost or discarded during one of the many moves that Atlas/Clausing made over the decades.

On the tailstocks, Atlas built three styles prior to 1958.  The standard one with hand wheel driven ram feed screw was made in one size for the 10" and another an inch taller for the 12".  Both used the same 10D-6 base and gib.  The second type produced was the Turret Tailstock shown sitting on the bench in your photo.  The main casting was used for both 10" and 12".  The 10" version used the 10D-6 base.  The 12" version used the 2" tall L6-6A.  The third type was the lever operated tailstock which operates a ram similar to that on the basic version.  The main casting is the same as that used on the turret version.  I wish that Atlas had elected to use the same casting and two different bases on the basic tailstocks.  I have both the turret type and the lever operated ram type but only have one base between them.  I've had an auto search running on eBay for the past 18 months and none have turned up.

Robert D.


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## Mondo (May 13, 2014)

Thank you, Robert.  Thjat is an interesting read.
Bed casting number:  942
No letters.

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Hukcats1:
This thread is about YOUR lathe...   What does it have for numbers cast into the inner surface of the bed?


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## hukcats1 (May 24, 2014)

Spiral_Chips said:


> Thank you, Robert.  Thjat is an interesting read.
> Bed casting number:  942
> No letters.
> 
> ...



I'll have to check. Working mids again this weekend so it's just sleeping, eating and working right now.


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## hukcats1 (Feb 1, 2015)

Bed casting is 942

I just started disassembling and cleaning. This is the only casting/serial/identification number I can find other than casting on the individual parts.

Howie


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## Billh50 (Feb 1, 2015)

Think you could have your bride find me a deal like that ? $150 I can afford.


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## Jamiethesquid (Feb 2, 2015)

Very nice find!!!


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## Billh50 (Feb 2, 2015)

Yep, that is one nice find. Iwouldn't have passed that up even if I didn't need it. Would have found someone else who did  really need it.


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## wa5cab (Feb 2, 2015)

Howie,

There should be a number stamped into the top of the front way near the right end.  942 is the bed part number.  It was used on the 9" and the early 10" and 12".  It might be part number 942A, B or C.  For whatever reason, Atlas didn't usually add the suffix letter to the casting part number, unless the casting itself changed.  

Raymond, 

To answer your last question from last year, the catalogs I was referring to were the Craftsman Power Tools catalogs (unless I wrote "Big", which meant the regular Sears catalog).

Robert D.


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## hukcats1 (Feb 2, 2015)

wa5cab said:


> Howie,
> 
> There should be a number stamped into the top of the front way near the right end. 942 is the bed part number. It was used on the 9" and the early 10" and 12". It might be part number 942A, B or C. For whatever reason, Atlas didn't usually add the suffix letter to the casting part number, unless the casting itself changed.
> 
> ...



Robert,

I will check again on Wednesday. It very well may be that a plate existed at one time as I see a hole on the right end of the bed. 

Howie


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## wa5cab (Feb 3, 2015)

Howie,

I'm not talking about a nameplate.  Up until at least late 1957, both the Atlas and the Craftsman badged machines had the serial number stamped into the top of the front way near the right end.  Or at least every time that I have insisted that it had to be there somewhere, the owner has eventually reported finding it.  The nameplate, with the model number, was on the back of the bed, although someone wrote earlier that on very early Craftsman production, there was no nameplate.  If correct, I don't know what year that changed.  I think that with the advent of the 1/2" bed 12" machines in late 1957, they switched to putting the nameplate on the right end of the bed, and it also has the serial number on it.  At least it was there by the early 60's.  The bad thing about this is that the nameplates have often been removed and lost by a previous owner.

Robert D.


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## Jman (Oct 27, 2016)

Howie did you ever get your lathe up and running? If you are still following this thread I have a lathe that I have had for years and I believe it is the same lathe as yours. In fact what really got my attention was the lack of a serial number on the front way just as mine is also lacking a number in that location, all I could find was a tiny L.       

Now with Roberts help I know what I have and I finally want to find the missing or wrong parts and put it back together. It is not going to be a restoration because I want to make a daily driver out of it.                                   

Robert since the picture of Howie's new craftsman lathe is a good representation of my lathe if not the exact model, would it be possible to move the posts of the questions that I posted and the answers you gave on the The New Manual uploads thread so anyone that has this model with a tumbler direction selector and gears will be able to find it easier. I never knew this thread was about this model lathe because all the heading said was New craftsman lathe.


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## westsailpat (Oct 28, 2016)

This is a heart warming thread , even if it is a little old . Question , I saw in the pictures  that a bed turret went with this machine , was that a after market turret or was it a Atlas piece and if it was Atlas did they make one for a 618 ?


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## wa5cab (Oct 29, 2016)

westsailpat,
In the 1930's and 40's Atlas did manufacture bed turrets.  They turn up from time to time.  But only for the 10" and 12" machines.  AFAIK, they never made one for the 6" machines.

Jman,

All of the Craftsman (and Atlas) 12" machines have the tumbler style lead screw FWD/OFF/REV mechanism (as well as all of the Atlas and Craftsman 6").  The machines that don't are either 9" or 10".  And for anyone reading, I moved Jman's posts into a new thread beginning "Another New Lathe...".


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## timpet98 (Mar 27, 2019)

I have a lathe that appears to be the same exact model, aside from the lack of Craftsman tag on the head stock. The strange thing is that there doesn't seem to be any rivet holes in the head stock, instead some numbers scratched into the paint, which my grandpa informed me was the original owner's social security number, I blocked out a few, and hope he doesn't mind, although he is long past this life anyway. The only other difference I can't wrap my head around is the funky plunger that indexes on the holes in the casting for forward neutral and reverse of the power feed. If anyone knows if it was a different model year that I can't find in the Craftsman catalogs, or a modification from the original owner any help would be greatly appreciated. Also was wondering if anyone had a clearer photo of the switch plate cover, I am planning on replacing the whole switch assembly that I put on it when there was nothing.


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## wa5cab (Mar 27, 2019)

If you look at the screw-cutting 12" lathe in the 1936 Sears Power Tools catalog, you will see that in that year, the motor switch looked pretty much like what you have installed except that the cover plate did not hang out.  You can probably still buy the correct cover plate.  It isn't as wide as the plastic wall plate that you used.

For a comment on the tumbler assembly, you will need to take a better photo of it.  Open the gear cover and take a closeup shot from the left end.

But from everything that I can see, the machine looks like a 101.07360 (no back gears) or 101.07380 (with back gears).


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## timpet98 (Mar 27, 2019)

Thats the smallest plate that I could find, and I know that its not shown in that photo, but its the wrong handy box as well,  I have sourced one without any holes cut in it like in the 1936 catalog, and I'm thinking that ill have to custom make the plate cover from sheet metal because A. Its too big, and B. The picture does not seem to have the beveled edge. Ill upload more photos of the gear box tonight.


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## wa5cab (Mar 27, 2019)

The switch box on the 1936 model was I'm pretty sure a standard junction and switch box for conduit with only the rear knockout removed.  They made a flush metal cover for that box which should still be available.


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## timpet98 (Mar 28, 2019)

Got distracted working on a new bench with a 5 in top for the lathe and drill press, but here are some more photos. The bed seems to say 15-224. Im not sure how the electrical box is supposed to be mounted, but I have it bolted to the change gear cover with some huge washers in one of the punch outs.


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## wa5cab (Mar 29, 2019)

Tim,

Thanks for the photos.  The first character in the serial number area is, judging by half a dozen other reports, an upper case "L".  Your serial number is 224.  And no one yet alive seems to know what the L5 meant.  One other lathe reports having L4, one L5A and three L6.  Possibly most of the other low serial numbers also had L-something but it wasn't reported.

The four photos of the pulley seem to show that it has the bushings but the front one must be pressed in out of view of the camera.  Two of the photos show the keyway for the Woodruff key that keeps the bull gear from turning.  So Atlas must have used the standard spindle.  Which means that if you acquire the parts to convert it to a 101.07380, you won't need another spindle.  But I can't tell what keeps the pulley from turning on the spindle.  Perhaps the pulley oil hole is tapped through and against a flat cut in the spindle.  You would have to pull the spindle to determine that.  Whether you would need to replace the pulley to add back gear I can't say.  There may be enough material to drill the hole for the direct drive pin but I can't say for certain.

The odd detent and knob for locking the tumbler into one of the three positions doesn't appear in the catalog photo.


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