Atlas/Craftsman Serial Numbers and Bearing Dates (if applicable) For Database Entries

[wa5cab]

It's a TH54 and doesn't have the serial number on the end like my other machines. The only number I've found is "TH16274 S" stamped in to far end of the front way. I haven't had a reason to pull the spindle yet, so no dates at this point.

It's kind of a "resto-mod" machine. The PO owns a small shop near Atlanta and did a full restoration of it along with adding some goodies - like DROs on the X, Y and tailstock and DC drive and motor on the lead screw. Also came with a QC tool post a quite a few holders and extra tooling.

Up until the mid 1950's, all Atlas built lathes had the machine serial number stamped into the top of the right end of the front way. In the first few years, there was also a "V", "H", "TV" or "TH" prefix. "V" and "H" indicate that the machint was originally sold with a Vertical or a Horizontal countershaft. If that letter was preceded by a "T", the lathe had Timken spindle bearings. If not, it had babbit ones. In about the same period, both Atlas and Craftsman lathe serial numbers had or usually had an "S" suffix. No one still alive seems to know what the "S" means. Earlier, the prefix was "D" or "TD" or "E". And before that "A", "B". "C" or nothing. "Nothing" meant the complete 16-speed screw cutting lathe. "A", "B", "C" or "E" were models missing certain things. "D" was the 10D, which had replaced the "Nothing".

Probably made late 1939 or 1940.

I'll comment that I wouldn't attempt to cut threads with a DC motor driving the lead screw. They may look OK and may ever work with standard height nuts. But there is no practical way to guarantee the pitch.

 

[wa5cab]

The same weekend that the above machine was arriving at the freight terminal, I found this TH48 on CL ans struck a deal. The PO had bought it 20+ years ago, moved it around several times but never set it up or run it. It came with a milling attachment and draw bar and some other goodies, which was the main reason I bought it. I also like that it had an original wood stand, which I have yet to find another one like it. It was pretty rusty and crusty and I decided to do a full strip down and restoration on it. I'm about 90% done and just need to install the counter shaft and motor and wire it up. The serial on this one is 059761. Sadly I didn't know to look for dates on the bearings when I had the spindle out. It is Timken bearing machine.

I've seen the hardwood cabinet in catalogs but I think this is the first lathe one that I've seen. I think that this is also the first 10F that I've seen with nameplate and serial number on the right end. Or at least the first reported. The hardwood cabinets were only in the 1943 and 1945 catalogs. Which agrees with the serial number which probably dates from 1945. None of the catalog photos of complete lathes are at a good angle for showing the right end of the bed. But none of those that are close seem to show any nameplate. I'll post a question in the regular section.

 

[wa5cab]

And finally, this is the 12x54 101.28910 I picked up over the weekend. Serial number is 106558. I had to drive 8 hours round trip to Norfolk, VA to pick it up. The PO used to do machine work in one of the ship yards and this was his personal machine at home. It's in exceptionally good shape. Very tight and the ways are flawless. Only notable damage so far is a busted tooth on 16 side of the 16/32 banjo gear. It also looks like the counter shaft end bearing support was replaced with a homemade unit, but it actually looks better than the original! This one also came with a milling attachment (with original jaw plates!), quite a bit of tooling, a huge QC post, Starrrett and other domestic mics, a Starrett indicator, a whole pile of MT drill bits and reamers, a 60's era craftsman tap and die set and about 140+ lbs of brass and copper round stock, 150+ lbs of stainless, tool steel and other misc. steel stock.

I'm debating if I'm just going to set this one up and run it or if I want to do at least a partial tear-down and clean it up a bit. I did have to cover it in Fluid Film for the ride home as it started to rain and I was hauling it on an open trailer. But the goop did it's job and protected it...now I just need to clean it all off!

The reamer set that came with it has a 1939 date on it. Not sure if that's a good indication of the lathe's date or not.

The immediate predecessor to this one came out in late 1957. There is no dating them from dates on the bearings because some time around 1955, Atlas (or Timken - we aren't actually certain who did it) quit engraving the dates. But in any case, although a lot of parts carried over from the 10F and 101.27430/440, a lot of parts are different. And even more so after 1967 when your model first appeared. On the first version of your 12", the lead screw and power cross feed actuator assembly was the same as on the 10F and equivalent Craftsmen 12". Including the right bearing. In 1967, the actuator was improved with the lever replacing the rotating knob. The right bearing was redesigned with ball thrust bearings and not intended to be the sacrificial piece in a crash. Because a slip clutch was added at the left end of the lead screw. If you ever decide that you can only keep one of the three, this is the one.

The models beginning in late 1967 had serial numbers that began at 100000 (or maybe 100001). Yours was probably made in 1974.

 

[NCpatrol]

Up until the mid 1950's, all Atlas built lathes had the machine serial number stamped into the top of the right end of the front way. In the first few years, there was also a "V", "H", "TV" or "TH" prefix. "V" and "H" indicate that the machint was originally sold with a Vertical or a Horizontal countershaft. If that letter was preceded by a "T", the lathe had Timken spindle bearings. If not, it had babbit ones. In about the same period, both Atlas and Craftsman lathe serial numbers had or usually had an "S" suffix. No one still alive seems to know what the "S" means. Earlier, the prefix was "D" or "TD" or "E". And before that "A", "B". "C" or nothing. "Nothing" meant the complete 16-speed screw cutting lathe. "A", "B", "C" or "E" were models missing certain things. "D" was the 10D, which had replaced the "Nothing".

Probably made late 1939 or 1940.

I'll comment that I wouldn't attempt to cut threads with a DC motor driving the lead screw. They may look OK and may ever work with standard height nuts. But there is no practical way to guarantee the pitch.

I figured this one was the oldest of the 3 but hadn't narrowed down the dates yet. It is in remarkably good condition for a 70+ year-old machine. The PO did quite a bit of work restoring it.

I can't imagine how someone would thread with motor driven screw, but I guess if you were going slow enough it would be possible. I just love it for the fact that I can use it for cutting and then engage the gears for threading. No need to mess with change gears when it's time to start threading. It's also great being able to change the feed speed on the fly. I can make one rough pass at higher speed and then turn the knob for a finishing pass without stopping the machine. It also saves wear on those delicate gears. I'm probably going to fit something similar on to the 12".

I've seen the hardwood cabinet in catalogs but I think this is the first lathe one that I've seen. I think that this is also the first 10F that I've seen with nameplate and serial number on the right end. Or at least the first reported. The hardwood cabinets were only in the 1943 and 1945 catalogs. Which agrees with the serial number which probably dates from 1945. None of the catalog photos of complete lathes are at a good angle for showing the right end of the bed. But none of those that are close seem to show any nameplate. I'll post a question in the regular section.

In all my searches to date, I haven't found another picture of this cabinet. It appears to be maple. The side panels were pretty water damaged and I ended up replacing them, but it's otherwise solid. There's a little bit of water staining on the legs, but they're not rotten or anything. Obviously there was a front door panel that's mostly broken off. I'd be tempted to make a replacement if I had an idea of what it was supposed to look like. Any chance you have one of those catalog pics you can share.

The immediate predecessor to this one came out in late 1957. There is no dating them from dates on the bearings because some time around 1955, Atlas (or Timken - we aren't actually certain who did it) quit engraving the dates. But in any case, although a lot of parts carried over from the 10F and 101.27430/440, a lot of parts are different. And even more so after 1967 when your model first appeared. On the first version of your 12", the lead screw and power cross feed actuator assembly was the same as on the 10F and equivalent Craftsmen 12". Including the right bearing. In 1967, the actuator was improved with the lever replacing the rotating knob. The right bearing was redesigned with ball thrust bearings and not intended to be the sacrificial piece in a crash. Because a slip clutch was added at the left end of the lead screw. If you ever decide that you can only keep one of the three, this is the one.

The models beginning in late 1967 had serial numbers that began at 100000 (or maybe 100001). Yours was probably made in 1974.

That matches up to the time frame the PO had it. The PO was in pretty rough shape health-wise and I bought it from his wife. She said he had bought it from the original owner about 30 years ago.

I do plan to keep this one. I'll probably outfit it similar the the TH54 above with DROs and a drive motor on the lead screw.


More than likely the TH48 is going to be sold once I get it fully operational. As much as I like the restoration and the table, I really don't need 3 of these things. Eventually I'll sell the TH54 too, but I've got too much money tied up in it and I feel like I need to run it for a while!

 

[wa5cab]

OK. I didn't know that you also had the change gears for threading. You had mentioned earlier that you were threading when the drum switch failed and I assumed that you were driving the lead screw with the motor.

I just uploaded the two page flyer on the hardwood cabinets to DOWNLOADS. It should be top of the list at the moment but as soon as someone uploads some more files, it will move down the list. It is actually in the Catalogs category/folder under Atlas/Craftsman/AA. Atlas obviously didn't know much about selling furniture. In none of the catalogs where the cabinet appears is there a photo of it with either drop-down door or pull-out drawer open. Yours is missing the drawer. Front of drawer is identical to door.

 

[NCpatrol]

That's pretty cool. I have the remnants of what I guess was a fold-down door and apparently there was a drawer to the right. I'll have to look closer to see if any of the drawer slides remain for me to try to reproduce it. I believe it's all solid maple.

And yeah, the TH54 came with the full set of change gears. Interesting too, it also came with this "80% complete" homemade QCGB. I haven't had time to try to assemble it and see what's left to complete, but I know the PO had a friend with the same machine and actually did complete the QCGB and has it operational. I have a binder that came with the lathe that has a bunch of documentation and with it was the magazine article from waaay back that had the plans for the gear box.

 

[wa5cab]

The catalog entries all say that the stands were maple. But as I said, not even the two-page flyer on only the hardwood stands showed any details. The single photo that's in the L43 and 1945 catalogs is the same as the one in the brochure that I uploaded. So no help there.

The QCGB looks interesting. Does the magazine article show a cover over it?

 

[NCpatrol]

Yeah, the po actually had already made the cover. I'll have to take some more pics this weekend. He did a great job on it...all engraved on his cnc mill. Has all the thread and feed info like an original gear box cover plate. I may try to scan the article and plans for it.

 

[wa5cab]

OK. While you still have it, you might sorta compare using the home-brew box with using the one on the Craftsman. Does the home brew one have a tumbler for reversing the feed or does it continue to use the original reverse box. The Craftsman (and all of the other Atlas built boxes, of which there were a total of six counting the Pic-O-Matic) have a tumbler.

 

[NCpatrol]

I'm fairly certain it uses the original reversing box. I actually found the article on another site. I'm positive this is the same exact file that the hard copy that came with my machine was printed from.
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/51/7158.pdf

It appears that you actually use the full set of original Atlas change gears on a new lead screw shaft extension. All the changing is done through the 7 added 32-tooth gears.