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

[wa5cab]

Based upon studying several catalogs and flyers, and without trying to guess what Atlas's lead time on catalogs and flyers was during the War, the change occurred in early to mid 1942. However, they did not only change the escutcheon (the switch cover plate/name plate). They also changed the headstock casting. the later casting has a nearly square protrusion from the front of the casting and a nearly square hole inside the square. The earlier headstock casting had an oval protrusion and a round hole. And might have required a less common long shank toggle switch. The long shank switch has become difficult to find, even in Military Surplus. Note that this casting revision was done to both Timken and babbit bearing headstocks.

 

[shadetreedad]

Hi, I have an Atlas 10F vertical shaft with a Pick-O-Matic Gearbox. Model # V54 & Serial # 048700. I don’t have any official documentation, but my best guess is late 1943 early 1944 for production. It appears that the POM drive was installed when new. The PO didn’t even remember who he bought it from. The leadscrew appeared original and was about half worn out in the middle so I replaced it. Didn’t need power cross feed so no need for a keyway. I also replaced the cross slide & compound drive screws with 20tpi screws. 1 revolution = .050”. This along with the 2.5 inch dials I made makes it pretty easy to take very accurate cuts. I made some other upgrades that are depicted in the photos.

Also, I have a 9”Atlas lathe, in (slow) process of rebuilding. Its Serial # is 4625S.

I really appreciate this site as I'm definitely a hobby machinist and have learned a lot reading all the posts. Thanks Mike

 

[James Bartlett]

I hadn't previously noticed it probably because looking back I see that almost all age related questions the past year have been for 12". In the combined machine database (408 entries to date) there are only 74 10" entries, a third of which show no serial numbers. And there is a large jump or blank range in the 10" serial numbers. They meander up to a little over 8000 and then skip to over 17000. Plus we only have three supposed bearing dates, one of which does not track with the other two. Meaning that it is about 13000 smaller than one with almost the same date.

Anyway, anyone with a 10" who doesn't remember for sure entering your machine into the old Yahoo database or giving it to me recently, please send me the model number (which includes bed length), serial number (including any prefix or suffix letters), type (10F, 10D, etc.), and if it has Timken bearings, the bearing dates if you know them. If no bearing dates, then anything that would give the original purchase date (no guesses, please).

Thanks, Robert D.

I bought an Atlas 10 inch lathe a few years ago; I will give you what information I can.
The bed length is 54 inches; The SN has been rubbed off
However there is a number stamped at the tail end on the top surface of the bed ways, it is TI20281S,
The lathe has a Pick-O-Matic installed
As for the bearings, I can’t get to them there are no bearing caps, the headstalk and bearing cap are one piece
I think the lathe is a D series, Sorry this is all the information that I can give you.
If there are any markings or hidden numbers that you would like me to look for, just let me know,
I however have a question; my lathe has been in pieces since I bought it.
I have finally put it back together, a problem that I am having now is with the Pick-O-Matic
I am not getting the feeds that are indicated on the selector chart.
ex:
The chart indicates that for a 32 tooth gear in the D position
and a 64 tooth gear in the E position and the sliding gear in the "OUT" position,
I should get the following feeds with the following AB and C selector positions
a=.125
b=.250
c=.0625
however I am getting the following
a=.015
b=.031
c=.0075
The funny thing is that this is what i should be getting with sliding gear in the "IN" position
If any one may be able to help or point me in the right direction that would be greatly appreaciated.

James B

 

[shadetreedad]

I bought an Atlas 10 inch lathe a few years ago; I will give you what information I can.
The bed length is 54 inches; The SN has been rubbed off
However there is a number stamped at the tail end on the top surface of the bed ways, it is TI20281S,
The lathe has a Pick-O-Matic installed
As for the bearings, I can’t get to them there are no bearing caps, the headstalk and bearing cap are one piece
I think the lathe is a D series, Sorry this is all the information that I can give you.
If there are any markings or hidden numbers that you would like me to look for, just let me know,
I however have a question; my lathe has been in pieces since I bought it.
I have finally put it back together, a problem that I am having now is with the Pick-O-Matic
I am not getting the feeds that are indicated on the selector chart.
ex:
The chart indicates that for a 32 tooth gear in the D position
and a 64 tooth gear in the E position and the sliding gear in the "OUT" position,
I should get the following feeds with the following AB and C selector positions
a=.125
b=.250
c=.0625
however I am getting the following
a=.015
b=.031
c=.0075
The funny thing is that this is what i should be getting with sliding gear in the "IN" position
If any one may be able to help or point me in the right direction that would be greatly appreaciated.

James B

James,
Without seeing how your gear train is setup, my best guess is you don't have the sliding gear oriented properly. The attached photo shows the proper orientation for "IN". It will easily install the "wrong" way and actually work just fine, but the numbers won't be correct. If this isn't the problem, attach some photos of your setup and I'll have a better idea of what is the issue.
Mike

 

[markba633csi]

Just joined the Atlas/Craftsman 12x36 club: 101.28940 serial# 004353 (earlier version of the late style 12")
original 8" 4 jaw and Bison 6.25" 3 jaw, two tailstock chucks, dead centers, box of bits and dogs
couple homemade faceplates, no steady. Lantern post. Countershaft, motor, cover assembly.
Ways good, very light wear, carriage smooth all the way. Needs a spindle belt. 1140$
Purchased in Milbrae, Calif. 04/08/18

Mark

 

[Lordbeezer]

Picked up a atlas 618 awhile back.serial number 025969..no dates on bearings or cups..any idea when it was made? My first 2 lathes were 618's.one for turning.one had milling set up..sold both when diagnosed with stage 4..had to have another one..

 

[wa5cab]

Unfortunately, the Atlas practice of engraving a date on each Timken bearing in the 10" and early 12" wasn't applied to the 6" or the mills. And in any case seems to have stopped circa mid 1952. A rough guess would put your current 618 at around 1967.

 

[Lordbeezer]

Thanks for the info..

 

[wa5cab]

I bought an Atlas 10 inch lathe a few years ago; I will give you what information I can.
The bed length is 54 inches; The SN has been rubbed off
However there is a number stamped at the tail end on the top surface of the bed ways, it is TI20281S,
The lathe has a Pick-O-Matic installed.

James,

If you haven't figured out your Pic-O-Matic issues, start a new thread in the regular part of this forum and include the photos mentioned by shadetreedad and we'll see whether we can figure out the issue..

On your serial number, it is in the range to be a 10F, as the first known one is 009552. So the machine should have power cross feed which the 10D did not have. The "T" prefix would mean "Timken". So there would be no removable bearing caps. The "I" I don't recognize. Should be an "H" for Horizontal or "V" for Vertical (Countershaft Assembly). The actual serial number would be 020281 (the leading zeroes were not stamped). No one still alive knows what the meaning of the suffix "S" was. It is also found on the Craftsman 12" models of the same period.

020281 would have been made around mid-1940. The Pic-O-Matic came out circa 1946 so must have been bought later and added.

 

[James Bartlett]

James,
Without seeing how your gear train is setup, my best guess is you don't have the sliding gear oriented properly. The attached photo shows the proper orientation for "IN". It will easily install the "wrong" way and actually work just fine, but the numbers won't be correct. If this isn't the problem, attach some photos of your setup and I'll have a better idea of what is the issue.
Mike

James,

If you haven't figured out your Pic-O-Matic issues, start a new thread in the regular part of this forum and include the photos mentioned by shadetreedad and we'll see whether we can figure out the issue..

On your serial number, it is in the range to be a 10F, as the first known one is 009552. So the machine should have power cross feed which the 10D did not have. The "T" prefix would mean "Timken". So there would be no removable bearing caps. The "I" I don't recognize. Should be an "H" for Horizontal or "V" for Vertical (Countershaft Assembly). The actual serial number would be 020281 (the leading zeroes were not stamped). No one still alive knows what the meaning of the suffix "S" was. It is also found on the Craftsman 12" models of the same period.

020281 would have been made around mid-1940. The Pic-O-Matic came out circa 1946 so must have been bought later and added.

James,
Without seeing how your gear train is setup, my best guess is you don't have the sliding gear oriented properly. The attached photo shows the proper orientation for "IN". It will easily install the "wrong" way and actually work just fine, but the numbers won't be correct. If this isn't the problem, attach some photos of your setup and I'll have a better idea of what is the issue.
Mike

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I would like to say thanks for the help. That photo that you included was an eye opener. I thought that I had every thing set up correctly, but I knew that something was not right. The gear that is before the sliding gear in your photo is slightly
different than the one on my lathe. However I have a couple of extra gears and one that is identical to yours. So I changed it and was able to cut threads of 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, tpi, and I think 128 (to small to check). All with the same two gears as indicated in the thread chart.

The first photo is the SN
(Ya, I know, Someone did some unkind things to the back of the ways)



This second Photo is the old setup (this was the set up when I bought it)
you can see the gear with the blocking plate, I thought that is was ment to keep the gear from
sliding out of place.


Another view of the gear with the plate.
New question!
If this does not go where I thought it was ment to go, then what is it purpose?

Again, Thanks.