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

OK. But I don't need a scan of anything in the MOLO. I have some 30 originals and am pretty sure that one of them is just like the one that you have. What I was talking about scanning were the parts lists and associated paperwork. It's possible that I may already have it/them but I don't recall having anything dated where the date is that early.
 
wa5cab, here is the parts list. Note the date of Dec. 1941 on the very last page.
 

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Thanks. Of the 5 or 6 101.07383 parts lists that we have copies of, this is the only one dated. I'll try to compare prices of the ones that have them and use that to try to place them chronologically.
 
Hello. New here. Hoping to find a production date for my back geared 10F. No plate on the end of the bed. H17012 stamped on the end of the ways.

I bought this lathe about 20 years ago at an estate sale in Chicago. Power cross feed activated by pulling out a knob.

Thoughts?
 
That is what I have and mine was made in 1943.
My lathe has a plate on it but no number on the end of the ways.
 
Sometime in the early 1940's Atlas changed from a nameplate on the rear of the bed with the model number stamped on it and with the serial number stamped on top and near the right end of the front ways to a nameplate on the right end of the bed with model number and serial number stamped thereon. From the early 1930's until circa 1953 each cup and cone of the two spindle bearings had what we assume was the inspection date hand engraved on it. We ask all owners who for any reason pull the spindle to report serial number and dates.

We know from reported examples that Atlas did not practice strict First In - First Out inventory management but the bearing dates are taken as the manufacturing date +/- about one year. So the serial numbers are used with known bearing dates to approximately date machines that have no reported bearing dates. The current worst case overlap is about 11 months. We also are fairly certain that all 10" models shared the same serial number pool. We are fairly certain that this was not true of the Craftsman 12" but that each model number had its own serial number pool.

Atlas 9" and 10" up through the 10D and E had a model number that consisted of the nominal size (swing) plus the bed length in inches plus a suffix letter. Beginning with the 10F, this changed to one or two letters plus the bed length. The letters were "T" for Timken headstock bearings or nothing for Babbit. Plus H for Horizontal or V for Vertical countershaft. Plus the bed length. Exceptions are the first few thousand Quick Change models where the serial number started over at "1". Later QC models went back to using the same pool of numbers as the change gear models.

Various letters were sometimes stamped to the left of the serial number. The "H" probably means Horizontal countershaft. The letter "S" is often found on early beds on both 10" and 12" but no one knows what it means. A, B, C, D and E was most likely the lathe's initial model or completeness indicator.

That all having been said, serial number 17012 was probably made in 1939. If you will report the bed length (choices are 36, 42,48 or 54) we can deduce the model number.
 
Thanks for the synopsis. I noticed tonight that the ways are actually stamped H17012S, and are 42 inches long.
 
mwal689,

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OK. You haven't said specifically, but confirm that your headstock has babbit spindle bearings. In which case the model number is H42.

On the meaning of the "S" suffix, we still have no real clues. About all that I can say is that it appears on both Atlas and Craftsman machines from around 1936, so it doesn't mean "Sears". It seems to have stopped in 1940 on the 10" and in 1945 on the 12". Beyond that, we haven't a clue. Your headstock should have an oval instead of rectangular switch plate on the front of the headstock.

You can somewhat evaluate the amount of wear on the spindle bearings by slackening the belts, removing the motor belt, and carefully removing the bearing caps. There should be a shim pack under each end of the caps. From the factory, the pack was 0.010" thick. They were each made up of five 0.002" shims laminated together. Any edition of the Atlas MOLO (Manual Of Lathe Operation) up through 1953 (all will say Copyright 1937 on the Copyright page) gives the adjustment procedure. If the spindle is too loose, you can peel off 0.002" at a time.

You can somewhat evaluate bed wear with a 0-1 micrometer. Measure the thickness of both ways near the right end of the bed where there should be no visible signs of wear. From the factory, the original thickness was a nominal 0.375". Use the actual figure as you baseline. Measure the actual thickness of the front and rear way about every 6" from the right end up to about 3" from the headstock. Then measure the width of the front and rear way in the same pattern.
 
Thanks again. I will make those measurements. When I fill the oil cup on the front of the spindle, and run the machine, the oil just runs down the face. So, I suspect the bearings (whichever type) are worn, even though I cannot measure any appreciable spindle runout.
 
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