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- Dec 25, 2011
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- 10,552
I just received five more sets of all of the steel gibs. Steve was waiting on these for a 6". If anyone else needs any to replace the plastic ones or for any other reason, reply to msg in Machine Parts for Sale, not here.
As most of you know, at some point fairly late in the life of the 12" Commercal production, Clausing changed the material (originally 1018 or thereabouts steel) that the cross slide and compound slide gibs were made of to plastic. Current best guess is that this happened around 1974/75. This was during the production life of the final version of the 12: and probably around the time that the Atlas 3950 Mk2 6" was replaced by the 10100, and Sears quit selling the 101.21200 (their version of the 3950). I have listed below for both Atlas and Craftsman the highest reported serial numbers that still had steel gibs and the lowest serial numbers reported as originally having plastic. Note that there is currently a gap of about 4000 machines between the highest numbered machine known to have had steel gibs and the lowest number known to have plastic. If anyone has either an Atlas or a Craftsman 12" with serial number falling between either of those pairs listed, please report at least model number and serial number as well as whether the two gibs are steel or plastic. If your report changes any of the four numbers, I'll update them here.
Current update date 2018/11/25
Atlas highest steel 100274
Atlas lowest plastic 104418
Craftsman highest steel 105402
Craftsman lowest plastic 107875
A rough guess is that Sears sold about 11,000 of the final version 12" while Atlas sold around 7,000. So I'll add the highest known serial numbers of the two model groups.
Atlas 106781 (my 3996)
Craftsman 109258
If anyone has a higher number in either group, please report that, too.
I'll add that the 10"/12" and 6" milling attachments had their gibs changed from steel to plastic at about the same time. The steel cross slide gibs also fit the milling attachments.
As most of you know, at some point fairly late in the life of the 12" Commercal production, Clausing changed the material (originally 1018 or thereabouts steel) that the cross slide and compound slide gibs were made of to plastic. Current best guess is that this happened around 1974/75. This was during the production life of the final version of the 12: and probably around the time that the Atlas 3950 Mk2 6" was replaced by the 10100, and Sears quit selling the 101.21200 (their version of the 3950). I have listed below for both Atlas and Craftsman the highest reported serial numbers that still had steel gibs and the lowest serial numbers reported as originally having plastic. Note that there is currently a gap of about 4000 machines between the highest numbered machine known to have had steel gibs and the lowest number known to have plastic. If anyone has either an Atlas or a Craftsman 12" with serial number falling between either of those pairs listed, please report at least model number and serial number as well as whether the two gibs are steel or plastic. If your report changes any of the four numbers, I'll update them here.
Current update date 2018/11/25
Atlas highest steel 100274
Atlas lowest plastic 104418
Craftsman highest steel 105402
Craftsman lowest plastic 107875
A rough guess is that Sears sold about 11,000 of the final version 12" while Atlas sold around 7,000. So I'll add the highest known serial numbers of the two model groups.
Atlas 106781 (my 3996)
Craftsman 109258
If anyone has a higher number in either group, please report that, too.
I'll add that the 10"/12" and 6" milling attachments had their gibs changed from steel to plastic at about the same time. The steel cross slide gibs also fit the milling attachments.
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