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

[BanjoMike]

The data plate is on the right end of the bed and the attachment holes are not drilled through. This was a nuisance since I would have preferred removing the plate before painting.



Do you know where I can get new or really good condition name plates for the headstock guards?



Thanks,

Mike

 

[wa5cab]

Sorry, but no. I guess that it wouldn't hurt to confiirm that they don't have any. So you could call Clausing next week and ask. But the odds are against them saying yes.

I assume that the left-hand badge came from the belt cover that came with the horizontal countershaft machines. Where was the smaller right-hand one? On the carriage apron?

Two out of the 20 or so parts manuals show the part number of the one from the belt/gear guard as 9-135A. Which makes no sense as that gear and belt guard won't fit the 9" (or the 10" with vertical countershaft). None of the parts manuals show a part number for the badge on the apron.

 

[BanjoMike]

The left badge came off of the10F-28 Gear Guard on the left side of the lathe. The smaller badge on the right came off of the 10-18 Horizontal Countershaft Gear Guard on top of the lathe. I checked with Clausing a few weeks ago and no luck. I'll just have to keep an eye out on ebay.

 

[wa5cab]

@jpack ,

Back to ID'ing the model number of your Craftsman 12", it finally occurred to me that if the QCGB was installed on it at the factory, then it was made 1950 - 1957 and it is a model 101.27440. Furthermore, if the two QCGB gear selector lever knobs are original to the machine, then it was made very late in the production life of the 3/8" bed, say 1956 or first half of 1957 or the machine was a 101.07403 that was converted then or later. And the location of the missing nameplate was definitely on the right end of the bed. When the 10" QCGB first appeared in the latter part of 1947, the knobs on the selector levers weren't cylindrical. They were a smaller diameter in the middle and the same diameter at the top and bottom as those on your machine. This was of course much more expensive to make. When the new 1/2" bed machines came out in mid-1957, they all had the straight 441-029 knobs instead of the earlier wasp-waisted 10-1245's. This is the first example that I have seen or at least the first that I have noticed of the later knobs on the earlier machines. If you want to see what I am talking about, compare the photos of the knobs in the 101.27430 and 101.27440 operating and parts manual to the exploded view drawings. The manual is available in Downloads.

Correction - Compare the photos and drawings of the knobs in the 101.27430 and 27440 manual to those in any of the later model manuals. And that makes it a little more likely that your machine was originally a 101.07403 converted to a 101.27440 after the new models came out. Maybe the OO intended to change the nameplate to the later model but only got as far as removing the original nameplate??? If you know who he is, you might ask him whether or not he still has the original nameplate.

 

[dpritchardjr]

I just purchased a Atlas 618/Craftsman 101.21400 6 inch Swing Lathe serial# 018536, 18 inch bed.

Any idea what year it is?

 

[wa5cab]

I just purchased a Atlas 618/Craftsman 101.21400 6 inch Swing Lathe serial# 018536, 18 inch bed.

Any idea what year it is?

OK. I added it to the master database on my machine. It will be in the copy in the sticky area as well as in DOWNLOADS the next time that I do an update.

In the meantime, I have a few questions which you may answer or not as you prefer. If you do answer some or all of them, the information will be added to the database.

Where did you find/buy it?
What did you pay?
What accessories did it come with other than what is shown in the photos?

Note that it is not considered a good practice to store the chuck key in the chuck. If some knob-twiddling visitor should happen along and start the motor, one or two things out of several possibilities will happen, all of which will be undesirable.

Best guess at present for year of manufacture is 1969. Unfortunately, the hand-engraved dates that appear on the spindle bearings prior to 1953 on the 10" and early 12" never appear on any of the 6" nor on the Shapers or Mills..

If you decide to invest in a QCTP, the correct size for the 6" will usually be called the 0XA. And be sure to buy at least about 3 extra turning and facing tool holders (usually given as 001) and one extra 002 turning, facing and boring holders. Otherwise you will find that in practice you aren't much better off than without the QCTP.

One thing to check on your machine is whether it has steel or plastic cross slide and compound slide gibs. I think that they should be steel as the change to plastic seems to have occurred around 1972. But if either or both were replaced after 1972, they will be plastic. The change was a penny pinching change that shouldn't have occurred.

 

[dpritchardjr]

OK. I added ti the master database on my machine. It will be in the copy in the sticky area as well as in DOWNLOADS the next time that I do an update.

In the meantime, I have a few questions which you may answer or not as you prefer. If you do answer some or all of them, the information will be added to the database.

Where did you find/buy it?
What did you pay?
What accessories did it come with other than what is shown in the photos?

Note that it is not considered a good practice to store the chuck key in the chuck. If some knob-twiddling visitor should happen along and start the motor, one or two things out of several possibilities will happen, all of which will be undesirable.

Best guess at present for year of manufacture is 1969. Unfortunately, the hand-engraved dates that appear on the spindle bearings prior to 1953 on the 10" and early 12" never appear on any of the 6" nor on the Shapers or Mills..

If you decide to invest in a QCTP, the correct size for the 6" will usually be called the 0XA. And be sure to buy at least about 3 extra turning and facing tool holders (usually given as 001) and one extra 002 turning, facing and boring holders. Otherwise you will find that in practice you aren't much better off than without the QCTP.

One thing to check on your machine is whether it has steel or plastic cross slide and compound slide gibs. I think that they should be steel as the change to plastic seems to have occurred around 1972. But if either or both were replaced after 1972, they will be plastic. The change was a penny pinching change that shouldn't have occurred.

Thank you for the info.

To answer some of yours:
Found on Facebook Marketplace in Hickory NC.
$900
Several items, different Tail stock pieces, a Phase2Plus QCTP but for a 9-12 inch (will be selling that to finance a 6 inch ;-)), different drill chucks, many cutters including carbide for the QCTP, and a few measuring instruments.

Will check the gibs next.

 

[wa5cab]

OK. Thanks.

Note that there are 4 gibs in each lathe. The other two, Carriage and Tailstock, were not changed.

Too bad that the QCTP is an AXA. The cutters are probably 3/8", too. I think that the 0XA takes 1/4" and maybe 5/16"

Is that a 4" or a 3" chuck on the spindle?. Was there a 4-jaw chuck? If not, you will want to acquire one. Probably should be a 4". You could swing a 5"

Note that we have a rule here that all FOR SALE listings be in the appropriate For Sale Fora, which will be found near the bottom of the list of Fora. And I'll also mention that all members can buy there but to sell must be a Gold level donor or higher to start a thread. That's $25 per year or higher.

What do you mean by "different Tail Stock pieces"? The tail stock on the 6" takes a 1MT arbor. The headstock taper is 2MT. Plus of course 1"-10 threads.

 

[dpritchardjr]

OK. Thanks.

Note that there are 4 gibs in each lathe. The other two, Carriage and Tailstock, were not changed.

Too bad that the QCTP is an AXA. The cutters are probably 3/8", too. I think that the 0XA takes 1/4" and maybe 5/16"

Is that a 4" or a 3" chuck on the spindle?. Was there a 4-jaw chuck? If not, you will want to acquire one. Probably should be a 4". You could swing a 5"

Note that we have a rule here that all FOR SALE listings be in the appropriate For Sale Fora, which will be found near the bottom of the list of Fora. And I'll also mention that all members can buy there but to sell must be a Gold level donor or higher to start a thread. That's $25 per year or higher.

What do you mean by "different Tail Stock pieces"? The tail stock on the 6" takes a 1MT arbor. The headstock taper is 2MT. Plus of course 1"-10 threads.

It is a 4 inch 4 jaw.
The tail pieces I mentioned are morse tapers and drill chuck etc...

 

[wa5cab]

4" 4-Jaw. OK. Of course it is. I obviously didn't look closely enough at the photo.

You will want to acquire a 3" or maybe 4" 3-jaw for routine turning work. The 4-jaw is usually capable of greater accuracy but at the expense of taking considerably longer to set up. There is no sense in paying extra for a 5" as the 4" can already open up far enough for the jaws to hit the ways.