Atlas identification help

[1Bender]

In the past couple weeks I’ve bought two atlas lathes…both I believe are 10” lathes but I have no idea as to what models or what year they was possibly made…one came with the original atlas wooden bench…would someone please give me some guidance as to what they are? I plan on cleaning both of them up and putting the better of the two to use in my shop…I’d like to keep both but space is at a premium unfortunately not to mention my wife is giving me the side eye for my purchases in the last month…here’s pics of them and if needed I can get better pics and any other information I need to to nail down what they are…

 

[Nutfarmer]

Look on the tail stock end of the bed. There should an id tag that will give you what they are

 

[1Bender]

Sure enough the black one has a tag saying TH54 the green one however does not have a tag but had numbers stamped into the ways in the same area but besides a few casting numbers (which I’m assuming is part numbers) I can’t find anything else on it…is there another place to look? Maybe I’m overlooking something

 

[great white]

TH54 is a 10 inch lathe, 54" in length. That's total length, between centers is around a foot less distance (headstock and tailstock have to go somewhere).

The other looks like a 10", albeit a little older one. My TH42 was made in 54 has a square boss where the switch is. I believe the oval boss is from a slightly earlier 10" Atlas.

Someone with more detailed knowledge than me should be along shortly to identify it.....

 

[vtcnc]

@wa5cab is our resident Atlas expert. He can weigh in on these matters and will add your machine to a database he maintains. He can also help you determine age of the machine by guiding you through identifying bearings.

 

[pontiac428]

TH means Timken bearings, horizontal pulley mount. They also made vertical mounts (TV-54 analogue) and babbitt bearing heads (no letter given, so my old one was H-54). The Timken heads started in around 1942, and there was a very short period where both heads were made. Your data plates appear newer than that, but the oval power switch plate definitely places it in the mid 1940s, if not slightly earlier.

@wa5cab maintains a database on Atlas lathe manufacturing dates taken from Timken bearing races in the head and serial numbers.

Cripes, I just looked again- your head does not match your bed. That head is a babbitt head, 1937-1942. The bed you have is a TH series bed, so it's a mismatch.

 

[great white]

Both his heads have bolts which, to my knowledge, means timken bearings not babbit......but I've been wrong before soooo.....


Edit; wait a tick. The TH one might be babbit. Hard to see in the pic if it has the bolts on the head or not......

 

[1Bender]

The green one I believe is a Babbitt bearing machine going from the information that I’ve found…I’m pretty positive of that…the black one for sure is a timken bearing machine as it has no bearing caps…(again going off of information that I’ve found) I’ve tried to find a manual on either one without any luck I’m afraid…the 54 has a funny little doo dad that at one time was mounted just above the feed screw box which I believe was a reverse switch to reverse the motor? Have not seen anything like it on any lathe that’s came up in my searches…has a power wire that was running back to the atlas motor…don’t know if this is original or a add on…I’ve looked for atlas attachments and add ons without much luck there either…I got three boxes of doo dads…some of which I know what it is and others I got not a clue…

 

[great white]

Whoops, I got it backwards. No bolts means timken. Bolts mean babbit. I'm gettin' old.....gray matter doesn't wok as well as it used to.

 

[pontiac428]

You can pull the "MOLO" or Atlas Manual of Lathe Operation for a range of years off of our site download library if you want to upgrade your site access. There are also drawings of various attachments, and catalogs that show all the options and accessories available there as well.

If you want the info for free, get it at vintagemachinery.org and lathes.co.uk. There is a lot of information out there for the Atlas, even old time popular mechanics projects too. I have a library stashed somewhere as well, but these are the best sources.