Help with my Atlas Lathe

[ZouchaR]

I just purchased this Atlas 10 inch lathe.. there are no serial number plates of manufacturer information other than the numbers under the covers. The bottom change gear cover has 10-1504B and the top has 10-1504T. I have included some pictures if anyone can please give me some insite...

 

[markba633csi]

Looks clean! it has the Timken roller bearing headstock
Robert knows the model #s better than I do
You can also check Lathes.co.uk for info
-Mark
ps be careful not to break off the quick change levers they are insanely expensive

 

[ZouchaR]

Looks clean! it has the Timken roller bearing headstock
Robert knows the model #s better than I do
You can also check Lathes.co.uk for info
-Mark
ps be careful not to break off the quick change levers they are insanely expensive

I assumed the T in the model number meant Timken bearings.. or is there something by just looking that you can tell?? Maybe the fact that the bearings are "pressed into" the cast housing instead of bolts that you can remove the top casting???

At the moment it is mounted on wheels.. on the original stand.. but I want to make something a little wider to give it more stability.. and move the wheels out from under the original legs so it will be like 3 inches lower to the ground...

 

[Zack]

Clean looking old Atlas. I like the table too. Look for a plate with MN at the tail stock end of the ways. Should be on a tag. Can't see any reason they would've taken it off. They were riveted on as I remember.

 

[ZouchaR]

Clean looking old Atlas. I like the table too. Look for a plate with MN at the tail stock end of the ways. Should be on a tag. Can't see any reason they would've taken it off. They were riveted on as I remember.

Yeah. That’s where I thought it would be as well. But.

 

[wa5cab]

It is an Atlas 10F Series lathe. The numbers cast into the two covers are both the casting numbers and the part numbers. You will find similar numbers cast into most of the cast iron parts, and most of the change gears.

The nameplate, with Model Number and Serial Number, was apparently originally on the right end of the bed. The photo of the right end shows one rivet hole and the other rivet with head broken off and painted over. So it has been repainted. You can look on the top of the right end of the front way for some letters and numbers stamped there but the practice of stamping the serial numbers there ceased with little if any overlap when the nameplate was moved from the rear of the bed to the right end. So there is probably nothing stamped into the front way. That would date it to 1942 or later. Scaling the swing from one of the photos gives a bed length of 48". So the size is 10" x 30". The 48" and 36" beds went out of production around late 1946 or early 1947, shortly before the first QCGB appeared. So the original model number was TH48 as there were no QC48's made. Since there were no QC48's made, the QCGB was added between 1948 and 1951, when the second version of 10" QCGB came out. The headstock is the later one with the rectangular opening for the motor switch. That change also came out circa 1942.

To summarize, it was probably made between 1942 and 1947. It started life as a TH48. And it was later upgraded to QC48. The possible serial number range is about 030000 to 080000. Which unfortunately accounts for over half of all 10" made.

Should you ever have reason to pull the spindle, you will find hand engraved into the cup and cone of both bearings the inspection date or dates. Please report those in the thread at the top of the Sticky area.

 

[ZouchaR]

It is an Atlas 10F Series lathe. The numbers cast into the two covers are both the casting numbers and the part numbers. You will find similar numbers cast into most of the cast iron parts, and most of the change gears.

The nameplate, with Model Number and Serial Number, was apparently originally on the right end of the bed. The photo of the right end shows one rivet hole and the other rivet with head broken off and painted over. So it has been repainted. You can look on the top of the right end of the front way for some letters and numbers stamped there but the practice of stamping the serial numbers there ceased with little if any overlap when the nameplate was moved from the rear of the bed to the right end. So there is probably nothing stamped into the front way. That would date it to 1942 or later. Scaling the swing from one of the photos gives a bed length of 48". So the size is 10" x 30". The 48" and 36" beds went out of production around late 1946 or early 1947, shortly before the first QCGB appeared. So the original model number was TH48 as there were no QC48's made. Since there were no QC48's made, the QCGB was added between 1948 and 1951, when the second version of 10" QCGB came out. The headstock is the later one with the rectangular opening for the motor switch. That change also came out circa 1942.

To summarize, it was probably made between 1942 and 1947. It started life as a TH48. And it was later upgraded to QC48. The possible serial number range is about 030000 to 080000. Which unfortunately accounts for over half of all 10" made.

Should you ever have reason to pull the spindle, you will find hand engraved into the cup and cone of both bearings the inspection date or dates. Please report those in the thread at the top of the Sticky area.

THANK YOU!!! I knew that someone would have way more information than I could ever garner....

 

[markba633csi]

Couple of things: If you need or think you need to replace the countershaft bushings, use care. It's easy to break/bend the spokes of the large pulley pressing out the shaft. Check with us before starting such a job. Ditto for pulling the headstock spindle.
Also, check the adjustment of all the gibs. You want a smooth sliding motion without binding; it often takes some fiddling to get the proper adjustment-not too tight, not too loose
-Mark
ps It looks like one or both of the tumbler gears might need replacing- they develop pointy sharp teeth when worn
Ebay is a source of used parts for these, and Clausing has some new parts available

 

[ZouchaR]

Couple of things: If you need or think you need to replace the countershaft bushings, use care. It's easy to break/bend the spokes of the large pulley pressing out the shaft. Check with us before starting such a job. Ditto for pulling the headstock spindle.
Also, check the adjustment of all the gibs. You want a smooth sliding motion without binding; it often takes some fiddling to get the proper adjustment-not too tight, not too loose
-Mark
ps It looks like one or both of the tumbler gears might need replacing- they develop pointy sharp teeth when worn
Ebay is a source of used parts for these, and Clausing has some new parts available

I plan to go through it pretty carefully and make some upgrades.. thank you for your help.. I will make a note about the bushings in case I decide to tear into them...

 

[wa5cab]

Speaking of bushings, if for any reason, you ever decide that you need to pull the spindle, DO plan to replace the three bushings. Two are in the spindle cone pulley and one is in the small spindle back gear (the one keyed to the cone pulley).

Also, maybe 5% of the 10" and 12" lathes that turn up here had a previous owner who thought that the oil plug in the spindle cone pulley was a set screw and managed to force it down against the spindle. In back gear, the spindle cone pulley turns about 6 times as fast as the spindle. So don''t make that mistake. The oil plug is removed either daily, before using back gear or at least Monthly if you haven't used back gear and several squirts of SAE 20 non-detergent oil but down the hole, and then the oil plug replaced. Do not over-tighten.

And what "upgrades" are you referring to?