Identifying an American Tool Works lathe

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highway101

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My dad bought an old American Tool Works lathe about 25 years ago. I have used it a few times and had a problem with the tooling chattering and the hand feed was not smooth and would skip on the teeth at times. I am going to start manufacturing some hot rod parts and decided to fix up the lathe to turn my parts with. So last weekend I took of the apron and shafts, and everything on top that moves. I cleaned everything and replaced a keyway that was almost worn in half then adjusted the cone clutch and the hand feed gear. I reassembled everything an it worked much better. I still need to tighten the slop in the cross feed.

I finally found some numbers on it while cleaning it. The number 55 is cast in the backside of the bed and also stamped into the tailstock end between the ways. The number 11 is stamped in the back side of the way and also in many other places. It looks to be an 18 speed and the threading gauge says Improved 14". This is a 5 pulley flat belt drive that has been converted to v-belts by what looks to be a set of 3 pulleys sweat on to the second largest flat pulley. It has a 4 speed car transmission with bell housing and clutch. I is driven by a 1.5 HP GE motor that I changed from 110 to 220, it seems a bit under powered and I was thinking of changing to a bigger motor, it works fine until you engage the power feed then it bogs down. I am wondering about what year lathe I have and where to find info on it. Thanks Jim

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Check here OWWM.org Go to the metalworking section. There's a lot of older machines and guys with info and parts.
 
I contacted ATW (American Tool Works) and as close as they can figure it was manufactured in the late 1800's- early 1900's, they don't have any info or parts for it so it looks like I am on my own in fixing the worn parts in the cross feed.

I have a plan to tighten up the acme thread. I will drill and tap the bronze cross feed block and then cut it in half perpendicular to the threads, then I can tighten it up by pulling the two halves together. The end block that holds the end of the cross feed screw is worn on both sides where the hardened washers have been riding against it for the last 100+ years. My plan for that is to face off both sides flat and add bronze washers to make up the difference. This should tighten the slop in the cross feed.

I still need to free up the slider for the 18 speed change gear but I think this lathe can be made to work for what I want to do. I also just purchased a 2 volume book on machine shop practice that is 1100+ pages long so I have a lot of reading to do when it shows up. I am very mechanically inclined so I think I will be able to do some good for the lathe with some knowledge from the book. I will post some pics when I fix the cross feed. Jim
 
It could be the nut or it could be the screw or both....It should be easily done even if you have to replace both....What you mentioned may work ....it would not have on my lathe as the nut was worn out and the screw was too far gone ...you'll know more once you get in there ...It looks like a great lathe to repair and use keep us posted as to your progress and tell us what you find regards
 
I used the 4 jaw chuck to hold a plate for boring a hole in it and found that the jaws are worn and kick a bit when tightened making it impossible to have it flat with the chuck. I would like to fix this as the chuck itself runs true. Any ideas on how to tighten the jaws in the chuck slots? Now that I have my mill drill up and running I will soon attempt a fix on the cross feed block. Jim
 
From what I have been able to find this ATW lathe appears to be a rebadged Davis and Egan circa 1895+/-. The quick change is more ornate than later ATW lathes almost Victorian looking. Jim
 
Google Tony lathes. His well made website has hundreds of machine tools described on it. He also makes excellent(but not real cheap) reprints of obsolete machine manuals. I have been to England to see him,and have bought (and traded) manuals with him. He does a first class job on them.
 
There was one here in town just like it; ATW has the date just right, the quick change gearbox was invented (The Norton Gearbox) IN 1897 OR '98, and that model was replaced by the "high duty" series in 1903, it was a much more capable machine, some of them being entirely gear driven, I had a 14" and a 30" High Duty.
 
Ooops, this was an old thread, resurrected!

The OP has NOT been here in over six years!

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Oh well, maybe it will help someone in the future.

-brino
 
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