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Accessory No. 500 and 500A
Always the most sought-after accessory, and available from the start of Atlas lathe production in 1932, the vertical milling slide was fitted with a useful swivelling vise with a maximum capacity of 23/8" and a pair of interchangeable plain and V-slotted jaws. Over the years the slide underwent a number of changes with the first versions, sold until approximately 1936, being set up for use on the 9-inch and early 10-inch lathe (the D Type) where the unit was secured to the cross slide by two T-bolts running in a circular slot (it is possible that this design was briefly changed to two T-nuts, with the bolts going in from the top) With an improvement in the design of the compound slide (late in the short life of the 10-inch D Type) the milling unit had to be modified to accept the same fitting - a stout post integral with the cross slide over which either the top slide or the milling unit dropped. Square-headed bolts, passing through the base of the column casting, pushed short bevelled-ended bars against an inverted conical face on the post and so drew it down tightly. The modified unit retained the early slideway with its 3 gib screws (one of which acted as a lock) and a vise held on by two bolts. In 1940 the sliding section was given an additional gib screw and the vise strengthened by using a post mounting (exactly like the base) -a modification that allowed the unit to be strengthened by eliminating the cutaways in bottom of the vise that had been necessary to allow access to the mounting nuts.
Until 1936 the slide had a travel of 2.75" ( the unit fitted both the early 9-inch and 10-inch lathes up to number 3969) and after that a more useful 3.75".
A smaller version, the M6-500 with a vertical feed of only 1.75", was manufactured for the 6-inch lathe (and the Craftsman clone) and, in photographs, is easily confused with the larger model. This slide was also sold by the English Raglan Company for use on their "Little John" and "Raglan 5-inch" Models.
For Craftsmen-badged version the shorter travel slide was listed until 1947 (though that may have been a misprint) and the reference number for the attachment changed as follows:
9 P 2993 (1936 and 1937; fitted to the carriage with two T bolts. Vertical feed 2.75")
9 P 02987 (1938 and 1939 fitted to the carriage with two T-nuts and set screws going in from the top)
99 PT 2987 (1941)
99 PT 02987 (1941 to 1943)
9 T 2987 (1948)
9 A 2987 (1949)
99 A 02987 (1950 to 1958 Vertical Feed 3.375")
99 M 2987 C (1959)
F 9 HT 2987 (1959 for the "new-model" 12-inch lathe).
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