Atlas Drill Press: Vintage Models, Parts, and Restoration Notes

Atlas drill presses have a quiet cult following, and once you understand the company’s history, you see why. Atlas Press Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan built solid, affordable machine tools for decades, and it also built drill presses that Sears sold under the Craftsman name, which means a lot of “Craftsman” machines are Atlas machines underneath. The line continues today as Clausing, so these are not entirely orphaned. If you own an Atlas drill press or are considering one, the appeal is a well-made vintage 15-inch machine you can restore and run for decades. Here are the models, the parts situation, and the restoration notes that matter.

An Atlas drill press is a vintage drilling machine built by Atlas Press Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan (the line now continued by Clausing), typically a 15-inch bench or floor model with a 1/3 or 1/2-HP motor, a splined floating-drive spindle, and stepped-pulley speeds, also built for Sears under the Craftsman name.

Short answer: Atlas drill presses are well-built vintage 15-inch machines (early models 40/50/60 from the 1930s, later 15-inch models like the 63/64/73/74) with splined spindles and stepped-pulley speeds, supported through Clausing, generic parts, and VintageMachinery.org manuals. They are excellent restoration candidates. Here is the detail.

The history and the models

Atlas Press Company built lathes, drill presses, and other machine tools, and its drilling machines earned a reputation for solid value. Two things make Atlas notable: the line lives on as Clausing (so some support survives), and Atlas built drill presses for Sears that carried the Craftsman badge, so Atlas and older Craftsman machines are often closely related. Common models:

• Early models 40, 50, 60 (1931 to 1932): The first Atlas drill presses, now genuine antiques.
• Later 15-inch bench and floor models (63, 64, 73, 74, and the 42b): The classic Atlas drill press most owners have, a 15-inch machine that drills to the center of a 15-inch circle.

Typical specifications on the 15-inch machines: a 1/3 or 1/2-HP ball-bearing motor around 1,725 RPM, a 4-step (high-speed) or 5-step (slow-speed) pulley set, a 6-spline floating-drive spindle, and an optional Hi-Lo speed attachment for extending the range.

What makes an Atlas different

• Splined floating-drive spindle: The 6-spline design is characteristic and affects how the spindle and quill are serviced.
• Stepped-pulley speeds: A 4-step or 5-step cone-pulley drive, with the Hi-Lo attachment as an accessory for more range.
• Craftsman connection: Because Atlas built for Sears, parts and knowledge often cross over with older Craftsman machines.
• Restorable construction: Cast iron, simple mechanisms, and a design meant to be maintained.

Parts and support

Atlas parts come from several directions:

• Clausing: As the continuing line, Clausing (clausing-industrial.com) is a starting point for support and some parts.
• Generic wear parts: Cone pulleys, return springs, V-belts, and 1/2-inch chucks are widely available generically and on the used market. Match sizes to your machine.
• VintageMachinery.org: Hosts Atlas manuals, catalogs, and parts diagrams by model, essential for identifying your machine and its parts.
• eBay and salvage: Splined-spindle components and model-specific castings often come from parted-out machines.

Restoration notes

• Identify the model first. Find the model number on the ID plate and match it on VintageMachinery.org. This drives everything.
• Check the splined spindle. Inspect the splines and runout; wear here is the significant repair.
• Service the pulleys and belt. Clean and check the cone pulleys; replace the aged V-belt with a matched size.
• Sort the motor. The original ball-bearing motor is usually rebuildable; confirm it runs smoothly.
• Address rust and paint carefully. Preserve the ID plate and original features; clean and repaint the castings as desired.

The honest trade-offs

Age. These are genuinely old machines; expect wear and plan a restoration rather than a plug-and-play setup.

Splined-spindle parts. The characteristic spline is also the hardest part to source; salvage is often the route.

Belt-change speeds. Cone-pulley speeds, extended only by the optional Hi-Lo attachment.

Model identification matters. With early and late models spanning decades, the model number is essential before ordering anything.

How it compares

Against a modern benchtop or floor press, an Atlas trades convenience for vintage build quality and restorability, much like a Walker Turner or a Buffalo. Because Atlas built for Sears, it also overlaps closely with older Craftsman machines covered in the older Craftsman drill press guide and Sears Craftsman drill press guide. If you want a turnkey machine, buy a current WEN or JET; if you enjoy restoring a solid vintage 15-inch drill, an Atlas is a rewarding choice.

The verdict

An Atlas drill press is a well-built vintage 15-inch machine that rewards restoration, with the bonus that the line survives as Clausing and that Atlas built the very machines Sears sold as Craftsman. Identify your model (early 40/50/60 or the later 63/64/73/74 15-inch machines), understand the splined floating-drive spindle and cone-pulley speeds, and source parts through Clausing, generic suppliers, VintageMachinery.org, and salvage. The trade-offs are age, splined-spindle parts, and belt-change speeds, but as a keep-forever restoration project, an Atlas is hard to beat. If you want plug-and-play, buy new instead.

Frequently asked questions

Who made Atlas drill presses? Atlas Press Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The line continues today as Clausing. Atlas also built drill presses that Sears sold under the Craftsman name.

What are the common Atlas drill press models? The early models 40, 50, and 60 (1931 to 1932), and the later 15-inch bench and floor models such as the 63, 64, 73, 74, and 42b, which drill to the center of a 15-inch circle.

Can you still get parts for an Atlas drill press? Some support comes through Clausing (clausing-industrial.com). Generic cone pulleys, springs, belts, and chucks are widely available, VintageMachinery.org hosts manuals and diagrams, and splined-spindle parts often come from salvage.

What is the spindle on an Atlas drill press? Many Atlas presses use a 6-spline floating-drive spindle, a characteristic design that affects how the spindle and quill are serviced and is the hardest component to source.

Are Atlas and Craftsman drill presses the same? Often closely related. Atlas built drill presses for Sears under the Craftsman name, so many older Craftsman machines share Atlas design and parts. Match by model number to confirm.

What speeds does an Atlas drill press have? They use a cone-pulley stepped-speed drive, typically a 4-step (high-speed) or 5-step (slow-speed) set, with an optional Hi-Lo speed attachment to extend the range. You set speed by moving the belt.

Are Atlas drill presses good for restoration? Yes. They are solid cast-iron vintage machines with simple, maintainable mechanisms and reasonable support through Clausing, generics, and VintageMachinery.org, making them rewarding restoration projects.

References

• Clausing Industrial, continuing Atlas machine tool line: https://www.clausing-industrial.com
• VintageMachinery.org, Atlas Press Co. drill press manuals and diagrams: https://vintagemachinery.org
• Practical Machinist, Atlas drill press restoration discussion: https://www.practicalmachinist.com