# Old Craftsman lathe



## facecarver (Oct 24, 2013)

Pulled this out of my storage unit,I think it's a 1999 .Blew it off and cleaned it up.Anything else I forgot to check??Has not been used since 2001.Seems to run smooth.


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## socrbent (Mar 9, 2012)

Dennis you made me laugh using the word old with an item made in 99. I guess its just a matter of perspective.

If it has an electric motor then check the motor wire to see if is is frayed, check the power switch and test to see the the motor runs, then test the motor under load which may be a challenge for you. 
Is the belt in good condition connecting motor to head stock
Can you change speeds by moving belt from pulley to pulley or does it have another type of speed control? If it is electrionic then test to see if it changes speeds
I'm not familiar with this unit to know if any bearings need lubed - I's guess not based on age.
Does tail stock line up with head stock? Put a drive center in both and see if they line up.
Is there any slop in the main shaft?

Others may contribute more.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Looks like electronic variable speed.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Sears sold two versions of that lathe. 1st versions had problems & replacement parts issue not sure who supplied that for Sears. . 2nd supplied by Palmgren, which sold same lathe under their name had same problems.

Palmgren provided better support than Sears until they dropped that lathe from their line of tools.

Can find the Sears model come up for sale on Craig's lists a lot, folks asking too much money for them.

Both models very light duty lathes. Okay when they work, but hard to fix when they break. Only way to get parts is find and buy a used one.

HF 12" x 33 model 34706 lathe, less expensive and has a better track record.


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## jackthelab (Jan 10, 2011)

Looks like a nice clean unit. Dive right in an use it. I am currently using a 70 year old lathe and when it comes to doing certain projects, I wish I had something like this. Best advice to make sure things line up. Continue to search on line for a manual if you don't have it and the availability of parts if ever needed. You will enjoy working with the lathe and discovering the things that it can do.


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## facecarver (Oct 24, 2013)

Ha Ha,Yeah Socrbent,If a 99 is old what would that make me?Thanks,I'll check alignment Every thing seems to be working fine.It is a 2HP,variable speed to 4000 rpm Rickm. This one was made in Taiwan Bill.I wont be doing anything too heavy.Sears has some parts in there online store,but not all. I'm a woodcarver,and thought I would turn some bowls and carve some indexed designs on them.I probably have the manual, I always keep them.That's what I'll do Dave.Thanks for all the advice,I'm jumping in !!!...Dennis


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## Wolfdaddy (May 18, 2013)

THIS is an old Craftsman lathe.


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

WolfDaddy,

I have a Dunlap eerily similar to that one.

Fun little lathe!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

A 1958 Craftsman converted to variable speed. Lathes are such simple machines that they are easy to repair and replace parts, spindle excepted possibly.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Wolfdaddy

Clean that baby up !!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

We need a group for old Craftsman lathes.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

"OLD" LOL

Reminds me of the time my daughters cam home from shopping and told me about a "Really cool antique car" they had seen at the mall. Turns out it was a *'74 CAMARO *! I laughed till I cried


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## Wolfdaddy (May 18, 2013)

DaddyZ
That's pretty sweet looking! But I like the way mine looks. It's in relatively good shape, probably needs new bearings and a belt, but it runs nice! Mine belonged to my grandpa on my dad's side. He gave it to him for me to use when I was a teenager, but I never did much with it. Fast forward 10 years or so, my other grandpa started getting into woodworking and my dad gave it to him. He had it for a couple years, but didn't do much with it either.
I had started turning a little bit on my neighbor's lathe, a JET mini, but I wanted one of my own. I called up my grandpa and asked him if he would be willing to part with it, and he was, so he brought it back down, along with a few books and a few chunks of wood to play with. 
It came with a drive spur and a dead center, probably original, a couple face plates, some Craftsman carbide tipped tools, and some other assorted turning tools. I tried turning a little bit with the dead center, but never really got the hang of it. It probably didn't help that it wasn't aliged right, but I was convinced that I wanted a live center. I took the time to figure out what size its Morse taper is, and then finally settled on the Sorby Stebcenters. Later I figured out how to adjust the alignment. I'm still waiting for the time to tear it apart and replace the belt and maybe the bearings and build a new, sturdier bench for it. 
Wow I wrote a book. Sorry for being long winded, just wanted to share my lathe story.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

It's not old, I see not feet pedals….


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## facecarver (Oct 24, 2013)

Ha Ha,Thanks for all the amusing comments..Way Cool story Wolfdaddy.I got a 1968 Corvette that all the kids love it and it say it's antigue Joe. I aint going that foot pedal route Tcc….My alighnment was off,but easy to fix.Guess I'll sharpen these tools up and turn something this week…Had move some stuff around to make room for it,and the bench aint big enough. They do take up space,that's for sure…


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Replaced the bearings in mine this past year. http://www.reidsupply.com/ Ordered from Here

Size Ordered *BNT-176 :: 3/4 ID X 7/8 OD X 1-1/4 LG BRG *- Fit perfectly I even Ordered an Extra set

Cut em out with a hacksaw. putting the new ones in was tough… Beating on a block of wood against a bearing against Cast Iron… I was sure I was going to break it any second…


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## facecarver (Oct 24, 2013)

Thanks for that link Pat.I need some of the UV resistant cable ties they sell.


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## BalloonGuy (Feb 18, 2013)

+1 to Pat for the link. I bought this same lathe in April, and the bearings are suspect. This will help a great deal!


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## Woodyoulookatthat (Dec 6, 2013)

not bad, definitely not good…


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

A lathe just like Facecarver's popped up on Craigslist here for $750. I doubt they cost that much brand new.


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## LeeinEdmonton (Aug 5, 2008)

I still have & use a 68 yr. old Rockwell lathe. I used it to make the spinning wheel shown in my projects.
My next oldest tool is a 1958 American Machine & Foundry RAS using a 9" blade (55 yrs.old). It is in regular use as I do not have a table saw. I think one has to ignore the age of a tool & concentrate instead on how well it has been maintained.

Lee


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## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

I purchased that lathe in 1997, Sears and HF both sold it only different colors. It is a 2HP motor drives the head stock with a ribbed rubber belt inside the headstock. You use a 19mm wrench from behind to loosen and tighten a bolt under the headstock and you can swivel it. There are two bolts at the front of the bed to hold an outboard turning brace ( I bought one ) for the tool rest. I used it for about 8 years with no problem then gave it to my son when I upgraded. I suggest every once in while open the metal plate on the headstock and clean out the motor and check the belt. Good luck, it was a good lathe for me.


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