# First Lathe/ Lathe Restoration



## DMiller (Feb 7, 2017)

Recently my brother and I ( http://lumberjocks.com/JMillerWoodworks ) were given an older Craftsman model #113.238180 lathe to use and restore. We are both excited to get a lathe in our shop; it will also be fun going through the restoring process. 









One question we have is that there is quite a bit of rust on the machine; is it a problem to remove the rust by sanding with an orbital at 200 grit or is it better to stick with steel wool? 


















Also, the tailstock's live center is only about 1/4 in. wide by 1/2 in. long. Is it possible to replace for a larger one? 









Another question, the talistock and the headstock do not line up evenly- how do you get them to line up evenly? 









Thanks…any advice is greatly appreciated! DMiller and JMiller Woodworks


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Rust is easily removed via electrolysis since you will have it apart anyway… or evaporust is another option, but more expensive. A wire wheel chucked in a drill will also do the trick, but is a lot of work and kicks up a lot of dust and other crap. After removing, wipe it down with a dilute phosphoric acid solution before painting. You probably should also replace the bearings while you are at it.

Depending on what taper you have on the tailstock, lots of different centers are available. It looks like what you have is a dead center though, which is still perfectly usable.

As for alignment - that is a common problem on the single tube lathes. You should be able to adjust it to bring it back into alignment. It is described in the manual.

Cheers,
Brad

PS: In case you don't already have the manual… it can be found here.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Elbow grease. A wire wheel will work on light rust but you'll probably need sandpaper or emery cloth for the tube. Start with 80 grit + some oil or wd40, something like that. You can use 120 or 150 after if you want it smoother. Yeah, your hands will get dirty and it will be faster than setting up vats of chemicals.


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## DMiller (Feb 7, 2017)

Thanks for the replies! I have done some work with steel wool and WD40- however, i'm considering using a grinder with a wire wheel and finishing with sandpaper from there. Would this be a problem? As of now I have began building a new oak top for it and my brother worked on getting the centers out….I think he kinda had a hard time…but they came out. The centers will need to be replaced….is this kind of a one size fits all for the centers or would you need to replace with exact Craftsman brand centers? Thanks!


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## Darell (Jul 23, 2008)

The headstock and tailsstock are both #1 Morse Tapers. Drive centers and live centers are available from several different suppliers like Craft Supply, Packard, Woodcraft etc! My dad had one of those. It's the first lathe I turned on way back in the late 60's and early 70's. Got it when my dad passed. Have moved on to bigger and better since. Good luck with the lathe. It's a good place to start. It's not so much the quality of the lathe as it is the quality of the turner.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I have the same lathe and I bought a three jaw chuck, a face plate & a couple centers for the tailstock all from grizzly. I would caution you to not spend to much on a chuck without using an adapter as the spindle is smaller than many midi lathes and you could find yourself in a situation where it wouldn't work with whatever you choose to upgrade to down the road. As for lining up the head and tail, the tailstock is prevented from rotating around the tube by a channel allowing a rail attached to the tube to slide through as it's moved. There's an adjustment screw with a jam but on the back side of the tailstock where the tube passes through, if that is too loose it can allow movement of the tailstock around the tube. If it's already tight and not in alignment then the entire tube needs to be rotated in the headstock casting.


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## LeeMills (Nov 2, 2014)

I had a Jet that probably came from the same factory. If there is not an adjustment on the tail stock its self look for a set screw at the headstock or in the mounting block at the tailstock end to lock the tube in position.
If you have an angle grinder get a cup brush (medium stiffness) for about $12 and it will make quick work of removing the main rust and leave the surface as shiny as a new nickel.
Then do as other suggested and get a rust converter. It will convert any remaining rust (iron oxide) into iron phosphate. When the rust turn black rub with 0000 to remove the excess remover. Then use any paste wax, like automotive, to give it longer protection.


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## DMiller (Feb 7, 2017)

Yes…I will probably remove the rust with an angle grinder and cup brush…thanks


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## DMiller (Feb 7, 2017)

UPDATE: Today we did a little more on restoring the lathe. Used the angle grinder with a cup wheel and removed most of the rust and paint on the front side. The four chisels that came with it were quite rusty also…I didn't think they were hardly usable, but after buffing with the grinder and sanding the handles…I have to say they don't look half bad. Will put a coat of finish on them tonight and home to sharpen them in the next several days when I can get to borrowing a benchtop grinder. My brother took off the main portion of the lathe and is now working on it… it's not perfect but its coming. Thanks for looking! Dale and Joel


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Those are probably carbon steel chisels, which work fine and sharpen nicely but dull quicker than HSS. But they are good for learning the basics and sharpening.


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## DMiller (Feb 7, 2017)

UPDATE: finally got back to the lathe restoration after being gone for the weekend. So far we have got the majority of the lathe stand buffed and ready for painting. Is there any base layer paint/ primer that will prevent rust from reappearing to apply before we paint it? Also, still continuing to work on the oak counter top for the lathe. Thanks for looking! DMiller and JMillerWoodworks


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