# Craftsman/King Seeley 9x30 Lathe



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Stand finished and first turning*










I happened across this Craftsman lathe, the previous owner hated it and wanted $50 for it so I took it home. It came with a 2×4 stand, 1/3HP motor, 2 faceplates, a spur drive and cup center. First thing I did was disassemble, clean, and reassemble everything. Some things had been put together wrong; the drive pulley was in the wrong place so the indexing pin wouldn't engage and the tailstock handwheel would move in and out instead of the ram. The bearings seemed fine out of the machine but kept binding just a tad after installation. I soaked them in oil and that fixed it meaning they will need to be replaced soon but are okay for now.

Original motor and lathe w/ faceplate










Spur drive and test turning










I disassembled the original 2×4 stand which was too long and wide and rebuilt it. It might not be pretty but it's solid.



















Control box I made for a 1.5HP DC motor that I previously used with my Goodell Pratt lathe. The switchplate is a bit garish but if I forget that down is off <g> this will remind me.










Hopefully soon I'll get around to making a disc tachometer so I'll know what speeds I'm running.


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

wormil said:


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Cool tool. I never had an old one like that. I bought a Delta about 10 years ago. The only lathe I have ever owned. I use it mostly for furniture parts, stair post, and spindles. Hope you have fun with it.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

wormil said:


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I used to I've in the town where *King Seely Thermos* was located and where they made water coolers. I just can't image them making anything like a lathe.

This one you got looks really well made … old but well made!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

wormil said:


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This is what, the third one you've done? Is that the motor that you took out of a treadmill? And yep, it looks like it WILL be good to go for another 50 - 60 years. 
Nice job on the rehab.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

wormil said:


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Nice setup, great restoration.
Want to know your speed?, you might want to consider one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-contact-tachometer-66400.html

I got one for my lathe, works pretty good for me.

Enjoy the new lathe setup.


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## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

wormil said:


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Old school how cool!!! seems you got it working nicely! I love the the switch plate with the red and green that is funny, but pratical.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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Joe, this is only 2nd lathe rehab. The Goodell Pratt is due for a repaint once it warms up.

Old Novice, the fit and finish of this lathe was really poor. The castings are all rough except inside the headstock. The tool rest holder would barely slide, it's no wonder the previous owner hated it, but five minutes with a file and it glides the way it should have out of the factory. The tailstock handwheel was full of flashing and wouldn't fit properly, again with a file and it works the way it should have. I've come to believe the crooked tool rest is also a factory failure because I doubt anyone used this lathe enough to wear it down. It's not a bad lathe by any stretch, well made, but unfinished.

I'd like to try this low tech strobe tachometer, like we used on turntables. It's a disc calibrated so that under fluorescent light you can tell the speed. You just print one on a disc label and stick it to a cd-rom and mount to the lathe. I have several from the net covering speeds up to 7200 rpm.


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

wormil said:


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hey that strobe trick is realy neat! you have done a wonderful job on the lathe(s). You will have a great time with these. The tools don't make the craftsman. A craftsman knows what his tools are capable of and with your projects you certainly know your tools!looking forward to seeing more of your projects.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

wormil said:


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The lathe looks surprisingly well made. You did a great job improving it too. It sounded like you might be needing those headstock bearings in the not to distant future, but I think you will get as many years out of it as you wish.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

wormil said:


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*Boy Rick that strobe disk really takes me back!*

When I was in high school and junior college I worked as a TV repair technician and each of the technicians had our his aluminum strobe disk and tone arm force gauge. I still have the force gauge but the strobe disk disappeared some time ago.

Thanks for bringing back some good memories … customers who thought that these things, along with a degaussing coils, were "black magic" and not real technology.

Remember, one fluorescent source only!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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Made this today for holding my tools.



















The backside has a friction fit cleat to keep it in place.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

wormil said:


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Great idea!


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## Derec (Jan 4, 2013)

wormil said:


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I am jealous!

I have been looking for a lathe and this looks like a great deal! Good for you!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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Derec, this and my drill press (which was also a good deal), both came through a local woodworking website. I hadn't much luck with Craigslist and ebay sellers tend to part out their lathes.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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Posted another entry with a shop made disc sander attachment.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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Made a strobe tachometer today and it worked well. I'll post results and a video in a new blog entry later this evening or tomorrow.


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## spindeepster (Nov 13, 2014)

wormil said:


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I recently got my hands on this lathe and have a few questions, I hope someone can help. The original post states ".....and the tailstock handwheel would move in and out instead of the ram." Can you explain how this was corrected? Also, I would like to upgrade the #1 Morse Tenons on both ends. I know that the shank end length on the tail is important because the hand wheel "ejects" it when drawn all the way in. I would like to find a free turning tenon for the tail. Can someone provide a link to a known upgrade for these tenons? Thanks in advance.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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> I recently got my hands on this lathe and have a few questions, I hope someone can help. The original post states ".....and the tailstock handwheel would move in and out instead of the ram." Can you explain how this was corrected? Also, I would like to upgrade the #1 Morse Tenons on both ends. I know that the shank end length on the tail is important because the hand wheel "ejects" it when drawn all the way in. I would like to find a free turning tenon for the tail. Can someone provide a link to a known upgrade for these tenons? Thanks in advance.
> 
> - spindeepster


1. I can't remember the specific problem with the handwheel but I remember that after taking it apart, it was obvious it wasn't assembled correctly.

2. Easiest way to upgrade the Morse taper size is upgrade to a bigger lathe. The spindles in this lathe are too small, reaming them to MT2 would compromise their strength and would cost more than the lathe is worth. They do make Morse taper adapters but I wouldn't bother.

3. The free turning piece is a called a "live center". I've purchased centers from littlemachineshop.com, highlandwoodworking.com, and amazon.com. There are two types, cup centers and simple live centers. I would recommend a live cup center first.

http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-H3403-Cupped-Center-Lathe/dp/B0000DD5AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456683984&sr=8-1&keywords=mt1+live+center

http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-H3407-Live-Center-MT1/dp/B0000DD5AI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456683984&sr=8-2&keywords=mt1+live+center

4. Other things I did that made it a better lathe was file the underside of the banjo, the part that slides on the ways, mine was very rough. I also filed the underside of the ways.


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## spindeepster (Nov 13, 2014)

wormil said:


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Rick,

Thank you for your reply. The cupped live center is just what I'm looking for, I just wanted assurance that this center would fit my lathe. Upgrading to another lathe is not on the table. Unlike you, I paid too much for mine! I am waiting on new bearings to come in the mail. I also replaced the drive belt. The bottoms of the banjo's and the ways have been cleaned up. I also applied a coat of wax to them to ward off rust and help keep the banjo's sliding smoothly.

Thanks again!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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I eventually sold mine to a luthier that wanted to make table legs, and bought a Delta 46-111 that I've repainted. Best of luck with your lathe and I look forward to seeing what you make with it.


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## spindeepster (Nov 13, 2014)

wormil said:


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The handwheel fix was easy! The tailstock ram screw was not pushed into the handwheel as far as it could possibly go. Problem solved. I am waiting on bearings, a face plate, a live center and a 6" tool rest to get this thing up to 100%. By next weekend I'll be good to go. I have not worked a lathe since the 7th grade….46 years ago. I'll post pics of my first successful project here.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


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You're on the right track by tearing it down and putting it back together. Back when these were built, they were thrown together as fast and cheaply as possible with little or no quality control. It will probably be better once you're done than the day it came out of the factory.


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## spindeepster (Nov 13, 2014)

wormil said:


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Hello, I'm back! I would like to find a faceplate with a left hand thread that I can attach to the left (outside) end of my lathe. Can someone help me with a link to a faceplate that will suit my needs? Thank you in advance!

Mike


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## spindeepster (Nov 13, 2014)

wormil said:


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FOUND!!

http://www.wbnoble.com/wood_turning/faceplates/faceplates.htm


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## JeremyKB323 (Mar 2, 2021)

wormil said:


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Hi great posts all. I just got one of these im going to refurbish, but I dont have the motor. Can someone point me to specs for a pulley and motor? Also motor mount info would be helpful. I dont mind getting one that wasnt the origional , but out of curiosity what motor did the original machine come with?

Im guessing 1/3 or 1/4 HP.

Thanks!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Shop made disc sander lathe attachment*

I picked up some 6" psa sandpaper at the Borg, cut a couple MDF circles and attached them to faceplates. The stand is made from 1/2"x 3" black pipe and a floor flange. I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger.


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Shop made disc sander lathe attachment*
> 
> I picked up some 6" psa sandpaper at the Borg, cut a couple MDF circles and attached them to faceplates. The stand is made from 1/2"x 3" black pipe and a floor flange. I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger.


Slick! nice that the pipe fits the Banjo. You asked about the drive center on the lathe on youtube. it is an very worn (from sanding) standard four blade. the center was drilled out to accept 1/4" shaft adapters in place of the standard pointy one. this allows me to chuck op on a drilled hole on the fly. the lever action tail stock helps to speed things up a bit too. I got a notification by email and answered youhere because i cant access you tube from this computer.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Shop made disc sander lathe attachment*
> 
> I picked up some 6" psa sandpaper at the Borg, cut a couple MDF circles and attached them to faceplates. The stand is made from 1/2"x 3" black pipe and a floor flange. I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger.


I wondered if maybe you had modified a spur. I also meant to ask if that was a carbide tipped blade, it was slashing through that wood like it was nothing.

Yeah the black pipe is 7/8" O.D., same as the factory tool posts.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Shop made disc sander lathe attachment*
> 
> I picked up some 6" psa sandpaper at the Borg, cut a couple MDF circles and attached them to faceplates. The stand is made from 1/2"x 3" black pipe and a floor flange. I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger.


"I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger."

When I was building my disc sander ( http://lumberjocks.com/joein10asee/blog/34349 ) I asked about size and it seems everyone says "Go bigger". So I did some searching online and found 12" sandpaper discs on ebay. There's a bunch of folks that sell it in packs of varying grits. HF only has the 12" in one pack of 2 sheets at 120grit. But they have several packs of 10" paper. If the disc in your pix is 9", you might just have enough room to go with the 12"

Just a thought….


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Shop made disc sander lathe attachment*
> 
> I picked up some 6" psa sandpaper at the Borg, cut a couple MDF circles and attached them to faceplates. The stand is made from 1/2"x 3" black pipe and a floor flange. I found some 9" psa discs online so I can go a bit bigger.


The swing on the lathe is 9" so I can't go bigger than that. Someday I may build a disc sander and go 16" or bigger.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*

After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.










The stationary band tells me the lathe is running at 300 rpm










*Materials needed:*
Printer
Strobe tach disc (from internet or homemade)
glue (spray glue or glue stick)
Wood to mount the paper disc
Fluorescent light

To make your own start with an image search for "strobe tachometer disc". If you live in the U.S., lights operate at 60hz, overseas they are 50hz, so make sure you are using the right disc or your results will be off. It is possible to make your own and I'll cover that further down. Print the disc to fit inside the swing of your lathe, mine are 5 inches diameter, and carefully cut it out. Cut a wood circle, drill a hole in the center and true it using a lathe, disc sander, drill press or whatever you have. Actually I guess it doesn't have to be a circle, a square would work fine. Center the paper disc on your wood and glue it down. Mount the disc to your lathe or drill press (I used a screw chuck on my lathe) and turn off (or point away) all light sources except for one fluorescent above the machine. Incandescent bulbs will not work, neither will energy saver fluorescent bulbs (the kind that replace normal bulbs). Turn on the lathe and slowly adjust the speed until one band appears to stand still.






*If you want to make your own disc from scratch, here is the math.* Neither the length of the bars nor the distance between them matter, all that matters is they are equally spaced. Rather than make a circle, you can make them in a line and glue it around the outside edge of a wood circle.

Formula: 120 x hz/rpm=equally spaced bars or 120 x hz/bars=rpm

So to make a strobe disc for 480 rpm in the US (60Hz)
120×60/480= 15 bars equally spaced

In Europe
120×50/480= 12.5 bars (doesn't work out evenly so we'll adjust the formula to work with whole bars)
120×50/13 (bars)= 461.5 RPMs (fraction) 
120×50/12 (bars)= 500 RPMs (nice even #)

Quick Reference Chart


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


Dude! That is so cool! 
Couple questions…
In the topmost pic (above) there doesn't appear to be any numbers, yet when the vid started I could clearly see the numbers on the disc. So when it's spinning, can you read the numbers to tell what speed it's at as each band "stops"? Or do you just hafta know what speed each ring represents?

And second… why oh WHY would anyone want to try and make their own disc, when you can just print them off the Interwebs? 

Neat demonstration. Thanks for sharing


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


There were 4 different discs and the pics and vids were made at different times. You just have to know what each band represents. I thought about making my own disc but it wasn't worth the effort with so many available but it would have been convenient to have a disc with just the speeds I wanted.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


Yes, this is all sorts of cool. Thanks for sharing.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


This was my goal. The numbers correspond to the band# then afterward I cross referenced with the wheel to find out the speed. So line #1 was 300 rpm, line #4 was 600 rpm.










From that I made this graphic. I'll print this on paper and tape it temporarily behind the dial. After verifying the lines are in the right place, I'll make a cut vinyl version and apply it to the control panel.


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## djg (Jun 24, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


very cool.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


That's slick. I gotta try the just for giggles. Thanks for the video.


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


That satisfied the geek in me. Totally cool!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Measuring lathe speed with an ink jet printer and fluorescent light*
> 
> After switching my lathe to a variable speed DC motor I had no way of knowing it's range so rather than buying a digital tachometer for a one off measurement I used some old tech… a homemade strobe tachometer. A google image search yielded a variety of discs designed for measuring speeds from 60 rpm up to 7200 rpm. After printing out 4 papers discs I found my lathe is capable of 240 rpm up to an estimated 2,800 rpm (estimated because this method jumps from 2,400 to 3,600 rpm). I did hit 3,600 rpm by loosening the bearing retaining nut but I don't want to run it that way, 2,800 is fast enough for 60 year old bearings. In the video you'll hear a knocking sound, I don't know what that was but after filming I removed/replaced the arbor and fixed it.
> 
> ...


It would be interesting to do this and check it against a calibrated digital tachometer, I bet it is pretty accurate.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Lathe tool holder and disc sander*

Please excuse the messy shop. I feel like I spend more time cleaning than woodworking and it's still cluttered.

Disc sander attachment for lathe. 8" MDF disc, faceplate is holly, glued and screwed to disc, tapped to 3/4-16. Part of a holly branch which usually wouldn't be useful but I drilled out the pith to prevent checking, it dried just fine.










Lathe tool holder from PVC pipe. I really like this.










Initially screwed directly to the wood stand, I quickly realized it needed spacers to let wood chips fall through.










Probably posted this before but it's in the same album so why not. Tool holder for lathe bed, pvc & plywood.










Also replaced the plastic speed control knob with one made of walnut but I forgot to take a picture.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Lathe tool holder and disc sander*
> 
> Please excuse the messy shop. I feel like I spend more time cleaning than woodworking and it's still cluttered.
> 
> ...


Cool looking tool holder Rick. Good idea with letting the chips fall to the floor. I myself keep finding ways to improve working with the lathe.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Banjo tune-up*

King Seeley never bothered to clean up the parts after casting, that was left to future owners and most of them didn't. My lathe was around for 54 years and most surfaces were rough as a cob when I brought it home. Here I'm cleaning up the banjo.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Banjo tune-up*
> 
> King Seeley never bothered to clean up the parts after casting, that was left to future owners and most of them didn't. My lathe was around for 54 years and most surfaces were rough as a cob when I brought it home. Here I'm cleaning up the banjo.


Oh … *THAT *kind of banjo. When you said you were doing a "Banjo tune up" , I thought you meant *THIS*


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## kiefer (Feb 5, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Banjo tune-up*
> 
> King Seeley never bothered to clean up the parts after casting, that was left to future owners and most of them didn't. My lathe was around for 54 years and most surfaces were rough as a cob when I brought it home. Here I'm cleaning up the banjo.


You are taking all the patina off RICK.LOL
I like what you did with this old lathe .


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Banjo tune-up*
> 
> King Seeley never bothered to clean up the parts after casting, that was left to future owners and most of them didn't. My lathe was around for 54 years and most surfaces were rough as a cob when I brought it home. Here I'm cleaning up the banjo.


Ha, yeah well it was some bumpy patina. It was quite amazing how much casting flash was left on the lathe. There were parts that just didn't work. The banjo didn't slide at all when I got it, you had to pick it up and sort of jiggle it into place. The tailstock didn't work correctly, wasn't assembled correctly, and couldn't be assembled correctly because there was flash inside. The headstock pulley was on backwards. The underside of the ways had flakes of metal so large you could pinch them off. The people who sold me the lathe went on and on about how much they hated it and I'm sure they did but all it needed was a little file work. When I get it around to smoothing out some other pieces I plan on repainting.


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## mantwi (Mar 17, 2013)

wormil said:


> *Banjo tune-up*
> 
> King Seeley never bothered to clean up the parts after casting, that was left to future owners and most of them didn't. My lathe was around for 54 years and most surfaces were rough as a cob when I brought it home. Here I'm cleaning up the banjo.


I've been following your videos on the King Seeley lathe for about a while now. I have had one siting in a corner of my shop waiting for a the right treadmill motor on craigslist. I really liked the infinite variable speed you got going on and I must have it too. I appreciate the information you have shared with us on this cool little lathe.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

*Finally made a home + important trivia facts*

Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.










*Fun trivia: That paper tacked to the wall under the hammer is a plan I drew for a set of end tables I made in 1999, it's been there since.*










*Demo!*










*Trivia: the plastic bag hanging askew left of the auger bits has been there about 16 years. It's a clear mounting plate for a router table. I built a router table without using it.*










*Hammerthumb, if you are watching, look next to the aforementioned piece of paper. That giant hunk of brass and rosewood is the marking gauge you sent me from the Swap.*










*The window has no glass but is covered with 10 mil clear laminate. It was meant to be temporary but worked so well I left it. It has been there almost 17 years. The wire was already there when I moved in.*










*The shop was built by two 14 year old boys, back in the 70's, from lumber and materials scavenged during the building of the neighborhood. What they lacked in carpentry skills they made up for in ring shank nails. They used one about every 4 inches. To their credit, the building still stands and the roof doesn't leak.*










*The towel holder was my first 'shop project'. The sides were shaped using a template originally for a Halloween napkin holder.*










I replaced the concrete block I was using for ballast with a big wood box I scavenged somewhere which happens to fit perfectly. I'll turn it on it's side and make drawers to hold all my lathe crap.










Next I need to rip out the other workbench but first I have to find a home for all the crap on, under, and around it. And no, that stuff isn't there all the time but I needed somewhere to put the crap that was on, under and around the bench I ripped out!


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Oh yes!!


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Been there.
It feels so good when you got it done.

Looking real good.
Steve

Trivia: I bought one of those Craftsman lathes (used) with money I made from my paper route in 1967. I still had it until 3 years ago.


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Thanks for the tour, Rick.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Go for it Rick. Did a whole wall change about 1 1/2 years ago. It gives you a good feeling. Good idea to have the lathe against the wall to help block flying chips. (suggestion) Paint the wall white whenever you have a blank wall, it brightens up the room, and who knows when you will have the chance again.


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## kiefer (Feb 5, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Good start on the reno keep going ,this sure makes it look much more inviting and as DD said paint the walls white for better lighting .

Klaus


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Looking good. 
If you want to keep working in your shop! you occasionally have to work on your shop
.... and like Steve I've been there and yes it does feel good when it's all done.

I also got a kick out of your French ….... but you need to work on the spelling.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Great work


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...





> Go for it Rick. Did a whole wall change about 1 1/2 years ago. It gives you a good feeling. Good idea to have the lathe against the wall to help block flying chips. (suggestion) Paint the wall white whenever you have a blank wall, it brightens up the room, and who knows when you will have the chance again.
> 
> - doubleDD


White is a good idea, especially while it's in the open. I need to do the ceiling also, it's bare wood and reflects little light.


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

wormil said:


> *Finally made a home + important trivia facts*
> 
> Been putting this off for bookoo long time.
> Gotta rip out this workbench to make a home for my lathe.
> ...


Been doing similar process at my place, except I tore out what I built and in process of remaking, just posted a new blog a bit ago about it. I need to get some white paint myself, while I have things exposed. Been telling myself that for 2 weeks, but every time I go to the Borg to get supplies for my house rewiring I always walk out without the paint.


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