# Old Walker Turner Wood Lathe



## LittlePaw

I just bought this very old 10" x 40 " Walker Turner (vintage) wood lathe at a moving sale; was told he seldom used it. This puppy is built like a tank; just the bed weighs over 110 lbs - cast iron everything not like the sheet metal junk from HF. I want to replace the bearings and the belt and hoping for some advice on the replacement bearings, please. 
The hollow shaft (OD) is 25 mm; the OD of the bearing is 52 MM; its ID is 35 mm and it fits over a ring measuring 5 mm thick. As I can't remove the ring and the bearing yet without an arbor press, I don't know whether the ring is reusable. I was told by the bearing seller that the SKF bearing #6205 (25mm x 52mm x 15mm


















) would fit over the shaft without the ring. So, would someone please tell me whether I must replace the ring as well as the bearing, OR is it okay to just use the SKF #6205 directly on the shaft without the ring, please? But if I replace the ring, I'd have to find a different bearing with an ID of 35 mm which SKF does not make.


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## johnstoneb

Why are you replacing the bearings. If the lathe has seen very little use the bearings should still be good.It's hard to tell from your picture. It looks like the bearings are an open bearing and might just need to be repacked with grease.
If there is a race on the shaft then it is not OK to replace the bearing with one that will run against the shaft. The race is hardened and design to run against the rollers or balls in the bearing. The shaft is not. There should be numbers stamped on the bearing races outer and inner and a good bearing house should be able to cross those over to the correct bearing.


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## REO

are they ball bearing or roller bearing? kind of unusual for vintage walker turner to use metric bearings. Typically they were fractional and made for a tough match. You can do the job with a threaded rod and appropriately sized pipes. especially for diss assembly a wood block will do to drive the bearing/spindle out.


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## LittlePaw

Thanx for your input, Bruce. The shaft wasn't turning as smoothly as I thought it should - had a tight spot - n I noticed a dent on the outter bearing which may be the cause of its not running smoothly. Also I wanted to change the belt to a longer one and to do that, I have to remove the shaft. What a project it turned (no pun intended) out to be! I sure hope it'll all be worth the trouble once it's all done. I've never restored an old pc of equipment so it'll be a challenge as well as a lot of fun. I was disappointed that I didn't find more info on this particular lathe on the Web. It has no model or serial number, just a round plaque that's been painted over, but can still read it. I paid $150 for it; did I pay too much?d I'll post more pix of it when I get it re-assembled. Thanx again.


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## LittlePaw

RED: it has ball bearings on top of a inner race. I don't know that they are metric, I measured out exactly 52MM x 35 mm which would be rather complicated in inch. One set of bearings - the one with a slight dent - is jammed in so tight, I could not budge it with a sledge hammer, cushioned with a wooden block, of course. That's why I think I'd need an arbor press to push it out all the way. Do you have any idea what this lathe is worth, once I get it running proper, that is?


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## Sigung

Bearing replacement in motors is easy and cheap if you have the right tools and sources. VXB Bearings sell top quality bearings for really really cheap. You can get a great bearing puller set from Harbor Freight for about 30 bucks.

If it turns out your bearings are seized, just disassemble the motor, remove one bearing with the puller, and measure it with a digital caliper to get your size.

Reassembly is done by tapping it back on using something like a socket from your socket set that is the same diameter as the INNER race, and a soft blow hammer.

Prior to reassembly, make sure you clean the shaft really well, I'd hit it with a scotchbrite pad, but don't sand it.

Make SURE you have exactly the right measurement for the bearing.

If it is a little difficult to install the new one, put the shaft in your freezer for a little while, but keep the bearings warm ( don't heat them, the lubricant will run out )


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## donwilwol

I can't help with the bearings other then to suggest some heat to help get it out.

I restored one http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/38253 and love it.

I didn't have to replace the bearing though.


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## DougH

What do you mean by ring? I see a bearing with an outer race, ball retianer, and inner race. I sugest replacing with Timken bearings (worked there 37 years, seven months).


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## REO

can you provide a few more pictures of the assembly? Were there covers over the bearings that have been unbolted? a good side view of the whole thing at once would be helpful. Are the threads on the outboard for a chuck or for a retaining nut?

It's REO lol the best part of oREO's is the middle. That's ok I have a credit card with menards that reads RED'S instead of REO'S tried to change it twice then gave up. I have had that for 12 years.


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## TheDane

REO-Menards doesn't care so long as your check clears the bank. Miss a payment, THEN they care!


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## REO

Dane this a true and faithful saying LOL


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## wormil

Here is a great primer on bearing numbers
http://www.gizmology.net/bearings.htm

6 - single row, deep groove
2 - light duty
05 - 25mm

I suspect that what you need is a standard 1" id/ 2" od bearing.


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## 2010jwest

I am trying to identify this lathe but there's no numbers or markings on it can someone give me some help ty.


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## wormil

jwest, you should make your own thread for this question.


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## LittlePaw

Thanx everyone for all your help and input and I am having a lot of fun restoring this lathe.
After a lot of tapping (cushioned with a block of wood) I finally got both bearings, shaft, 4-speed pulley disassembled from the head stock!!! I was starting to feel I had bit off more than I can chew. After all, I'm just a wood carver, definitely not a machinist, LOL!
Let me share what I learned with any LJ who might come into a vintage Walker Turner wood lathe. Even a novice turner can tell that this lathe is well built and as old as it is, it was quality built to last and well worth restoring.
The two bearings are different in width, one 15 mm (L-05-Z) and the other 22 mm (I-70372). DougH is right in that there is no other ring. It is one bearing with inner and outer race and the middle is the bearing retainer. Thanx Doug.
I talked with a knowledgeable SKF person who told me that those bearings are original and made to OEM spec back some forty or fifty years ago. Walker Turner (WT) specified ID of 25.21mm so that end user must buy replacement bearings from WT and not from SKF. According to the SKF person that was and is a common OEM practice.
My I-70372 bearing is in perfect working order after a thorough cleaning and will be repacked with grease. The L-05-Z has a dent on the retainer causing it not to turn smoothly. I am taking it to a machine shop that might be able to replace the retaine provided the bearings are okay. That would be the most cost effective solution since I cannot replace it with a new 6205Z and a [email protected] without having the shaft turned down to 25mm. The cost of the new bearings are$27 and $73 respectively, plus the cost of having the shaft turned. I am waiting to hear back from the machine shop.
My research: WT started in Plainfield, NJ in 1933. They didn't put serial numbers nor model # on their machines until 1939, so I'd have to conclude that this puppy is pre 1939. Today, I stripped the gray paint on top of the gold (would you believe someone actually painted it gold?) paint and primed the housing that holds the live center - nasty job!! I'll be one happy carver when this is all finished and I can start to learn how to turn! Here's the metal plaque that was painted over, now cleaned.


















Does anyone know what this puppy is worth once it is fully restored? I'm just curious, but most interested in turning. I will post pix when finished - promise!


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## DougH

somewhere there are replacment bearings sitting on a shelf!


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## Muffincheese

Did you ever solve your bearing problem? I bought this same lathe off a guy a while back and have been working on it and restoring it and ran into the same problem with the bearings you did. What did you end up doing?


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## wormil

L-05-Z appears to be just a suffix. Accurate Bearing shows a 6205-1" bearing that matches what Little Paw is calling L-05-Z.


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## Muffincheese

Thanks! I'll have to take mine apart again to take some measurements but that might solve my problems.


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## loiblb

The OWWMers buy most of the machine restoring bearings here.

http://www.owwm.com/files/PDF/FAQ/BearingID.pdf

I have restored a WT jointer and three WT drill presses fun old tools to own


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## saltfly

I have an old walker turner lathes as well. Mine looks a lot like Don's only a little older. I replaced the bearings in mine . They were hard to remove but they did come out. None of those companies made their own bearing. They all came from one of two major bearing companies from back then. Once I got them out , mine were New Departure. their number along with walker turners number were on them. I found my bearing at a tractor supply company not far from me. I was also able to get a parts diagram with a parts list for mine.


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