Please help with new (to me) lathe. 4 picks.

[stevers]

Hey folks'
Need some help and any comments you have. Yesterday I picked up this old lathe from a guy a couple of towns over for $60.00. Did some clean up and painting. It's a Duracraft model 50537. 3/4HP iduction moter, 12" swing, 37" between centers, spindle lock and 5 speeds. 575 RPM to 3580 RPM.
I disassembled it and checked some tollerances. The rear of the spindle shaft (where the pully mounts) is within a half a thousands. I guess that would be something like 0.0005?. The front of the spindle shaft is a little harder to check accurately, seems to be within 0.002-0.003. Overall it seems to be real close to true when spinning.
One probeblem is the morse taper, it is a little bit messed up inside the shaft. Looks like someone forced the spur or tryed to pry it out. I have cleaned it up pretty good, but it will be hard to tell untill I can get a new spur or a mandrel to check the fit.
Also, can you tell me from the picture below of the spur next to the pen, if this is a #1 MT? All I have used up till now is a Jet pen lathe with the #0 MT.
Below are some picks of the lathe. Any comments or help would be greatly apreciated. Thank you for looking.
Also, what is the general opinion of the shaft design of this lathe.(where the tool rest and tais stock mount?) I wouder if flex could be a probeblem on longer turnings. I intend to bolt the hole thing down, so that should help.

Which morse taper do I have here?

Again thank you for looking and commenting and sorry for the long post. I was just hoping to get some good info.

I hope this is'nt in the wrong forum, was'nt realy sure where to put it.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Which morse taper do I have here?

Gee! some measurements would sure help

 

[stevers]

ok give me a minute

 

[stevers]

At the tip is 0.389 +or-, and at the large end about 3/8" from the spur is 0.470.
Does this help?

 

[BigAndy]

Stevers, the picture of your lathe looks like the lathe I have. Mine is a Craftsman model # 113.228162 The morse taper is a #1 The threads on the headstock spindle is 3/4-16. You could do a search on google to Sears parts and order an owners manual I am pretty sure it would be the same lathe. Part # of manual I have is SP4938 Hope this helps

 

[turned_for_good]

I have that exact lathe. Never seen another one like it until now. Yes, it does have a #1 MT. Mine is slightly modified with a better motor but otherwise they are exact. This is a good machine. The only real trouble that I had with it was that the tail stock would move forwards and backwards until tightened which made it hard to line up the centers perfectly. I did do some research on it but came up with nothing. I do beleive that it is a generic model for another brand other than craftsman too. Good luck.

 

[stevers]

Big Andy,
Thanks for the info, I found your model at the sears sight. It is the same exept for a couple of small things. But it really gives me something to go with. Thank you.
And thank you too Turned for Good, nice to hear some positive feed back on the lathe. I have already seen what you mean about the tail stock movement. I'll work on it and see if I can do anything with it.

Thanks guys

 

[Rifleman1776]

If your MT is messed up you could clean and true it with a reamer that is designed just for that. Downside is that the reamer might cost nearly as much as you paid for the lathe. You could just try to clean it with some fine wet/dry paper.

 

[stevers]

Frank,
Thats what I did, wrapped the paper around the tail center (becouse it fits better) and ran the lathe on low speed and slid it in. It seems to have helped quite a bit. I really need new centers or a good mandrel to tell more. Sears has the spindle shaft for $44. If it comes to that.

 

[esheffield]

That's also a very close cousin to the Ridgid lathe from Home Depot like I have. Though there appear to be some differences in the head / spindle. The Ridgid is only 4 speed vs. 5 and the left end of the shaft doesn't protrude out like on yours. Wish it did though as I have to open the cover to stick a rod through to knock out the drive/mandrel/etc. It would also make it easier to fix one gripe I have with it - no handwheel. It would be pretty easy to fabricate one for yours I think.

 

[woodwish]

Sure looks like an old Craftsman I had years ago. Never was successful turning anything on it, but it was not the lathes fault! [V] Good luck with it!

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by esheffield
<br />.....Wish it did though as I have to open the cover to stick a rod through to knock out the drive/mandrel/etc.

Can you drill a hole in the cover??

 

[esheffield]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />

Originally posted by esheffield
<br />.....Wish it did though as I have to open the cover to stick a rod through to knock out the drive/mandrel/etc.

Can you drill a hole in the cover??

Yeah, the thought has cross my mind. Just haven't gotten around to actually doing it. But the fiddly tailstock, small spindles, lack of a handwheel, and funky tube bed (spindles and bed kinda limit the accessory availability) have almost pushed me to getting something else. So I just haven't bothered yet.

To the original poster, I don't think you'll have any flex problems with the bed (tube) - it seems pretty stiff. As someone else mentioned though it is tough getting the tailstock lined up with the headstock. It's also a harder to add accessories to it. There are several useful gadgets (a steady rest, for example) out there that are designed to mount to a lathe bed, but you won't find them for the tube style bed. You could probably make up some kind of adapter - make an appropriate size hole in a block of wood, split it in two, and clamp it to around the tube and attach things to the top.

It really isn't a *bad* lathe - it just has some limitations to work around, and depending on what you want to do with it they may not even be a problem. It's done fine for me turning pens, though a bit large for just that.

 

[stevers]

Thanks Eddie, and thanks to all for the responces and info.