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Is this lathe worth grabbing just for fun?

5K views 37 replies 9 participants last post by  Andybb 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Haven't used a lathe for 40 years since high school but don't have one in my shop. Is this something worth grabbing and cleaning up just for fun and slapping a motor on? Don't know nuthin' about turning or what a chuck would cost. Just thought it'd be a fun toy.

 
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#4 ·
Congrats on your purchase. Lots of turning can be done with out a chuck by turning between centers. A regular motor can be used even without a VSC. That is why there are different sized pulleys on the headstock. A VSC would simply made it simpler. Motor size depends on what you choose to turn. Look for a face plate as an inexpense way to expand what you can turn. There are tons of videos available to help you learn.

Your lathe looks just like one my dad taught me on about 60 years ago. Made a walnut lamp as a 4H project.
 
#6 ·
Here is a good recent forum topic with some info and links that will help you get started.

Any motor of about 1/2 HP and up will probably do. Treadmill motors are variable speed (which is nice) and you can get them free or cheap if you keep your eyes open for them, though you may have to haul away and disassemble someone's old treadmill to get one.

Chucks are a nice to have for convenience but you can do 99% of what they do using face plates and other tried and true techniques that you'll learn as you read about the various turning techniques.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Cool. Motors I have. HF here I come. I'll destroy these first.


Thanks Loren.
Lazyman--thanks. You're right. Great thread.

Looks like it's a Montgomery Ward Powr-kraft made by Duro Metal Products. Damn! Another learning curve and hours of youtube to watch! (I love it) Looks like I'm all in for less than $75 even after making it purdy. Can't be much to it other than some bearings if needed. Plenty of references on the vintage tool sites.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
I believe that lathe will only have one bearing (thrust bearing in headstock), and the spindle will be riding in bushings - notice the oil holes in the top of the spindle housing. Just use some good 20W non-detergent oil or similar (I use AW32 hydraulic oil). It would probably be a good idea to tear it apart so you can clean and inspect things first, but at the very least, make sure those bushings are well lubricated before running.

You don't have to get a treadmill motor, it was just a suggestion and you can get them for free. A regular induction motor (1750 rpm) will work, but you will need to find a matching stepped pulley for it.

There are plenty of ways to do stuff without throwing money at it (See here: Woodturning on the cheap). Figure out what size/thread the spindle is and get yourself a thread tap for it (if you don't already have one). Then you can make all the faceplates, threaded glueblocks, mandrels, jam chucks and other stuff you want for the price of scrap wood found in a construction site dumpster :)

Cheers,
Brad
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks. Yeah I figured I'd tear it down and refurb it first. That's half the fun for me.
Looks like this one from 1940.

Your thread looks to be just up my alley Brad. Thanks again.

Don't know if I'll become a "turner" but it's nice to have the option of turning a leg or something if the need arises or looking at something and saying, "I can do that".
 
#11 ·
Looks like you lucked out, the spindle looks to be 3/4-16, same as old Craftsman lathes which means accessories and centers will be common and inexpensive. The bigger Duro used an uncommon spindle size which would have been annoying. I'm assuming it's this one:

Font Musical instrument Newspaper Advertising Poster


Font Poster Parallel Newspaper Magenta


http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=846
 

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#14 ·
Actually found a youtube series No Chuck, No Problem so I ve got plenty to do without spending another dime.
- Andybb
You got to remember that the lathe is an ancient tool that has been around for thousands of years… and the vast majority of that time, they didn't have chucks (or live centers, or pre-made turning tools, or fancy sharpening systems, etc….). Yet, they were able to do some pretty amazing stuff anyway.

The video you linked to is one way to go about it using a faceplate. I'm not real fond of faceplates though. If you mount it directly to your workpiece, then you are left with holes in it when done (although not always), and if you are turning it thin, you have to worry about hitting the screws. Mounting a faceplate on a glueblock and then gluing it onto the workpiece never made sense to me either, when all you need to do is thread the glueblock and forget about the faceplate and screws entirely. I guess some people just like doing extra work :)

Here is one such example making a lidded box (actually two) using a threaded glueblock: No-chuck lidded box - as a follow on to my woodturning on the cheap thread :-O

Cheers,
Brad
 
#15 ·
Excellent, and thanks for the link. Very nostalgic.

The listing said it is missing its arbor. Not quite sure what that means yet as the lingo is all new to me. I ll be picking it up in a few days and can inspect it then. Stand by for more pics and questions.

- Andybb
Probably a work arbor, not a big loss.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
I got it home and here are some parts. Looks like it will clean/paint up nicely.

Even with the rust that's on it the tailstock turns very smoothly.

This came out with the tailstock. Looks like what's left of something very greasy. Probably the arbor they said was missing that Rick referred to. Tried tapping it out but didn't want to force it. Sprayed it with WD40 and set it aside.


Here is the headstock. It doesn't exactly freewheel on its own when you spin it but seems like it will be fine after a good refurb. Unless I miss my guess the metal tab would allow you to engage the pulley when you don't want it to spin.


And these came with it.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
So, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm thinking that the piece in the tailstock is an arbor that had (if I've got the lingo right) a live center of some kind on the end of it and should be removable? And what is the preferred method for removing the piece from the headstock? Is #2 just on the end of another tapered arbor or does the shaft get immobilized and #1 should turn? Can't really tell and can't find a parts diagram. Seems like there has to be a way to remove the shaft to change the belt. May seem like silly questions but I am a total lathe noob and don't want to break anything.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
1 should be part of the spindle and not removable by itself.
2 is the drive center and should be a machine taper, friction fit. There should be a hole through the spindle through which you insert a steel rod and drive out the center. If not a through hole then maybe with a drift key.

- Rick_M
Thanks Rick. I'm at work now but it didn't seem like the spindle was hollow. Am I correct in assuming that the piece in the tailstock is a broken live center with a machine taper and should also come out the same way? And how do I change the belt?
 
#23 ·
Tailstock centers are also usually tapers and on older lathes can be self ejecting, driven out with a rod, or driven out with a drift key. I've had all of them. Tapered centers can be difficult to remove even you soak them in WD 40. Once I had to take a tailstock to a garage and have a center pressed out with a hydraulic press. Guy said it was the highest pressure they had ever used. But it cam out without damage.

Belts are usually changed by removing the spindle. Usually there will be one or more left hand nuts on the out board side and one or more grub screws on the pulleys. The spindle might need a little persuasion from a mallet to come loose the first time.
 
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