Lathe followed me home

[cheese1566]

Came across a nice little (I mean little!) Craftsman 109-21270 lathe yesterday off a local Facebook posting. Needs some tlc and a good cleaning. I was surprised how decent a shape its in, considering its early 1950 era. I was very surprised to see the man had small box of "tooling" with it. He opened it to find a mess of change gears! As my research is growing, I found a manual and few websites with helpful info. One is homeshopsupply that is still offering some small tooling and #0 morse tapers for the head and tail stock.

The 3 jaw chuck freely opens and closes and not a touch of significant rust anywhere. I found I have a complete set of change gears (minus only one, but I would only need it for cutting 13tpi threads). It came with a counter shaft unit and non-original motor. I was surprised to find it has a back gear planetary system, reverse gear tumbler for the lead screw for cutting left hand threads, and the threading dial was present.

I know it ain't anything spectacular for precision and size, but my other Grizzly G0602 10x22 suffices for my needs. Might be good for tiny parts or brass case trimming!

At least it will give me a project in cleaning it up and tuning it. That's the fun isn't?
Attachment 170931

[Old Scribe]

What a great find!

[wonderwolf]

Little ones like that have been on my watch list. Something small and handy for the stuff like cartridge conversions or brass. looks like a hoot!

[Artful]

What a little cutie - I redid the bearings/brass bushings for one that was smaller (jewelry lathe) - but it was amazing what the little buggers can do.

[leebuilder]

Nice find. Only every saw one like that. They are very handy in the shop. I use my small taig lathe all the time, if it could thread it would be the ultimate lathe, reproducing all those tiny threads on sights and such.
Be well

[bangerjim]

I had one of those many years ago. Bought if for $10 at a yard sale.

No power feed or crossfeed. Cannot cut precision threads, but a basic small lathe for general use.

Uses an old style lantern tool post with rocker wedge. You could convert a Little Machine Shop Aloris-style to it.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Little ones like that have been on my watch list. Something small and handy for the stuff like cartridge conversions or brass. looks like a hoot!

Yes, and to that I would add screws and pins. People here tell you - rightly in a sense - to go for the biggest you can. But there is a law of diminishing returns, like ten doughnuts not being ten times as good as one doughnut and twenty doughnuts being worse, on the amount of money and space you devote to a lathe. One like this escalates in value with a firm like Home Shop Supply backing you up.

You can live a long lifetime without needing a 13tpi thread, and I don't know what is the missing wheel you need for it. But if it bothers you, try a followed search on eBay. They will notify you by e-mail if one comes up. I have found a lot of long-sought items that way, some of them even useful.

A very useful accessory for screws would be a tailstock die holder. I don't believe these are made in 0MT, but a larger one might be adapted with one of the Home Shop Supply tapers.

[cheese1566]

I just realized that 13tpi is used on 1/2" coarse thread bolts. Unsure if I would ever thread a 1/2" shaft on it. But I have all but that one, so I am that kinda guy who would get it nonetheless. Homeshopsupply had 52's for about $11, not bad considering some gears go for $50-75 each. He also has some other goodies as well.

Power feed on all isnt important to me on this little guy. It does have a lead screw so I guess the main carriage does have a power feed. Same aspect as my bigger Grizzly. The feed for the carriage is on the right end of the lead screw, looks like maybe a pain to reach over and turn, but at least it will be a small reach.

I am already looking at the little import mini quick change tool post sets.

No biggie on lack of graduated dials either, I am thinking of poor man dro's using harbor freight $10 electronic calipers someday.

[lead-1]

I keep looking at those types on the sale sights but being a tight wad, fixed income, I haven't been able to pull the trigger on one yet. And then I try to decide if I do, will I want a new 7x12 Central/Grizzly/Harbor Freight or take a chance on a 101/109 that may be worn out and need rebuilt.
BTW, there is a video well done series on youtube of a guy rebuilding a 101/109 lathe from one end to the other.

Here is a link to the first video of the series, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_vsljuLRq4

[Frank46]

Have one of the craftman sears 6" with 20" long bed. Bought an old 22 rf barrel at a gun show and proceeded to make a heavy barrel for a 10-22 ruger. Gunsmith cut the chamber and did the slot for the locking block. Spray painted it with epoxy paint and it had a parker hale 22rf liner in it. Great for making pins, firing pins for sinle shots, and a bunch of other stuff. Got tired using the old lantern and rocker tool holder so looked through the junk at work. Ended up with a square tool post holder. Cruse but works. Bought it in '67 after I got out of the navy. Don't use it as much as I used to as I have a jet 13x40 gearhead lathe.Frank

[leadman]

I have the exact same lathe. Bought it about 15 years ago or more for $80. My tail stock is worn so this gives me problems but I really don't use it much so it is ok.
E-bay has lots of tooling and chucks for these little lathes. Mine came with a 4 jaw so I bought a 3 jaw Chinese and it is ok.

[smoked turkey]

I also have that exact same lathe. I have owned it for a number of years and have never taken the time to learn how to use it. I was hoping to make some gas check making dies with it if I ever get it going. Unfortunately I know nothing about a metal lathe.

[No_1]

What a wonderful jewel to find. I am sure you will enjoy it.

[KCSO]

I used one for a long time for just making small screws and lock repair. They work great if not pushed. I dumped the funny 3 jaw and went with a good 4 jaw chuck.

[daschnoz]

Nice find. Now, go get lathed.

[cheese1566]

Well, I just picked up a decent proform brand treadmill for a lowly $20. I was researching the last few days on treadmill motor conversions using the dc motors and control boards from treadmills. This unit (hopefully, according to replacement parts listed for it on Internet sights), should have a decent motor and the common mc60 style controller. Seems that controller is popular and info abounds for mods.

I am thinking the little Craftsman may be a prime candidate for a variable speed project. I know, it's not a bought controller, or multi-phase motor and VFD, but I like what I am reading.

See how it goes when I tear into it. I will always have the original pulleys and the countershaft and AC motor to resort to.

[Gliden07]

I have a Atlas 618 that was given to me. Needed a motor and motor pulley that I found on the web. I have no idea how to use it and still have no tooling. But I bought the original manual and have been reading it. Any other books some of you guys could recommend to me would be great.

[cheese1566]

Google search and download a copy of the SouthBend "How to run a lathe." It was recommended to me by the old timers in my local machine shop. It was written in the 1930's or so, but still has good basic info.

I also like to watch Tubal Cain videos on YouTube. Sometimes he also goes my Mr.Pete.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Cheese: You will find that it is pretty easy to make threads with Taps and Dies. No one single points small threads. On a lathe it is much easier to get a tap or a die started strait than it ever was freehand. For the amount of threading you will actually need to do on a Lathe, especially a small lathe like this one, believe me you can live without the threading function.

That was a great find and if I was you I'd already be prepping it for a complete teardown, clean up and paint job!

Randy

[cheese1566]

She is already tore down on the bench for a clean up. I debated repainting, but decided the paint on it now os in pretty good shape. It may be a project down the road someday. At least then, i could use use paint and have all the poeces and new accessories (motor, control box.....) match.

Darn it, now you got me thinking!!