Tail Stock Upgrade To 109 Craftsman

To get back to your original question about converting the spindle and/or tailstock from 0MT to something larger, no. I don't have the outside diameter of the tailstock (although I have looked at photos in all of the Craftsman catalogs over the period 1941-1961 that the lathes were sold) but it looks too small. The spindle nose is either 1/2"-24 or 1/2"-20 (you never have said which of the three or four models you have) which is too small to take up even to 1MT, let alone 2MT. Sorry.
 
109.20630 are the numbers from off the data plate I would say it's a AA one of the small ones the original tailstock is a mt0 I think if I just make a little longer ram it would allow a few minor accessories
 
OK. That is the middle model, made from sometime between 1944 and 1947, and 1948. A new model was made from 1949 until 1961. The reason that the first year is indeterminate is that Sears didn't publish a Power Tools catalog from 1944 through 1947, and there is no way to date an AA lathe.

Your idea sounds good but has drawbacks. First, availability of accessories for 1MT is not much better that the availability of ones for 0MT. So you would probably want to go to 2MT. I think that the diameter of the tailstock ram is probably the same as the spindle, 1/2". The diameter of the small end of a 2MT plug is 0.572". So the entire socket would have to be external. If you use something like 4130, you would probably want at least 1/4" of it solid. The diameter of the large end of the hole is 0.700". The depth of the socket is 2-39/84" (2.6094"). So the external part would be at least 2.8954". This would reduce the distance between centers to about 9" or a little more.

If you can find the accessories that you want in 1MT, the situation might be a little better in that the small end of the 1MT plug is only 0.013" larger than the large end of the 0MT socket. However, the ram would be weakest right at the end of the 1/2" dia. part and therefore, even with the 1MT, you would be safer to put the entire socket external.

Also, in order to be able to eject an accessory from the tailstock ram, the ram can't be solid at the end of the 1/2" portion. And you will need to also make a new and longer feed screw.

I suspect that you would be much better off to try to find a 618 (or 101.07301 or 101.21400 or 101.21200) tailstock and base cheap and have the base modified to fit your V-bed. This would give you a safe 1MT ram.
 
Ok well I appreciate the info you know more about these so far than anyone I have found I was thinking a longer ram and screw but I like your idea to get a heavier set of tools in the get a bigger lathe part of what you mention but I cant seem to find any on my side of the country that are close enough to get that they don't want new pricing for
 
98rangerll said:
Ok well I appreciate the info you know more about these so far than anyone I have found I was thinking a longer ram and screw but I like your idea to get a heavier set of tools in the get a bigger lathe part of what you mention but I cant seem to find any on my side of the country that are close enough to get that they don't want new pricing for
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There's an Atlas 618 on eBay now for $550 or best offer in northern NJ. There's also a couple of nice ones on Craigslist in the $500-$600 range.
Decent 109's are selling for around $400.

With a little luck, you could get yourself into a much more capable machine (with much better parts and accessories availability) for a couple hundred bucks. I've owned both and while plenty of folks turn out good parts on a 109, IMHO the 618 is going to be far more satisfying in the long run. The other thing to think about is resale value. The market for nice 109's is pretty strong.. Even if you're happy with it now, you might find yourself wanting/needing something larger eventually. If you modify your 109 irreversibly, you're going to have a hard time selling it for top dollar later.
 
The saddle is the only place I see any wear but I am going to try and adjust the Gibson and see what that does just this morning found a 618 on Craigslist for a 100 bucks I emailed the guy waiting to hear back now with any luck since he listed it late last night and I emailed at 2 am I'm hoping I'm first on the list
 
digital tire depth gauges make satisfactory digital read outs for up to 2in travel and $10 digital calipers off eBay could do the carriage. Not ideal but better than nothing and I used them on my weird old lathe for a couple of years quite happily.
 
98rangerll said:
The saddle is the only place I see any wear but I am going to try and adjust the Gibson and see what that does just this morning found a 618 on Craigslist for a 100 bucks I emailed the guy waiting to hear back now with any luck since he listed it late last night and I emailed at 2 am I'm hoping I'm first on the list
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Damn... $100. You'd better get there before I do :D
 
Tryed to but someone beat me to it I emailed and called and told them to call or text and say when was good and I would be there but by the time they took my call they said someone just picked it up
 
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