Craftsman 101.07403 Questions

[ryanj1234]

Hey all,

Just picked up a Craftsman 101.07403. The serial number plate on the tail end is marked "12L 042824".


Can anyone help me get a date on this lathe? I had read in some other posts that dates should be stamped on the Timken bearings. When I pulled the spindle I see "3 154" and "3 156" engraved on the outer race. In another post I saw them engraved with a day-month-year code, so I'm not sure how to interpret 154/156.



I don't know much about craftsman lathes, I grabbed this one off of craigslist because the price seemed decent and I wanted a bit of a restoration project. I'm sure there will be more questions to follow as I try to figure this thing out, so any and all help is appreciated.

 

[wa5cab]

First, the serial number of your machine is the highest one reported so far. Assuming a fairly constant production rate, the machine would have probably been made late in 1956 or early in 1957. Second. we might assume that the 3-character numbers were Julian dates but that only leaves a single character number and there is no logical way to get the Year out of that. So I would propose instead that the 3's mean that the cups tested out to meet the specs for Class 3, which they have to be in order to advertise the accuracy of the lathe as +/- 0.001". And maybe the 3-dsigit numbers just mean the 154th and 156th bearings done that way. I don't know and AFAIK no one still alive does either. I do know that circa 1952 the practice of inspecting the Atlas and Craftsman lathe 10" and 12" spindle bearings and engraving the dates ceased (and that the practice probably started in 1938). Also, the digits are etched on your bearings and were engraved on all of the others that have been reported. And none of the bearings in the 12" 1/2" way machines have been reported with any numbers either engraved or etched.

Anyway, you have the newest 101.07403 so far known..

 

[ryanj1234]

Anyway, you have the newest 101.07403 so far known..

Awesome! I'm honored

Great info here, just wanted to know roughly what era this would've been from. Purchased this lathe cheaply from someone who was apparently using it as a wood lathe. I wanted a restoration project to keep me busy and I think I sure got one. It runs and cuts as is, but... Well, you will see in the pictures, this lathe has certainly seen better days. Hopefully I can get it back to its former glory

For starters, here's just some overall pics for context now that I finally have the headstock back together


Unfortunately, the belt cover is gone. Based on the parts diagram I'm looking at, I think the mounting bracket is broken as well, correct? I kind of like the look without the cover and I see lots of pics with it missing. Do people prefer it this way? Not sure if I should bother replacing.


Additionally, cross slide and compound handles are broken which is a pain. Will be interesting making new ones. I've never cut a keyway before. I'm thinking of 3d printing some as a stop gap until I can make some out of metal.


A section of the bed got broken off, not sure how this happened!


The rear bracket that holds the leadscrew is... Well I don't what the hell this is, but it needs fixing. I saw on eBay someone has a 3d printed one with a brass insert. I might try to design and print one myself. This seems like a really good idea to me as it could break off in a crash without causing tons of damage, and would be easily replaceable.


I'm curious about the motor here, The nameplate is totally worn off but it looks like it says Craftsman. I'm assuming not original, but does anyone recognize the style and can guess as to what this is?


The thing also runs off of a light switch that is loosely hanging in a bracket... That is number 1 on my list of things to replace. I'd like to have the switch on the original place on the headstock, seems like the most convenient place to me.


No worries though, I got a hardcopy of the MOLO to keep in the garage, it's got all the answers, right?


Anyways, to sum up, the questions I'm asking right now are

1. Should I bother with the belt cover?
2. What is this motor?
3. Am I crazy?

 

[cross thread]

1. Yes , might look like this one
2. That motor will be fine imo . It might of been for a bench grinder or buffer . All you have to do is go back to the original switch . imo
3 . Define crazy .

 

[ARC-170]

Yes, get a belt cover. Safety first! You can find one on Ebay.

Same with the rear bracket that holds the lead screw (it's called a feed screw bearing).

A switch will be easy, I think. You can find ones that look "vintage" and make a cover plate. You can also buy the plates, but I think they are pricey. My switch is "up" for fast, in the middle for "off" and down for "slow". I have a two-speed motor.

Yes, the mounting bracket for the spindle belt guard is broken. Again Ebay probably has them. Part numbers are available in downloads on this site.

I have the same lathe, but I added a QCGB. Mine is from 1944. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Yes, you are crazy!

 

[Aaron_W]

The thing also runs off of a light switch that is loosely hanging in a bracket... That is number 1 on my list of things to replace. I'd like to have the switch on the original place on the headstock, seems like the most convenient place to me.

Hey at least they put the switch in a box. My 6" Craftsman 101.21400 also used a light switch but the switch was just attached to the mounting board with a single screw.

 

[ryanj1234]

1. Yes , might look like this one View attachment 439486
2. That motor will be fine imo . It might of been for a bench grinder or buffer . All you have to do is go back to the original switch . imo
3 . Define crazy .

I was wondering if it was a bench grinder, would make sense with the dual shafts. It seems to run really well and isn't too noisy, so I'm happy with it. I am curious to get a model number or something to find out how much horsepower it has.

 

[ryanj1234]

Yes, get a belt cover. Safety first! You can find one on Ebay.

Same with the rear bracket that holds the lead screw (it's called a feed screw bearing).

A switch will be easy, I think. You can find ones that look "vintage" and make a cover plate. You can also buy the plates, but I think they are pricey. My switch is "up" for fast, in the middle for "off" and down for "slow". I have a two-speed motor.

Yes, the mounting bracket for the spindle belt guard is broken. Again Ebay probably has them. Part numbers are available in downloads on this site.

I have the same lathe, but I added a QCGB. Mine is from 1944. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Yes, you are crazy!

Oh hey, I've been going through your restoration thread for this lathe, it has been very helpful.

I've got a south bend 9 where the cone pulleys and belt are just exposed by design. I get that safety standards were a bit different half a century ago, but I was wondering if the belt guard was just more hassle than it's worth in this case.

Curious what you think of the lathe after a few years, do you like it or wish you had something different? I get these are not the best 12" lathes money can buy, but for the price, the hobby work I'm going to be doing, and the space I have in my garage this seemed like a pretty good option to me.

 

[ryanj1234]

Hey at least they put the switch in a box. My 6" Craftsman 101.21400 also used a light switch but the switch was just attached to the mounting board with a single screw.

Oh wow, that is something else

I was a little afraid to even touch this thing for fear of a loose hot wire touching something it shouldn't, but previous owner was confident it was done right. Trust but verify, right?

The box was not even bolted to the bench or anything though, just hanging off the side. I know I want that switch secure and ready for me to shutoff in a moments notice, but I guess everyone's different, haha

 

[ARC-170]

Oh hey, I've been going through your restoration thread for this lathe, it has been very helpful.

I've got a south bend 9 where the cone pulleys and belt are just exposed by design. I get that safety standards were a bit different half a century ago, but I was wondering if the belt guard was just more hassle than it's worth in this case.

Curious what you think of the lathe after a few years, do you like it or wish you had something different? I get these are not the best 12" lathes money can buy, but for the price, the hobby work I'm going to be doing, and the space I have in my garage this seemed like a pretty good option to me.

Thanks, I'm glad you find the thread I made useful. That was one of it's purposes.

On the Craftsman, you need to lift the guard to change the belt from one pulley to another, but I don't find that too difficult. I prefer to have covered belts when they are spinning at 1,000 RPM. You are standing right in the line of fire if the belt breaks, so get a cover.

I like it. I use it for hobby work and the occasional fix for something. It only takes light cuts: 0.010" or less in steel and maybe 0.025" in aluminum, but that's fine for my purposes. I have a DRO on mine and it seems to be accurate, but when I get down to smaller diameters or need to get an exact dimension, I sneak up on the measurement, as it (lathe or DRO) seems to be off about 0.001" or so. Could be me, though. The machine IS almost 80 years old! They are not know for being rigid, so keep that in mind. I'm also glad I got a QCGB. I used to get filthy changing the gears.