Help with my Craftsman (Sears) 109 lathe

[dkingloff]

Went to an estate sale last w/e and ended up with a $100 109 lathe, mounted on a sturdy table with most of the gears (don't think all of them) and a 3" chuck along with a bunch of cutters and chucks. It's the model line that had the engine-turned piece over the head and v-shaped ways. It doesn't seem to have any significant runout although I haven't put a gauge on it yet. I can't find a model id plate anywhere on it so I don't know the exact model number which brings up the question of whether or not accessories such as chucks are interchangeable? Also, where might I find the model designation? I'm slowly accumulating literature but some are model-specific. Is there supposed to be a "neutral" space with the gear handle so you can just turn the manual knob on the right side? I'm going to eventually take it apart to clean and lube it. There are some videos I've watched which don't offer a lot of info yet but even a little is informative for a virgin lathe operator.

 

[David S]

Welcome to the forum.

To get better coverage on this lathe, I think it would be best if you started a Thread in the Atlas, Craftsman, Dunlap & AA lathe sub forum. There is a very knowledgeable moderator there that can give you lots of info.

David

 

[brino]

Hello @dkingloff!

First, welcome to the site!

Second, my first lathe was identical to that....except quite worn in the ways right up near the headstock. That made it very difficult to move the carriage very far without chatter. If I tightened it down to get rid of movement, it would not move very far. If I loosened it be able to move it chattered and sang.

Hopefully yours is in better shape. Don't get me wrong; I learned a lot using that lathe, and it was years before I found a better one at a reasonable price. I would NOT change the experience.

Unfortunately, I don't recall where the model number was located.
I will poke around for a bit and see if I can find out.
Hopefully someone will drop in with the answer real soon.

Finally, here are some links you might find useful:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/resources/categories/atlas-craftsman-dunlap-aa.37/
http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/109/109a.html
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=222&tab=3

-brino

EDIT: two more things

1) here's a direct link to a (hopefully) useful document: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=6603

2) when I needed to replace some lost gear I found that Boston Gear had some similar gears, that I just needed to put a bushing in to use.

 

[markba633csi]

Those were good little lathes, the spindle is thin however and bends easily. Take several light cuts vs. one heavy one (pretty much good practice on any small lathe)
A 1/4 hp motor is more than powerful enough for a lathe that size. A small variable speed motor would be a nice upgrade
Mark
ps the Deansphotographica site has some interesting stuff on it, including some info on the 109 lathe