Need help with this lathe - 109.21270

[CnC65]

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[CnC65]

And finally

 

[JPMacG]

I am not familiar with that model - I think it is made for Craftsman by Dunlap whereas most Craftsman lathes are made by Atlas. It looks to be in nice condition. I have heard that the small spindles on these lathes often become damaged - bent - and that would be a big problem. If your spindle runs true then you have a nice little lathe. Others here will know more.

 

[Aaron_W]

Ok, yes this is the lathe made for Sears by AA, I have the same one but sold under the Craftsman brand, Dunlap was an old Sears brand no longer used. It is kind of odd to see this one marked for Dunlap, because this is the restyled version that came out in the late 1940s and is usually badged as a Craftsman. Perhaps they continued the Dunlap name longer in Canada than the US.

It looks complete and in decent shape. These are extremely light duty and often have spindle damage from people trying to force them to do more than they were made for. They are popular and have something of a following. Not bad little lathes when used within their limits, would make a decent little lathe for model parts, pens and other small parts. A big downside is the lack of calibrated hand wheels so they are better suited to artistic (looks good by eyeball) projects rather than high precision parts.

Parts are available, but can be expensive. The only thing that jumps out at me is the change gears, do you have a full set or just what is on the lathe?

 

[Aaron_W]

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Never mind on the Dunlap comment, I see yours is branded Craftsman, I thought I saw a Dunlap badge in some of the other photos.

 

[CnC65]

Ok, yes this is the lathe made for Sears by AA, I have the same one but sold under the Craftsman brand, Dunlap was an old Sears brand no longer used. It is kind of odd to see this one marked for Dunlap, because this is the restyled version that came out in the late 1940s and is usually badged as a Craftsman. Perhaps they continued the Dunlap name longer in Canada than the US.

It looks complete and in decent shape. These are extremely light duty and often have spindle damage from people trying to force them to do more than they were made for. They are popular and have something of a following. Not bad little lathes when used within their limits, would make a decent little lathe for model parts, pens and other small parts. A big downside is the lack of calibrated hand wheels so they are better suited to artistic (looks good by eyeball) projects rather than high precision parts.

Parts are available, but can be expensive. The only thing that jumps out at me is the change gears, do you have a full set or just what is on the lathe?

Yes there are several gears in a box

 

[wa5cab]

At least two of the photos show a Sears nameplate (unfortunately not legible). So what is the Sears model number?

 

[wa5cab]

Never mind. I found it in another post and added it to the thread name.

 

[wa5cab]

The Dunlap badge was dropped around the end of WW-II. The vintage of the 109.21270 is Korean War. One later model has turned up but only two of them have been mentioned (109.21280). You will find a manual and some other info on the 109.21270 in DOWNLOADS.

 

[CnC65]

So I guess my biggest question is: would this little thing even be worth restoring for an apprentice who will be writing his
red seal in the coming fall or should I look for a bigger one? What can it actually do and what are its limitations?