# Need Craftsman info



## Kirbsterbbq (Nov 17, 2017)

I just acquired a Craftsman 101.07383.  I bought it sight unseen, online auction type thing, when i went to pick up the lathe and first looked at it I thought it was a pig in a poke, but after some diligent scrubbing with a tooth brush,PB Blaster it looks actually pretty good.  All the gears are that aluminum/manganese/compressed chicken do do, they actually look very good. 

I would like to find out its approximate age and what kind of motor to put back on the lathe.


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## RandyM (Nov 17, 2017)

I think it best you have this post as it's own thread as I have done. We don't want to be derailing someone else's thread. Hope you understand.

AND, Welcome to HM. We are glad you are here.


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## westsailpat (Nov 17, 2017)

Welcome to H-M and the Atlas group . If you don't already know , this website is really good for documenting your machine . http://www.lathes.co.uk/craftsman/page2.html Check out that cleaned up blue one . This is not your machine but as close as I could come for right now . Our leadman Robert (Wa5cab) will fill you with the correct info  prolly tonight .


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## wa5cab (Nov 17, 2017)

Kirb,

The "chicken do do", as you called it, is Zamak V.  Without it, it is highly unlikely that Atlas Press Co. would have ever built any lathes.  Although Atlas did suffer a few foot shooting incidents with it over their half century of lathe production, for the most part it has performed quite well.  The exceptions have been due to a problem called Zinc Pest, which is caused by using Zinc of insufficient purity in the pouring. 

Atlas built the 3/8" bed 12" lathes in 14 models over the period 1936 through 1957(catalog years).  In chronological order, the 101.07383 was 11th, and the last one with babbit bearings.  It was built from 1939 through 1945, in four bed lengths.  Unfortunately, the current company (Clausing) has no production records for any of the Atlas equipment.  There are no dates in any castings used (except sometimes the bed, and that date will be about two years before it was first used), and unlike the models with Timken tapered roller spindle bearings, there are no dates engraved by Atlas on any parts.  On the 10" lathes (with Atlas badges), Atlas apparently used one serial number pool from start to finish (with one temporary exception on early QC models).  We really don't have enough examples to say for sure, but on the 12" lathes that Sears sold, it appears that they used three serial number pools, each beginning with S/N 1.  These would be 101.07360 through 101.07363, 101.07380 through 101.07383, and 101.07400 through 101.07403 (and the QC variants 101.27430 and 101.27440).

Anyway, using that example and assuming (from what's really too small a sample to assume this from) that the highest serial number 101.07383 made was 011000, and that production of the 101.0738X line was built from 01/01/1936 through 12/31/1945, your machine was probably made in the first quarter of 1944.

What is your bed length?  That's the length of the front way from under the left end of the headstock to the right end.  Choices are 36",42", 48" and 54".  The ways are the two flat strips that the headstock, carriage and tailstock actually sit on.


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## wa5cab (Nov 17, 2017)

Also the proper single phase AC motor is 1/2 HP 1725-1750 RPM 56 Frame Capacitor Start with a single 5/8" diameter keyed shaft.  It can be 120, 240 or 120/240 VAC 60 CPS, depending upon what you have available to run it.  If you have 240 VAC readily available, that would be preferred.  It can be one that can or can't be easily wired for reversing, but "Can" would probably be preferred.  It appears from one of your photos that you already have a reversing drum switch.  If you get one with an internal thermal overload protection, be sure that it is NOT auto-reset.  Those are dangerous in this application.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Nov 20, 2017)

I am confused how they sized their lead screws, I am told my lathe has a 5/8 inch lead screw but the only part on the lead screw that measures .625 is the part of it that sticks into the bearing holder on the head stock end, Tailstock end is .500 and the thread it self is just under .75

It is a bit confusing.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Nov 20, 2017)

Also interesting the title I get for being a new member here, never thought I would be called the slime on the bottom of a surface grinder coolant tank. Funny.


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## wa5cab (Nov 21, 2017)

Kirbsterbbq,

Well not many surface grinder types around here.  It means shavings.  

3/4" and 5/8" leadscrews refers to the nominal diameter of the thread.  If the threads measure just under .75, you have a 3/4" lead screw, regardless of what someone told you.  The 101.07383 came with babbit bearings and a 5/8" dia. lead screw.  If it has a 3/4" one, someone replaced it.  If it has power cross feed, they changed the carriage, too.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Nov 21, 2017)

Robert,

To answer your question about the length of the bed of my lathe, the length of measured is 48"

Just a bit of my background, when I got out of tech school a few moons ago, my first job at the tool and die shop I worked for was cleaning the surface grinder tanks every Friday, so trust me I know what the meaning of swarf is.  I thought I went to heaven when I was put on the Radial Arm Drill Press and the Moore Jig Boring machine after the tour of duty with rotten coolant and swarf tanks. Well the next 14 years worked up the food chain to finally getting assigned to the tool room, now that was Heaven, Hardinge Collet Lathes, Bridgeports with little or no backlash, Charmillles Wire EDM (love that machine) and a surface grinder room that was more like a surgical operating room, the coolest thing in the tool room was the huge black granite surface plate that looked more like a mirror. Made lots of cool prototype stuff, many items for the military and Polaris Industries.

But like all good things they do end, during the major economic down turn back in 2000 and 2001, more especially the economic uncertainty in Asia ,we lost a lot of contracts, business connections dried up and we laid off 50% of the plant 3 weeks before Thanksgiving of 2000, the killer to it all was when the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, it sealed the fate for the tool room and many of the tooling lines in the plant. 468 machinist lost our jobs 2 months after 9/11. The company is still in business, but it is a lot smaller today with maybe 1/3rd of the employees it had back in the late 90's

The good thing about the whole thing is, the company sent me back to school to re career in a different field as a part of our severance package, today I am a land surveyor, no more smelling like rotten coolant and tapmatic! ( the old good stuff with T1 in it)

I did enjoy machining, it was a great feeling to look at something you made, from a pile of steel or aluminum. 

I am building a small machine shop for my own for my own use, as I collect antique gasoline engines and oil tractors.  I know I could have bought a new import lathe with tighter precision, but where is the fun in that? Part of the addiction is the hunt for parts, the fellowship of others on the same quest and the satisfaction of knowing you saved a part of history, and of course cant forget the bragging rights!

Over the weekend I totally dismantled the lathe, cleaned every part, hand lapped the ways (yes I know the ways are not hardened), re polished all the gibbs and made a list of parts I need to get to make my lathe able to spit chips once again.  It is a neat little machine, I really cant wait to turn my first raw casting on it, I am really looking forward to it.

It has been a while since I had my hands and head wrapped around a machine, but just like riding a bike, it is all coming back.

Kirbster


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## wa5cab (Nov 21, 2017)

OK.  I really didn't know that what we would probably have called "fines" are also called "swarf".  I can sympathize with you about the smell from soluble oil.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Dec 1, 2017)

Robert,

I was re reading the posts on this thread, and you mentioned about a carriage with power cross feed, My carriage has been changed to accept a 3/4" lead screw with out power cross feed and finding a 42" 5/8 lead screw and carriage gear box, has been so far impossible.  I am assuming that when they changed my lead screw from a 5/8 to a 3/4 they changed the half nut and the carriage gear box,mine of which is a cobbled mess.

My question is what carriage can I replace this one to get power cross feed?

Thanks.

Update on the lathe, it has been very easy to find the gears and pulley's I needed on Craigs list, and ebay. I did purchae an electeric motor and it will arrive later this next week.  I am looking forward to spit some chips with the lathe.


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## markba633csi (Dec 2, 2017)

Just noticed your cat in the back on that one photo- lol
I believe any of the later 12" carriages would fit on your bed and they did change to 3/4" leadscrews at some point in the 60s ? I think. 
There may be an early bed and a late bed however which may have different way dimensions. 
Robert is the expert on this stuff, maybe he'll jump in. 
Mark


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## wa5cab (Dec 4, 2017)

Short answer is any pre-1958 Atlas built carriage that has the separate saddle and apron.  Models would be off of any Atlas 10F including the QC models and Craftsman 101.07403, 101.27430 and 101.27440.  Anything off of any of the 1/2" bed machines won't work without major modifications..  And maybe not even then.


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## Rob (Dec 4, 2017)

You might post a close up picture of your carriage and apron.  It is possible that when they replaced the lead screw they also replaced those items.  It is hard to see in pictures that you put up.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Dec 4, 2017)

Ok, I added the photos of the apron of the carraige, I am pretty sure this carriage does not have power cross feed, and the other items I am looking for, the gear case does work so I can use it until I find one.  the lead screw tail bearing is very much in need.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Dec 5, 2017)

I also need to know what size belts to get for the lathe.  I have been toying with the the idea of a link belt on the machines.  But since the machine is apart and not to difficult to take apart, does any one have the belt size numbers. Thanks!


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## Rob (Dec 5, 2017)

You are correct you have the old carrage and apron that has been modified.  It is my understanding that the 10" Atlas and 12" Craftsman lathes until the late 50's all had the same 3/8" bed ways and you can interchange the different assembly's on them  The new lathes had 1/2" ways and those parts are not interchangeable.  The gear cases and the QCGB all had the 5/8" output and the 3/4" lead screws had the end turned down to 5/8" to fit them.

Not sure on the belt size but when I replaced my belts I took the old belts to the local NAPA store and purchased new ones from them.

I am sure that Robert will have a lot more information than I am able to provide.


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## wa5cab (Dec 9, 2017)

BBQ,

Whomever changed your machine to the larger 3/4" lead screw did have to have replaced the half nuts because with the smaller ones installed, they could not have put the lead screw through them.  but the half nut guide did not have to be changed.  

They did not change the carriage, and you cannot install the power cross feed on a one-piece carriage.  For one thing, the detent ball and spring for the shaft carrying the movable gear that engages and disengages cross feed drive fits in a hole in the top of the apron and is retained by bolting the apron to the saddle.  I listed the model numbers with two-piece saddles in an earlier post.  All of the same models will also have had the proper right lead screw bearing.  And in addition, the first version of the 1/2" bed machines made between late 1957 and early 1967 used the same 10F-16 bearing and L5-35-nnA (where "nn" is the bed length) lead screw as the 101.07403, 27430 and 27440.  The lead screw off of the 10F including the QC variants are the wrong length.  

Do not, however, attempt to use the bearing or the lead screw from the final 1/2" bed 12" version  The lead screw is too short and ends at 3/4" diameter instead of 5/8".  The bearing is too strong.  If you ever do have a crash under power, the earlier 10F-16 bearing will break off and at least limit the damage.  The later one will definitely not break off and damage elsewhere will be much greater.

Belts for all of the 3/8" bed 12" machines are 4L350 for motor and 4L310 for spindle.  The link belts have only one advantage over new V-belts - you can change the spindle belt without pulling the spindle.  In all other regards, they are inferior.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Dec 18, 2017)

It has been a lot of elbow grease to get it all clean, it has been going together very nicely, now to get the woodruff key slot cut in the new countershaft and the rebuild will be complete.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Dec 21, 2017)

I know a few of you mentioned my Kitty in one of the pictures, well she has found a new spot to sit.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Jan 23, 2018)

Its been a while since I reported about my Craftsman Lathe, all the parts are back on the lathe and plan to wire it to the new motor tonight and test making some chips.

I am looking into a quick change tool post, does anyone know what size I would need for this lathe, I feel a 100 tool post seems a but large for this type of machine.


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## Rob (Jan 23, 2018)

I have an Aloris AXA on my 12" Craftsman and that seems about right.  I know that a BXA will fit but seems to be a little large for the lathe.


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## wa5cab (Jan 23, 2018)

The appropriate size of model of QCTP for the 101.07383 and other model Craftsman 12" and Atlas 10" (and later 12") is the AXA or in some brands 100 Series.  This size was made for 3/8" tooling and can just take 1/2".  The BXA is a bit too large, although it can be made to work, just barely.  The 0XA is too small.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Feb 1, 2018)

Well tonight was the night!  I got the electric motor all wired the barrel switch working and all the gears messing properly, and put a new set of shims in the head stock Babbitt bearings.  I got out some oil lite Bronze and decided to face a few bushings just to see how things work.  I am very impressed with this little lathe, it isn't no material hog but it does leave a nice finish on the bronze.  I finished 6 sets of bronze bushings for my Twin City Tractor very nice.

One note I did replace all the bushings in the counter shaft and I can tell they are a bit snug yet, but time and use will seat them in very nicely!


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## wa5cab (Feb 2, 2018)

Sounds great!  Your 101.07383 has come a long way!


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## Kirbsterbbq (Feb 2, 2018)

I need to know what is the size of the detent ball behind the spring on the half nut assembly?


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## wa5cab (Feb 3, 2018)

The ball is part number is 9-210 all of the way up through at least 1975 when my 3996 manual was printed.  I believe that it must be a slip fit through the hole for it in the half nut guide.  In any case, it should also be a slip fit into the matching hole in the apron.  But don't stick it in there as you will have difficulty in getting it back out unless the spring is in there first.  The parts drawings for the apron area on the 10F and 101.07403 don't show a set screw for adjusting the spring tension like the final two versions of the 12" have so I presume that the hole for the spring is a blind hole. The spring and ball part numbers are the same for early and late, except for the added set screw.  I tried to get mine out a few minutes ago but couldn't find anything handy that I could use to drag the spring out of the hole.  So at a guess, the ball and the spring are probably 3/16" diameter


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## wa5cab (Feb 4, 2018)

Well, my guess was correct.  Within an hour after writing the weasel-worded post above, I came across 9-210 on a 1950 price sheet.  It is 3/16" diameter.  And the spring will be the same diameter.  No clue to the length, though.  If you have to make a new one (Clausing, probably still has both parts, DWIW), I would guess that it will be about the thickness of the half-nut guide longer than the depth of the hole.  Could probably be a little on the plus side of that,   Just so you can compress it about one wire diameter into the hole without it going solic.


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## Kirbsterbbq (Aug 24, 2018)

Greetings all!

After a few months of using my lathe, a relative passed and I received their engine lathe, it is a chinese Grizzley lathe maybe 2 years old, but it is a gear head lathe and already decked out with all the tooling. 

This means my Craftsman lathe is now up for sale.  I have put a lot of time and money in to the project and so far I have turned a lot of bronze bushings with the old girl, but I have to make room for the new lathe.

I have more than $1200 into it but I need the space and it needs to go. It has all the change gears and a box of extra's I got with the lathe when I purchased it. Make me an offer, I  do have it priced to move. 

It has a new rebuilt Motor, new  countershaft and pulley's with new belts, new gear on the spindle for the change gears, the ways have been lapped by hand. Tail Stock needs work, I was in the process of rebuilding it.

The stand does not come with the lathe, need it for the new lathe.  I can ship fastenal, and crate it up for a fee.  I live in central Minnesota. 

Contact me if your interested.


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