# New Caretaker of Two 12” Craftsman Lathes



## kcoffield (Oct 3, 2020)

Hi all, first post here. I’m the new caretaker of two 12” Craftsman lathes, one with a 42” bed and the other 54”. Though they recently came into my possession they are well known to me. The 42 is model 101.07403 number SN 16014 and the 54 is model 101.07403 SN 22500. The only place I’ve found anything resembling a serial number is stamped on the end of bed, and if I’m interpreting the database correctly, they appear to be built around 1946 on the 42 and 1948 for the 54……but I have not looked for the bearing dates. The 54 has a full set of change gears and the 42 has been fitted with an aftermarket QCGB, which has been in place for at least 50 years.




Anyone familiar with the O’Brien QCGB?




The 42 has been in my family for three generations and lived in my Grandfather’s shop since before I was a glean in my Father’s eye. I learned on that machine and my Grandfather and Father logged many hours at its controls. The 54 was acquired from family friends about 30 years ago. They have both resided in a what was formerly my Father’s and more recently my brother’s basement shop since then. I moved both of them down the flight of stairs myself 30 years ago. I was a much younger man then. I nearly wore out myself and a friendship bringing them back up those same stairs a couple months ago. I also saved a large collection of related lathe and expendable tooling…….too much to list.

I recently retired and had previously run a metal fab business so have never wanted for access to machinery (I’ll miss my LeBlond lathes). I have a fairly well-equipped home shop with a knee mill, general fab, welding, & sheet metal capability, and a home foundry. With all that, space is an issue. Every tool must earn its position my shop, but with my retirement and loss of access to the commercial equipment, the addition of a lathe to my home shop is a necessity. I can’t keep’em both and at least one will need a new home. I say at least one because after you’ve had the pleasure of using larger rigid machines, it’s hard to go backward, but given the history, the 42 tugs at my heart strings and I can’t bring myself to let it go so I figure I’ll set it up and run it.

So that’s the history. I’ve given each a cursory looking over. The 54 needs nothing except cleaning, lubing, and tuning which I have begun. I have used that one a couple times over the last 5-10 years. The 42 needs a new half nut (which I have) but other than that, they’re both complete and fully operational save a couple very minor things that I will attend to. I may find other things when I get deeper into them but given the environment they were in (mostly unused in a damp basement for several decades), they faired their slumber reasonably well. After I finish the cleaning, I’ll install new felts/wipers, make sure everything is well lubed, put each one through its paces, and perform some tuning as needed, then maybe some cosmetic stuff as time allows.

I’ve been reading here and watching some YouTube videos. Any pointers from those who know these machines well toward the usual areas requiring attention are welcome. I’ll need to build a suitable platform for mounting and leveling the 42 when I get there.

Best,
Kelly


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## matthewsx (Oct 3, 2020)

Hello and Welcome,

You have certainly come to the right place, I look forward to seeing more of your shop and projects to come.

John


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## Nogoingback (Oct 3, 2020)

Welcome to the group Kelly!

It's really great that you can continue to enjoy and use the lathe passed down from your Grandfather.  Cleaning it up and 
putting it back into service sounds like a nice project to start with in retirement.

We have a number of folks around here that know about Craftsman lathes including our resident expert wa5cab. 
Don't hesitate to ask questions as they come up.


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## DavidR8 (Oct 3, 2020)

Welcome to the group and thank you for sharing the story of your lathes. 
Knowing the history of machines somehow makes them alive to me. 
Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mattthemuppet2 (Oct 3, 2020)

that's a fantastic story - I can see that getting rid of either would be hard to do. Maybe if there's a youngish lad in your area that would like to take on caretaking duties it might make parting with one a little easier. Start a new "family tradition" with another story to be told in a generation or two.


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## kcoffield (Oct 6, 2020)

Thanks for the welcome fellas. I spent most of yesterday cleaning and lubricating both of them. The gibs on the carriage, cross slide, and compound on the 54 all felt very good. I made a few light cuts with and without the back gears engaged, under power feed, and all seemed well. I didn't get out the dial indicators because I figure I may as well wait until it is mounted for any fine tuning. It could use a set of belts. I just installed new felts and wipers, lubed everything and called it a day on the 54. This one will likely be seeking a new caretaker.

Pretty much the same story on the 42 but it needs a half nut and could use a new set of belts, the former I intend to install today. Been giving some thought to a suitable bench and once I get it mounted and leveled, I'll dial it in. I do have some questions and will start another thread for those.

I found the outside jaws for each of the 3-jaws mounted on the lathes and in addition to those two chucks, I have an assortment of others; three 4-jaw, a couple 3-jaws set up with inside and outside jaws, and couple face plates. So I disassembled, cleaned, and lubed them as well...........not my favorite job but always glad when it's all done. 




Best,
Kelly


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## brino (Oct 6, 2020)

Nice lathes made even better by the history.
Welcome to the group Kelly!

-brino


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## kcoffield (Oct 6, 2020)

So I replaced the half nuts on the 12x42 today. It was a little more involved than usual. I couldn’t get the carriage advanced far enough to expose the half nut mechanism because a thrust washer had been pressed on the lead screw and it wouldn’t clear the keyed bushing on the miter gear.




The washer diameter was just slightly larger than the ¾” lead screw so tough to get something on it to pull it without making something to do so. So next move was the other end of the lead screw. I could not see what was going on in the aftermarket O’Brien QCGB with it sitting near the floor so I just decided to pull QCGB, the apron, and the lead screw to get it up on the bench and see what was up.




Turns out, I could have just removed a bolt on the end of the lead screw and pulled the lead screw like with the Craftsman QCGB.




But I would have probably dropped and lost this little fitted key that interfaced with the drive gear if I had done so.




But, in addition to cutting down the length of original lead screw, the modification for the QCGB seems to have pressed on a journal diameter with the keyway on that end that covers up the lead screw key way too, so I couldn’t pull the lead screw through the keyed miter gear bushing on the apron rendering it captive on the lead screw.

In any event, I was able to get a good look behind the apron, and everything looked really good, especially considering the age of the machine and the hours on it. There were some chips scattered behind the apron but not too bad. Still not a good idea to scatter chips with compressed air………but must say I’ve been guilty many times.




Since they looked so good, I didn’t mess with the lead screw ends, and gave the lead screw and apron assembly a good cleaning while I had it on the bench.

My brother had told me it needed a half nut, but although there was some wear the real issue was some chips imbedded in the half nut. Here’s a picture of the half nut cleaned beside a couple ones.




Some wear for sure, but I’ve certainly seen much worse and by my standards it had some life left in it. Since I had both a new Zamak and brass nut, I replaced it and greased up the gears behind the apron.

I gave the QCGB a good once-over and it looked very good so I just cleaned and re-lubed it.




The QCGB was secured with three ¼-20 cap screws tapped into the side of the way and one small set screw on the top of the way near the head stock.

I installed the new half nuts and greased the gears behind the apron.




I did notice a braze repair on the banjo. Not sure when it happened and whether it was my Father or Grandfather that did the fix but it’s held for 30+ years so figured it was good enough for me.




So I put it all back together, fired it up and put it through its paces………all is well. It’s ready for service and ready to outlive another generation of the family . I need to build a bench!

Best,
Kelly


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## rwm (Oct 6, 2020)

Hello Kelly! It's Robert that you know from the casting forums. Awesome that you made it here with those nice lathes! The history is great.
BTW guys, Kelly does some amazing work with lost foam casting. Maybe we will see some here!
Robert


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## kcoffield (Oct 6, 2020)

rwm said:


> Hello Kelly! It's Robert that you know from the casting forums. Awesome that you made it here with those nice lathes! The history is great. BTW guys, Kelly does some amazing work with lost foam casting. Maybe we will see some here! Robert



Hey Robert good to hear from you. Still rock'n that fat tire e-bike around? Stop in and say hello at THF when you get a chance.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Oct 29, 2020)

Well, I'm back at it. I commented earlier about building a stand and a possible under drive countershaft conversion. I located the parts to do the conversion and a complete Craftsman lathe cabinet with drive assembly for a reasonable price, so off I go. It was my Grandfathers, Father’s, and Brothers lathe; time to make it _my_ lathe.

Here’s the cabinet as I got it. Turns out, a variant of the Craftsman lathes were modified and sold into the printing industry in some numbers, which are long since obsolete now so there are some cabinets available in salvage. After a fair drive to retrieve it, here’s how it looked when I got it home, after a drive through the car wash to remove the majority of the grunge. Fairly solid and complete…..




…..but the cabinet was for a 54” bed lathe and mine is 42”.




So I sectioned and reduced the length of the chip pan …..and cut a foot out of the shelf.




The left pedestal and right upright are 3/16” formed steel and fairly stout. The shelf is formed 16 gauge and only the chip pan on top which was also 16 gauge. To stiffen things up a bit I made and this brace from 1/8” stock and angle that bolts in between them and it really makes a big difference in overall rigidity.




When reassembled it looked like this and was the correct length for my lathe.




I have lots of tooling and always need storage space. I also have some sheet metal equipment so I decided to make a set of drawers for the cabinet.






The middle four drawers are 20 gauge and slides rated for 100lbs while the bottom drawer is 18 gauge with 500lb slides. The 12” section of chip pan and shelf I removed are in the foreground.




So at this point all the fab on the cabinet was done, it was disassembled, prepped, painted, and reassembled. I had welded some nuts on the cabinet base for leveling feet……could re-decide that for anchors later, but I doubt it.




Ready for the lathe which is completely disassembled, painted and waiting for reassembly……….more to come.






Best,
Kelly


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## Alcap (Oct 30, 2020)

Beautiful work on the cabinet !  Any chance you have pictures of how you made those drawers ?


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## kcoffield (Oct 30, 2020)

Alcap said:


> Beautiful work on the cabinet !  Any chance you have pictures of how you made those drawers ?



Thanks Alcap. I didn’t take pictures of the piece parts but maybe these will help. Each drawer was four pieces; front, two sides, and bottom/back. They could have been fewer, but making them this way allowed me to make the most efficient use of sheet stock, reach (most) all joints with my spot welder, and accommodate the wider drawer front that covers the ends of the drawer slides. The fronts are also angled to match that of the cabinet pedestal and end cap. I have a 36” jump shear and finger brake.






I said _*most*_ all above, because I had to stitch weld where the bottom of the deep lower drawer front attaches to the bottom, because as the last assembled joint, though I could reach 12”, I didn’t have the depth on my spot welder tongs.

In addition to the lathe, I also got three metal drawer cabinets full of tooling. This one was missing a couple drawers and needed to be cleaned up. So I made a couple wider drawers for it.




I wanted to use the third drawer cabinet for mill tooling but didn’t have the space, so I made a vertical cabinet, a couple double wide drawers, and used the rest of the drawers from the third cabinet for this wall mounted unit. The drawers were similar construction but only three pieces.











Best,
Kelly


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## Nogoingback (Oct 30, 2020)

Really great work on that cabinet!  It looks excellent


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## wa5cab (Nov 1, 2020)

One word of caution on the left/right mounting position of the lathe is to be sure that the 2-step spindle pulley found only on the four cabinet models (or eight if you count the Craftsman model numbers) is accurately centered over the shouldered hole through the chip pan for the two A-series spindle drive belts to drop through.  I can show you what happens if that isn't true.


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## brino (Nov 1, 2020)

rwm said:


> Kelly does some amazing work with lost foam casting.



and sheet metal,
and spot welding,
and machine clean-up,
and painting,
oh and write-ups, photos and posting......

I appreciate the skills and the willingness to share!

-brino


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## rwm (Nov 1, 2020)

Most impressive!
R


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## kcoffield (Nov 1, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> One word of caution on the left/right mounting position of the lathe is to be sure that the 2-step spindle pulley found only on the four cabinet models (or eight if you count the Craftsman model numbers) is accurately centered over the shouldered hole through the chip pan for the two A-series spindle drive belts to drop through.  I can show you what happens if that isn't true.



Thanks wa5cab, I did study that quite closely as I was eying up the mods for the underneath drive conversion and hopefully measured properly. We'll know pretty soon. See next post below.

One thing I would like some input on is mounting the lathe to the cabinet. Besides stiffening the cabinet considerably, I was planning leveling the cabinet, then shimming/leveling and rigidly mounting the lathe to the cabinet. I notice the originals had rubber isolators. Wasn't part of my plan. Any reason for them other than noise attenuation?  

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Nov 1, 2020)

Thanks for the comments fellas. I got after modifying the lathe castings for the underneath drive conversion today. The more contemporary ½” thick way beds had reliefs in the bed for the back gear and belts underneath the headstock and of course the older design bed on my lathe did not. So, I introduced my lathe bed to my Mill. To minimize how much I machined from the bed for the back gear casting, I had to make a couple po—man angle plates…….measure thrice, set up, take a deep breath, and start cutting.






Both the top and bottom of the lathe bed needed reliefs for the under drive belts.






……and then, because I have that aftermarket O’Brien QCGB, I had to slot the bottom of the headstock casting to accommodate the way it mounts and still enable removing it without removing the head stock.




I test fit everything and it looks pretty good. When I bought the lathe cabinet, I also got a set of risers/feet and covers. I’ll either modify/weld an addition onto the end cover to accommodate and cover the aftermarket gear box or just cast a new custom one to suit…….but will set that aside for now and get on with the reassembly process and mounting to the cabinet.






Best,
Kelly


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## wa5cab (Nov 2, 2020)

Kelly,

It only just now dawned on me that both of the lathes that you had were originally 101.07403's, not craftsman equivalents to the Atlas 3900 Series.  In order to mount one of them on the under-drive cabinet, you need to replace the 4-step cone pulley on the spindle with the same length one that has a smaller diameter two-groove A-section pulley with both grooves the same diameter.  The 4-groove cone pulleys for spindle speed selection are both mounted to the external face of the left wall of the main cabinet and are covered by the rectangular hinged sheet metal cover except whiile changing speeds.  

The cutout with the wall around it for passing the two spindle belts through the oil pan is nether long enough nor wide enough for the original 4-step cone pulleys.  And I would recommend leaving the back gears and the top cover just as they were.

I would also recommend using the factory rubber seals and mounting arrangement to connect the bed legs to the oil pan.  If you don't, you are going to have four constant oil leaks.  The factory method works just fine.

I would recommend shimming and and anchoring the six corners in the original manner.  Mine is and it has given no trouble in the past almost 40 years.  If you must keep the six leveling legs, you need to make six tie-down anchors out of maybe 2" steel channel with about a 1" diameter hole in the center and anchor holes at each end.   If you do neither, the lathe will walk all over the place.


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## kcoffield (Nov 2, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> ........It only just now dawned on me that both of the lathes that you had were originally 101.07403's, not craftsman equivalents to the Atlas 3900 Series.



Yah, converting an older lathe takes some doing and isn't just collecting parts and twisting wrenches.



wa5cab said:


> In order to mount one of them on the under-drive cabinet, you need to replace the 4-step cone pulley on the spindle with the same length one that has a smaller diameter two-groove A-section pulley with both grooves the same diameter. The 4-groove cone pulleys for spindle speed selection are both mounted to the external face of the left wall of the main cabinet and are covered by the rectangular hinged sheet metal cover except while changing speeds. The cutout with the wall around it for passing the two spindle belts through the oil pan is nether long enough nor wide enough for the original 4-step cone pulleys. And I would recommend leaving the back gears and the top cover just as they were.



Thanks wa5cab, I figured that out early on and probably should have been more clear about that when I mentioned I had collected the parts to do the conversion. The pieces to convert an older head stock are:

Headstock Casting 383-003
Eccentric Back 271-006, 700-074, 271,005
Back gear Mechanism – Bunch of Parts in this, can be bought as assembly on auction sites.
Spindle Pulley 560-050
Reverse Tumbler Assembly 3980-84
Spindle Guard (342-033) & Bracket (041-130) Change Gear Guard (342-030) and Bracket (041-117)

In addition to the headstock, the rear bed riser/foot will need to be modified or replaced with the 294-004 version that has belt opening provisions and the lathe bed itself will need the mods per my post above. There's may be more parts in the banjo and change gear/QCGB assemblies depending on what you have, but since my lathe had already been modified to accommodate the O'Brien aftermarket QCGB, I didn't delve into that.

I had scoped out all those parts and had the pulley and eccentric mechanism for $20 each when I found a complete headstock assembly for $175. After reassembly I figured I could sell my old headstock assembly for that making the head stock part of the swap essentially free.



wa5cab said:


> I would also recommend using the factory rubber seals and mounting arrangement to connect the bed legs to the oil pan. If you don't, you are going to have four constant oil leaks. The factory method works just fine.



Roger that. I was going to use some sealant and wax one side so it all seals yet comes apart easily if needed. I added some features for positive registration and mounting. As near as I could tell from what was left of those seals on my cabinet, and from the parts illustration in the manual, the chip pan just sat on seals with a washer on each side and the lathe mounting bolts compressed the stack in an uncontrolled manner as far as height goes.



wa5cab said:


> I would recommend shimming and anchoring the six corners in the original manner. Mine is and it has given no trouble in the past almost 40 years. If you must keep the six leveling legs, you need to make six tie-down anchors out of maybe 2" steel channel with about a 1" diameter hole in the center and anchor holes at each end. If you do neither, the lathe will walk all over the place.



After I get it settled in and running in it's permanent location I'll be sure to attend to that.

Thanks again, much appreciated.
Kelly


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## wa5cab (Nov 2, 2020)

Several years ago, a friend of mine bought several 101.28910's (same as Atlas 3986) from a transformer builder who was going out of business.  I bought two of them from him and helped another friend make one complete one out of the two (still in service last I heard).  I sold the bed to a guy down in Victoria who wanted to convert a 3995 to a 3996.  I still have most of the countershaft assembly if anyone needs parts and think that I have both legs if you need them.  I'll have to confirm I can find them.


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## kcoffield (Nov 2, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> I still have most of the countershaft assembly if anyone needs parts and think that I have both legs if you need them. I'll have to confirm I can find them.



Do you happen to have the 2-step motor and drive pulley?

Best,
Kelly


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## wa5cab (Nov 4, 2020)

Yes, and the 4-step cone pulley.  It may take a while to get the thing disassembled as it has been sitting behind my garage (AKA Shop) for about 15 years.  

The 2-Step countershaft pulley has a chip out of the side of the larger groove but it should be OK to use.  And the motor pulley is on the shaft of what appears to be a permag DC motor.  All of the lathes in the bunch that Lon bought had DC motors, as the lathes were used for large coil and transformer winding.


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## kcoffield (Nov 4, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> .....the 2-Step countershaft pulley has a chip out of the side of the larger groove but it should be OK to use.  And the motor pulley is on the shaft of what appears to be a permag DC motor.



Don't need the 4-step pulley but am looking for the motor and drive pulley. If you'd like to send me a private message as to what you need $ and cost to get them here. I am in central USA zip 52722.

Best,
Kelly


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## wa5cab (Nov 5, 2020)

OK.  Let me successfully disassemble it, first.  I have several irons in the fire so it could take a few days.


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## kcoffield (Nov 5, 2020)

Made some progress today. It's back together and looking like a lathe again. Need to get the motor mounted and buy a couple belts, get things dialed in, make the hardware to mount the scales/DRO, machine the nut for the AXA QCTP, make a back splash, mod/make a cover for the change gears.....






Best,
Kelly


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## brino (Nov 5, 2020)

Fantastic!
-brino


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## rwm (Nov 5, 2020)

Wow! Very nice! I am inspired to make some drawers out of sheet metal.
What is the Brand/Color of the paint. I love it...
Robert


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## kcoffield (Nov 7, 2020)

rwm said:


> Wow! Very nice! I am inspired to make some drawers out of sheet metal. What is the Brand/Color of the paint. I love it... Robert



Thanks Robert. Just the gloss Gray enamel from my local Fleet & Farm Store. I thinned it slightly, added a little hardener, and sprayed over gray primer. $32/gal. or $10/qt.......same for the primer. The last gallon of primer lasted three years for me.




Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Nov 17, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> The 2-Step countershaft pulley has a chip out of the side of the larger groove but it should be OK to use. And the motor pulley is on the shaft of what appears to be a permag DC motor. All of the lathes in the bunch that Lon bought had DC motors, as the lathes were used for large coil and transformer winding.





wa5cab said:


> OK. Let me successfully disassemble it, first. I have several irons in the fire so it could take a few days.



Hey wa5cab, had a chance to look at those pulleys yet?  sent you a message.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Nov 17, 2020)

Back on the project. I bought a 32” and 6” iGaging absolute DRO. They are compact, looked like they’d package up nicely, and I figured good enough for what’s it’s for. I searched and found a couple good threads by forum members who had used them on mounting the cross-feed scale and decided to mount it in this position.




I don’t like how far it extends out the back of the saddle with this approach but it’s well protected, doesn’t encroach on tailstock positioning, nor risk getting whacked on the headstock side. Plus, there are a couple threaded holes on the backside of the carriage begging to be used to mount things. I figured I could mount both axis with one bracket but needed a piece of stock 4” wide by 1.25” thick, which I didn’t have, so a made a quicky lost foam pattern on the router table and cast a couple aluminum machining blanks for the scale mounts…..it’s nice to be able to put metal where you want it….






I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble but I get a lot of mileage out of this part. There’s are a lot drilling and tapping and little bits and pieces I made to mount the cross feed scale, but it works well and can come off quickly if ever needed.








I made an 18-gage sheet metal chip guard to cover it all up. I bought an AXA wedge QCTP. It came with 8 tool holders. Chinesium for sure, but seems pretty decent. Not much more to say other than machined the nut-blank to fit the lathe’s tool post holder.




I debated enclosing the scale on the bed but ultimately decided to do so. The sensor on the bed scale mounts to the casting via a sheet metal bracket and travels with the saddle. I bought some chain drag cable carrier and here’s how everything mounts up.






The cover for the guard has a piece of rubber sheet that deflects as the scale travels through it but otherwise keeps things sealed up.




Making the hardware for mounting the DROs certainly took some time but I think it was worth the effort. I sketched up a bracket for the DRO display that mounts to the cabinet, but I may mount it to the wall. I’m going to wait to fab that up until I get the cast guards worked out and mounted.

I need to get the motor mounted and get the machine under power. -Still more to do.

Best,
Kelly


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## rwm (Nov 17, 2020)

Kelly- that is beautiful work. That chip guard you made would make a fine place to mount an oil can?
Robert


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## kcoffield (Nov 18, 2020)

The only thing I didn’t get with the cabinet was the 2-step drive pulleys. I figure I’ll get tired of changing speeds on the pulleys and eventually buy a 3ph motor and VFD, but for now, I have the motor and countershaft pulley off the old lathe so I figure let’s get rolling. So I cleaned up the old motor.…..an oldie but a goody….




…..and mounted it and the pulleys….




I was able to use one of the old belts for the countershaft but bought a new one for the outboard pulleys.




I made a temporary mount for the DRO displays and power switch.







Flipped the switch and we’re back in business and all seems well. I haven’t put a dial on anything yet but basically anything that can be adjusted needs to be after the complete tear down but major milestone in the project achieved.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Nov 18, 2020)

rwm said:


> Kelly- that is beautiful work. That chip guard you made would make a fine place to mount an oil can? Robert



Thanks Robert. Having seen your work that's high praise and much appreciated. I have a number of accessories, bells, and whistles rolling around in my head. Bought this scale to use as a remote DRO for the tailstock and compound. I'll make the mounting hardware but not sure I'd use it enough for a permanent install or I would have added another iGaging DRO.






Best,
Kelly


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## Mister Ed (Nov 26, 2020)

As usual, VERY nice Kelly!! I have not been on the casting forum (or anywhere else) in quite some time, congrats on retiring. When I started reading this thread, I wondered how long before you would show some foam.  Did you pour your missing pulley as well?


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## kcoffield (Nov 26, 2020)

Mister Ed said:


> As usual, VERY nice Kelly!! I have not been on the casting forum (or anywhere else) in quite some time, congrats on retiring.



Thanks Mr. Ed. Good to here from you and hope you are well. Stop in and say hello at THF when you get a chance.



Mister Ed said:


> When I started reading this thread, I wondered how long before you would show some foam.  Did you pour your missing pulley as well?



They're coming. I posted over at The Home Foundry. Figured I just post the casting results and machine work here with a link back to those threads over at THF.

Take care,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Nov 27, 2020)

Made some more progress. I made a lost foam pattern and was able to cast the gear guard today. Here’s the resulting casting.






There’s a thread on the casting project here. You may have the join the forum to see the pictures.









						Lathe Gear Cover
					

As part of the lathe restoration project I started here...  http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/dro-mount-for-lathe-restoration.1397/  I...




					forums.thehomefoundry.org
				




Here’s the guard fit up and in place.










While I was at it, I cast some pulley blanks for the motor and countershaft.




There's a separate thread here on the forum:









						Atlas/Craftsman Lathe Motor and Countershaft Pulleys
					

I converted my 12” bench top lathe to a under drive cabinet model, and mentioned in my intro and refurb thread here:  https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/new-caretaker-of-two-12-craftsman-lathes.87335/  …when I bought the lathe cabinet surplus, I got everything except the 2-step countershaft...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




I also made tailstock and compound remote DRO mounting hardware. I figure I should have more than one post here on the forum and since I searched and found some good threads on this subject from other members and stole some of their work, I may make a more detailed post on the mounts so it’s searchable, but here is the result. The sensor registers in a grove and is retained with magnets and the scale is bound with a screw (eventually thumb screw). You can swap the DRO from tailstock to compound in about 15 seconds and can completely remove all hardware in about 5 minutes.










Be sure to tune in to the next episode of _pimp my lathe_…..LoL.

Best,
Kelly


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## rwm (Nov 28, 2020)

I am still amazed by your lost foam work! How think are the walls of that casting anyway? It came out really well.
Robert


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## mattthemuppet2 (Nov 28, 2020)

really impressive casting work! I mounted my cross slide igaging DRO in a similar way on my Atlas 618, though not as securely as yours. It keeps it clean and doesn't cause problems with the tail stock.


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## kcoffield (Nov 28, 2020)

rwm said:


> I am still amazed by your lost foam work! How think are the walls of that casting anyway? It came out really well. Robert



I still can't believe lost foam actually works Robert....LoL. The wall thickness on the gear cover is 1/4". 

Best,
Kelly


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## Janderso (Nov 28, 2020)

We have ourselves a fabulous fab man here.
Beautiful work sir!
I wish I had some of your sheet metal skills. Your no slouch in the foundry either.


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## Nogoingback (Nov 29, 2020)

I imagine yor Grandfather would be very pleased if he knew what good hands his lathe is in. GREAT work!


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## kcoffield (Nov 29, 2020)

Janderso said:


> Beautiful work sir!


Thanks Jeff. I'm having a ball with it.


Nogoingback said:


> I imagine yor Grandfather would be very pleased if he knew what good hands his lathe is in. GREAT work!


No doubt, but I can hear his voice saying it's a lathe, don't need to be so pretty....LoL. I know some of the Atlas/Craftsman purist may cringe at the mods, but it's for me, and I guarantee neither would hesitate to modify any machine to suit their tastes. I can remember one day my Grandfather needed a lower speed on his big Monarc and had been cussing it. By the end of the afternoon, there was a 3-speed Jeep transmission bolted in between the electric motor and countershaft.....!

Only had about an hour in the shop yesterday but did manage to knock out a drawer tray.






I like it and may make a couple more of varying depths when I start to fill the drawers up with goodies.

Coming down the stretch. I have a confession. I got a very good deal on a 3ph 1/2HP motor so I bought a VFD. I’m going to make a motor mount that can be easily adjusted for belt tension because the back of the lathe will be against the wall and under a back splash which is also in process. Then it will be time to set it up in place, dial it in, and turn those cast pulleys.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Dec 2, 2020)

I started fabricating the back splash.




I have a Pexto jump shear, finger brake, and slip roll. Good old American iron. They are all 36” width models. When I buy my sheet stock in 10’ x 4’ sheets, I have them shear it to 3’ x 4’ panels so I can handle it in my equipment. The drip pan on the lathe is 50 ½” long so I had to splice for a full length back splash and weld it together. I don’t particularly like doing that but all in a day’s work, I guess.




Weld, grind, hammer/dolly, and it’s a splash. I decided to incorporate some more storage, lighting, electrical, and various bells and whistles.






Over time, I accumulate sheet metal drop/remnants. Small drawers are perfect projects for consuming the drop, and once you get the folding development laid out, you can knock out a lot of drawers in a short time.




It’s just sitting in place on the drip pan now for me to size things up. Since the lathe will be placed against a wall, I’ll mount the back splash on the wall to isolate it from machine vibration and keep the weight off the drip pan.

-Getting’ there.

Best,
Kelly


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## brino (Dec 2, 2020)

Kelly,

You do amazing work.
Can you share some of the spot weld details? (machine, ideal materials, overlap, gauge, etc.)

I would love to be able to produce drawers like that!

Thanks,
-brino


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## kcoffield (Dec 3, 2020)

brino said:


> Kelly, You do amazing work


You're too kind, but thank you.


brino said:


> Can you share some of the spot weld details? (machine, ideal materials, overlap, gauge, etc.)


The backsplash is 18ga and the drawers are 22ga. I keep 18ga, 20ga, and 22ga steel on hand. I don't stock thicker than 18ga because that is the full width capacity of my equipment. I don't have much use for thinner that 22ga, but most drawers in inexpensive tool chests would be that or likely less, however they usually have some other formed features to add stiffness. I think 22ga is fine for small drawers like this. I also will use 20ga if I have the scrap/drop available, and on occasion 18ga, but only if I'm going to put a lot of weight in that drawer. Attaching the drawers to the cabinet via full extension slides stiffens the drawer considerably.

The tabs are typically 3/8-1/2" for my drawers. 1/2" is generous but makes it easy to spot weld in the center of the width because of the spot welder electrode diameter. There is a little more on this earlier in this thread.

My spot welder is just a cheap Harbor Freight unit. They ran them on sale for $159 and I succumbed. Then I bought a set of 12" tongs for $75 (LoL) for additional reach because the HF unit only comes with 6" tongs. It's not very refined but frankly, there's not much to a spot welder and you can make your own that works just as well for next to nothing. Search DIY Sport Welder on YouTube.

As far as equipment, I collected mine over a three year period, adding the last 5 years ago. I gave $200-300 for each pretty much as shown, which is a steal (or is that steel?......sorry), but required patience and 2-4 hours of driving for each. For speed, accuracy, and quality of result there is nothing like stand alone machines but the downside is they take up a lot of space and are heavy. I made the stand for the brake and slip roll to conserve space. There is a lot of weight on it (~1000lbs). Moving it requires care and caution. I rarely move it when I do, carefully just a few feet.








I'm not a big fan of the import 3 in 1 machines like you would find at Harbor Freight (Princess Auto for you). They are definitely a compromise, but with space limitations they may make sense for many. Most machines can do one gauge thicker at 1/2 width. Many imports exaggerate their gauge capacity.



brino said:


> I would love to be able to produce drawers like that!



The good news is, you can make a drawers like this with nothing more than tin snips, a piece of angle iron, and a hammer. The first real sheet project I ever did was 8th grade metal shop, and it was a small tool box and that's exactly how it was made. It really just depends on how many drawers/how much flat work you want to do. A light duty brake is also easy to make and that might be a good compromise.

DIY Sheet Metal Bender - Diy Projects - YouTube

For speed and convenience, the machine I would miss the most would be the shear, but the brake is a close second. The slip roll gets much less use. I know people that pick up salvage appliances curb side, then use nibbler or power sheers to harvest the free sheet stock.....you get your project painted for free 

Best,
Kelly


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## brino (Dec 3, 2020)

@kcoffield, Thanks Kelly!
I appreciate the extra detail.
-brino


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## kcoffield (Dec 6, 2020)

Got back to the lathe project this weekend. I decided to go full CNC……




-Just kidding

It’s really just a dust cover for storage. The open space will have a flexible film curtain with magnetic strip to seal it up for storage. I do all kinds of things in my shop and I hate cleaning and oiling a machine, then having it become filthy just from sitting in open air…..and believe me, in my shop it would.

Though it’s a functional guard, in use I’m sure it will be in this position for me.




The guard hinges up and the side doors are on lift off hinges……but if OSHA ever visits my shop I’ll show them the lathe not the beer in the refrigerator!

I had to cut the side doors out of fresh stock but the rest were remnants from my scrap pile that I pieced together…….the product of an overactive imagination and alcohol….but it was fun.






So then it was back to back splash.










The back splash fab is pretty much done except to finish the electrical enclosure interior. Next are the cables and mounting hardware for the VFD controls and DRO displays. I ordered some electrical components that are due mid-week.




Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Dec 7, 2020)

Pretty nice day for December so I worked outside this morning winterizing the property but did manage to get a couple hours in the shop this afternoon. I made sheet metal mounts for the DRO display and VFD controls that have magnetic bases and can be repositioned pretty much anywhere, but here are my favored locations.




The DRO display can be moved anywhere along the length of the bottom of the backsplash drawer shelf and the excess cable tucks up above the light deflector. I decided to mount the VFD in the electrical enclosure and relocate the VFD controls because at 9” x 5” x 5” the VFD and added tachometer display would have taken up a lot of real estate in the work space whereas the new enclosure for just the controls (power on/off, speed, fwd/rev, plus the tachometer display) is only 5”x 5” x 1.75”, and with the cable, I (re)position it wherever I want on the backsplash of even on the front edge of the drip pan.




Some years ago I had a box of magnets given to me. There must have been 100 of them. They are 2” x 2” x 3/4”. I’ve used them for all sorts of things. There are two in each base and they hold firmly. So firm, I’ll probably glue on some felt to soften the grip just a bit and prevent scratching paint. I have sort of a love hate relationship with magnets in the metal working environment because the attract all fines and burrs but since the iGaging DRO displays already had them, I figure what the heck.

Whittled out a chuck key bracket and spot welded it on the electrical enclosure cover.




Hopefully the electrical components I ordered will arrive on time this week and I can pull everything apart for paint.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Dec 14, 2020)

Back at it. I reconsidered my previous plan to mount the backsplash on the wall and opted to mount it on the lathe cabinet. I figured forever is a long-long time and I may want to move the location of the lathe at some point and by the time I fabbed the features to mount and position it on the wall, it wasn’t much more effort to make everything an integral unit. So I bent up some 18 gage ribbing and mounting flanges and stitched it to the backside of the backsplash to stiffen it up and provide some mounting points.




For the mounting brackets I had some short 2” square tube remnants and figured with ¼” mounting plates and some 1/8” gussets would get the backsplash mounting job done. They mount on pedestal and end cap of the cabinet which are 3/16” formed steel, so they are a good rigid attaching location. I painted everything the same as the lathe and cabinet. …..onto final assembly.





I mounted the electrical components and wired everything up. Besides the VFD, it’s just a few switches and connectors, and small power supply for the tach and DROs……The cables and harnesses to connect everything took some effort, especially the remote VFS control box, but it’s clean, functions and presents well.




I installed a panic button. The VFD had an emergency stop capability with rapid motor deceleration so I figured what the heck, why not…..?




The back underside of the control box portion of the backsplash has receptacles to receive plugs from the motor, tachometer sensor, and emergency stop in the lower cabinet.




Since I’m standing at a distance you can see the light itself in the picture but when you are standing at the lathe it shines on the work area and line of sight to your eyes is shielded by the deflector.








I bench tested the 3-phase motor but need to mount it in the cabinet. Should get to that tomorrow. Getting’ close to wrapping this one up.

Best,
Kelly


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## wa5cab (Dec 15, 2020)

That looks quite nice.  Nearly 40 years ago, I did something vaguely similar on my 3996.  Mine is rigidly attached to the cabinet and drip pan.  Other practical differences are that the left end or the backsplash stops even with the right end of the headstock and the right end of the backsplash doesn't come forward as far as the tailstock.  I've done some work on parts longer than 36"by removing the tailstock and supporting the right end of the work with the steady rest.  Plus I have the lever-operated tailstock that I have used a couple or times.  And the tailstock turret which I haven't actually used but could.


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## Nogoingback (Dec 15, 2020)

That cabinet looks great.  All it needs are chips and oil all over it and it'll be finished!


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## kcoffield (Dec 15, 2020)

Thanks for the comments and likes fellas. Much appreciated. Mounted the 3-phase motor in the cabinet and wired it up along with the emergency stop and tach sensor. Made a motor adjuster out of some angle iron scraps for it for belt tensioning. The lathe will be backed up to a wall but should be easy enough to change and tension belts now.




Getting the tach sensor mounted took more effort than I had planned. I ended up just pulling the upper bearing/pillow block and pulley assembly out of the cabinet. Pulled the 2-groove pulley off and spotfaced a dot on the pulley face to mount the magnetic pick-up for the tachometer sensor.




Then I went to my scrap bucket and pieced together a mount for the tach sensor.




Here it is mounted in the cabinet.




Couple small details to tie up but happy to say everything works as intended. Now I have to clear out its new shop location, level it, start dialing it in, and call it a wrap.

Best,
Kelly


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## akjeff (Dec 15, 2020)

Nice job!!!


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## kcoffield (Dec 17, 2020)

Cleaned out the corner of the shop for the lathe’s new home.








Still some minor details to attend to but can do those in time. Want to get it leveled, dialed, and cutting.

Best,
Kelly


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## kcoffield (Jan 3, 2021)

Been a while so thought I’d post an update. Everything is working fine except if I try to run the DRO from a power supply rather than the battery. The VFD is a source EMI/RFI and I chased my tail for a while with that……..









						IGaging DRO EMI Problem
					

I just finished a restoration of an old family lathe and added many upgrades. Among them was a three-phase motor with VFD and two iGaging Absolute DROs. The build thread is here. https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/new-caretaker-of-two-12-craftsman-lathes.87335/ I can be pretty handy with...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




I’m going to put a filter on the VFD power inlet but wanted to finish setting the machine up. I leveled the cabinet because my floor has drainage grade and then started on the lathe bed. I only have Starret 98 so I didn’t spend a lot of time there but got it as level as could with the .005/ft resolution….only took one shimming adjustment.

I had a piece of 5/8 linear race rod left over from an old (as in 15+ years ago) project it’s 1ft long, and rounder and more consistent diameter than I can measure. I laid it on my surface plate, put my phone spot light behind, got down to the surface where the rod contacted was eye level, and could occasionally just barely catch a glimpse of leaking light at the surface as I rolled it……so I figure it’s pretty darn straight too.

So I chucked it in the ER-32 collet chuck and was getting quite a bit of variation every time I rechecked.




So I grabbed by best small 3-jaw and it was better. In fact, using the averaging method, with 2” of rod in the chuck, I was at ~.001” run out at the chuck and about .004” at 10” down the test bar, but the headstock was slightly askew about .006” at 10” down the test bar. So I loosened the rear mounting bolts on the head stock and after some tapping and wrapping with a lead hammer, I had about the same at the chuck and registering -.001 to +.003 at 10”. I figured that meant I was within .001 of the headstock being straight and only a couple thou run out at 10”…..and thought that was darn good. This all in the horizontal plane. So I put the dial on top the rod and checked at the chuck and 10”.




Less run out than I could measure at the chuck and got plus +.003 to -.001 at 10” so headstock is just a hair nose up…..but I think that is a stroke of luck without additional shimming and the crude initial set up, so I quit while I was ahead.

So I chucked and center drilled both ends of the test bar, trued the countersink with a tiny boring bar, and pressed a couple 2” diameter by 1” wide aluminum pucks on the test bar leaving a chucking stub on one end. I mounted a sharp bit, made one clean up pass, and then a .002” clean up cut, and they are .001” off over 10”.






I think I’m going to make a dedicated drive dog for it, so I can set it up between centers, and we’ll see how well I did on the test bar centers, but it’s close enough for me.

I also bought these cheap MT3 and MT2 mandrels; $25 delivered for both. They are cheap Amazon Chinesium but are actually better than I expected.




They have 25mm soft stubs. I was thinking I’d machine the stubs and compare them to the 2-collar test bar. They had a few nicks on the tapers that easily stoned down. They are supposed to be soft only on the mandrel and case hardened everywhere else, but I suspect they are pretty soft everywhere based on how easily the tapers stoned. Afterward, they showed .003 run out on the stub, but nothing on the exposed portion of the taper. I marked the high spot on the stub and they very consistently remounted in the taper. The convenient thing about these is you could test anywhere along the length lathe bed.

It’s getting to be time for me to machine those drive pulleys I cast.

Best,
Kelly


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## akjeff (Jan 3, 2021)

Nice work!


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## Mister Ed (Jan 4, 2021)

akjeff said:


> Nice work!


As usual, very nice Kelly.


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## The_General (Feb 10, 2021)

Wow...  All I can say is "Wow".....

First of all, you are a very talented person.
Second, THANK you for posting this thread.  You've got me excited about putting a DRO on my 1940's 54" Craftsman...  I never realized how 'simple' it was, relatively speaking...
Third, you CLEARLY should not have retired.  You love this stuff too much!
Fourth - You need to consider making parts.  Your ability to make castings of long-since unavailable parts can help breath new life into many an old machine.  I don't know how difficult or expensive it is to make some of these items, but please consider it.  I personally would be interested in the 'back extension' for the cross slide.  That's WAY beyond what I could make...  Mine would be a cobbled together clampy-thingy for sure.

Keep up the good work and please continue to post as much as you can about your upcoming projects.  I for one will certainly be checking for any new posts from you...

Thanks

-Mike


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## brino (Feb 10, 2021)

@The_General ,

Welcome to the group!

-brino


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## The_General (Feb 10, 2021)

thanks!


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## kcoffield (Feb 11, 2021)

The_General said:


> Wow... All I can say is "Wow".....


Thank you G. Very nice of you to say.


The_General said:


> You need to consider making parts.


I like projects that require the use of many disciplines. I do make parts and some restoration and custom build work, and do sell them, but I'm pretty selective. Usually it's an interesting project I'd do whether I was getting paid or not. One thing I've learned, once you start doing something for money, _and_ to make a living, it can quickly become work, and when you aren't on the clock, you tend not to take short cuts......it's a good place to be.

Best,
Kelly


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## The_General (Feb 11, 2021)

kcoffield said:


> . One thing I've learned, once you start doing something for money, _and_ to make a living, it can quickly become work
> 
> Best,
> Kelly


You're right about that!!  If you're not having fun, then you're doing Retirement wrong...

I have always discovered that its a great thing if you can do what you love _and_ it pays for itself which of course, allows you to do more of it!!

Looking forward to your next project's posts...

-Mike


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