# Need drawing of counter-shaft for 101-27430 lathe



## JPMacG (Aug 9, 2017)

I'd like a drawing for the counter-shaft on my Craftsman 101-27430 lathe.  It is a 3/4-inch diameter shaft, about 9 inches long.  I'd like to know the locations for the Woodruff keyway and the two flats for the set screws.

The shaft that I am replacing is mangled and hard to measure with accuracy.  I searched through WA5CAB's postings in the downloads section but did not see it.

Jon


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## wa5cab (Aug 9, 2017)

Jon,

Unfortunately, we have neither the original factory nor one that some owner has drawn.  The part number for the countershaft spindle on all of the early Craftsman 12" models (up through 101.27440) is L3-107.  Step one is to call Clausing and ask whether they still have L3-107 available.  If they say yes, ask for the price.  Either buy one or don't, but don't waste your and her time asking for the drawing.  .  Personally I would just buy one and be done with it (no, AFAIK I don't own any Clausing stock ).  If you do, also order a pair of L3-109 bushings.  These are probably available commercially but considering the time you'll spend and fuel or shipping costs, you aren't going to save any money if you are already ordering the spindle.

If they no longer have any, ask them to email you the drawing as a .TIF (if you can handle those) or a .PDF (if you can't).  Don't let them send you a JPG.  When you get it, send a copy to wa5cab@cs.com.  I'll eventually clean it up and add it to the drawings that we have in DOWNLOADS.  But you don't need to wait for me to do that before you can use it.

In the event that they have it but you don't buy it, all that you can do is hope that someone here has theirs apart and will make a drawing of it.


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## JPMacG (Aug 9, 2017)

Will do.  Thank you Robert!


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## JPMacG (Aug 9, 2017)

I spoke with Erika.  Clausing does not have the counter-shaft but she provided a PDF of the part.  I sent it to your email.


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## wa5cab (Aug 10, 2017)

Got it.  Thanks.


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## JPMacG (Jan 8, 2018)

I'm bringing this old thread back to life to document my findings for others, who might want to replace their counter-shafts.

I used the following parts from McMaster Carr:
Rotary Shaft, P/N 1886K41, $11.26
Bronze (Oilite) Sleeve Bearing, P/N 6391K207, $2.11 each, quantity 2
Clamping Collar, P/N 6435K15, $2.20

Removing the old bearings and installing new ones was easy.  I turned an aluminum mandrel to fit the bushing hole with a shoulder to catch the bushing end and gently removed the old ones out by tapping the mandrel with a rubber mallet.  Then I installed the new ones the same way.   Removing and installing them using an arbor press would have been safer, but I did not want to remove and rewire the motor.  The McMaster bearings are virtually identical to the original Atlas bearings.

I parted the shaft at the proper length on the lathe.  I milled the #3 key keyseat on the shaft and a flat for the motor pulley's set screw.  I also put a chamfer on the right end of the shaft as a lead-in in case the two bearings did not exactly line up (they didn't).  I used the compression clamping collar in place of the original set screw collar.  The set screw collar did not stay in place well.  The clamping collar holds firmly and does not damage the shaft like the set screw collar did.


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## wa5cab (Jan 9, 2018)

I'll add, although it's nothing to do with the countershaft, that if you have trouble as I did on a 3996 with the motor pulley wanting to walk off the end of the motor shaft, one of the McMaster (or most other sources)  split collars will solve that problem.


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## chpjr (Mar 21, 2019)

JPMacG said:


> I'm bringing this old thread back to life to document my findings for others, who might want to replace their counter-shafts.
> 
> I used the following parts from McMaster Carr:
> Rotary Shaft, P/N 1886K41, $11.26
> ...


JPMacG,

This was very helpful, thanks.  I found it doing a search.  One thing though, I think the Clamp Collar should be P/N 6435K16.  That's for the 3/4" shaft.  P/N 6435K15 is list for the 5/8" diameter.

I bought the Oilite bearings you suggested.  I had a couple of questions.  Do you think they should be soaked in oil before installation?  Also, the old bearings have a hole drilled in them where the oil cup is located.  Is that necessary for the new bearings, or will the oil seep through the bearing material?

Thanks,  

chpjr


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## JPMacG (Mar 22, 2019)

Thank you chpjr.

I believe the Oilite bearings come preloaded with oil.  So no, you don't need to soak them.  And the oil will seep through the porous bearing material so a hole is not needed.  I don't recall if my old bearings had holes.  I think the holes are needed for solid bronze bearings, but not on Oilite bearings.

The above is my understanding.  Maybe someone else will chime in if I am incorrect.


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## chpjr (Mar 22, 2019)

Okay, thanks.  I posted the same question in the forum and that was pretty much the same answer.   I won't drill the hole.


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## jrkorman (Mar 24, 2019)

Thanks for all of the info - Being suspicious, I checked the bearings on my countershaft and found that someone had used a regular bronze bushing. Price has gone up a few pennies, but will be ordering a set of replacement Oilite bearings in the next day or so. May replace the shaft also as it appears someone ran it without the key at some point and tried (and failed) to hold the pulley with the set screw!


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## chpjr (Mar 24, 2019)

Should these have a key?  Mine did not have one, although the shaft is cut for one.  I've found conflicting information on whether there should be a key.  Seems is the shaft is cut for one, it should be used.


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## jrkorman (Mar 24, 2019)

chpjr said:


> Should these have a key?  Mine did not have one, although the shaft is cut for one.  I've found conflicting information on whether there should be a key.  Seems is the shaft is cut for one, it should be used.


The various parts breakdowns show the shaft with and without a #3 woodruff key. The shaft on mine has the keyset and the pulley has a matching keyway but didn't have a key installed. The shaft looked like someone chucked it up and tried to turn it with a dull tool. Short story - a key went back in.


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## cjtoombs (Mar 25, 2019)

The way I've made those shafts is to make the shaft without any flats and assemble it.  Tighten the setscrews just enough to mark the shaft, then dissasemble it and cut the flats where the marks are.  My exprecience with Atlas Craftsman machines is that they didn't use many keys, mostly flats and setscrews for those shafts.


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## wa5cab (Mar 25, 2019)

It appears that early shafts had flats.  Later ones had Woodruff keys.  Apparently, someone finally wised up to the fact that a shaft with a flat and a pulley, wheel, etc. with a set screw will work fine so long as the set screw remains tight.  But if the set screw gets a little bit loose, it will start to wallow out the flat.  And eventually it will ruin the shaft.  Whereas a shaft and a pulley with a key and set screw may move end to end but so long as it is caught before the pulley runs completely off of the key, it won't hurt anything.  Flats are OK for collars (which are in any case, usually too thin for a key) but not for pulleys and gears.


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