Babbit bearing headstock max spindle rpm

[Scubadave]

I. Have a master craftsman 101.07382 lathe. I am pretty sure the headstock has been changed because everything I find about that lathe says it has timken bearings but in fact has babbit bearings. I am installing a 3/4 hp. Variable a.c. motor and want to know the approx max spindle rpm so I can setup accordingly. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

 

[Janderso]

Babbit?
You got a pic we can look at?
Someone much smarter will be along soon. Pics lubricate the conversation.

 

[Scubadave]

I will send them when I get home about 12:30 cst

 

[cathead]

For what it's worth, I have a Springfield Ideal lathe with babbitt bearings. Max rpm on it is about 1400 rpm.

 

[Scubadave]

Any ideas what the headstock is? As stated b4 101.07382 has timkin bearings.

 

[Janderso]

Didn't Model T's have babbit main bearings?
What's the redline on a Model T?
Nice lathe.

 

[cathead]

Looks like babbit to me. Model A Fords had babbitt bearings too and used shims for adjustment. If you keep the babbitt
bearings well oiled on the lathe, it will last a long long time. My older lathe has drip oilers and I turn them on when using
the lathe. I have used it a lot and have never had to reshim the bearings in twenty years. Your bearings look fine. I wouldn't
worry too much about overspeeding the lathe, just keep it oiled well and put your hand on the bearing cap to verify that they
are just warm to the touch during a run. That's a nice looking vintage Craftsman lathe, probably very early production unit.

 

[projectnut]

I have PDF versions of the 1936 and 1939 Sears Tool Catalogs. Both have lathes similar to yours with Babbitt bearings in the headstocks. It's hard to believe, but both machines are advertised as having a top speed of 2,100 rpm. These are large catalogs with the 1936 version being nearly 9MB and the 1939 version being nearly 25MB. They may take a few minutes to download if you have a slow internet service.

 

[FOMOGO]

When you think about it, automotive shell bearings turn can turn upwards of 10k RPM. Pretty similar construction. As long as it has an oil film between the spindle and bearings life is good. Mike

 

[Karl_T]

The auto bearings have a pressure oil pump system. that's the key to high RPM. Today's car engines use an insert that's really just a way to get away from casting babbit.

Condition of the bearing and oiling amount, will determine your max RPM. Another trick is to loosen the cap bolts when running fast. A guess here, but if you optimize all this, you could do 2000 for short runs.