Craftsman 101.21400

[Blacksuit]

Hello all, just wanted to properly introduce myself and say hello. I have wanted to learn how to use a lathe for quite sometime and finally made to jump to buying one. A few weeks ago I bought a craftsman 101.21400 with some tooling. I am a complete newbie so be prepared for some questions. My current boss was a machinist for years so he has been giving me advise along the way. I knew I didn't need anything big for the type of stuff I'll be doing but room is where I'm lacking. Only have an oversized one car garage. I know everyone likes pics so I've included a few... it shows the 4 jaw that came with it but it does not fit on the spindle... it's a 8tpi. I'll probably try and sell it later when i clean it up and get another that will work. The next thing I'm going to get is a qctp.

 

[wa5cab]

Welcome aboard.The 1"-8 chuck will fit the Craftsman 101.07301 lathe, of which there are plenty around as Sears sold it from 1939 through 1957. So you shouldn't have too much difficulty in selling it.

I understand that space is not plentiful so you need to keep the cabinet casters. So one of the first things that I would suggest that you do is to attach two pieces of 2X2 or 2-1/2X2-1/2 steel angle flush with the bottom edges of the left and right ends of the cabinet, with the horizontal part down. Cut to length and drill all of the mounting holes, and then paint before you attach them. Then under each end of each bracket, mount stud-type feet. Run the feet down far enough to lift the casters off of the floor and then carefully level the cabinet. For when having to move the lathe around, cut two slots into the sides of two pieces of 1x2 wood. When you need to move it, run the bottom nuts down about an inch, lift the foot and slide the boards under the top nuts and flat washers to hold the feet up.

 

[wazzabie]

Why not use locking wheels to prevent the cabinet from moving? Would that be a bad ideal?

 

[wa5cab]

If you cannot dedicate a spot in which to place the lathe or mill, and must have it on casters, then the wheels should all be lockable. But every time that you move it, you will probably have to re-level it.

ShopSmith multipurpose machines come with two pair of casters, each with an adjustable height foot that might be adapted to whatever type of carriage your lathe or mill or shaper is mounted on. However, they ain't cheap!

 

[wazzabie]

If you cannot dedicate a spot in which to place the lathe or mill, and must have it on casters, then the wheels should all be lockable. But every time that you move it, you will probably have to re-level it.

ShopSmith multipurpose machines come with two pair of casters, each with an adjustable height foot that might be adapted to whatever type of carriage your lathe or mill or shaper is mounted on. However, they ain't cheap!

newbie questions, Why is it important to level the lathe? What points do you level?

 

[wa5cab]

While it is true that almost any lathe, including those made by Atlas, can work satisfactorily on ships while under way, they can do so only if properly set up. And still, the cheapest way in which to do that is by first rough-leveling the stand. Then properly adjust the carriage gibs.

Finally (using shims under the legs, level he bed (or actually the front and rear ways) with a precision level. This will ensure that (with an Atlas) both ways are co-planer and straight. Once that is accomplished, the room or space that the lathe is installed in can rock and/or roll without having much effect on the lathe.

 

[wazzabie]

While it is true that almost any lathe, including those made by Atlas, can work satisfactorily on ships while under way, they can do so only if properly set up. And still, the cheapest way in which to do that is by first rough-leveling the stand. Then properly adjust the carriage gibs.

Finally (using shims under the legs, level he bed (or actually the front and rear ways) with a precision level. This will ensure that (with an Atlas) both ways are co-planer and straight. Once that is accomplished, the room or space that the lathe is installed in can rock and/or roll without having much effect on the lathe.

I can mount the lathe on thick steel plate that is reinforced with square tubing around the edge.

 

[wa5cab]

Steel plate and square tubing would make a suitable stand. If you anchor it securely to the floor. A carpenter's level would be good enough for the stand. But not for leveling the actual lathe to the stand. For that you need what's normally known as a Precision Level. And the stand needs to be anchored to the slab. Otherwise if you bump into it and it moves, you will probably need to re-do the lathe leveling step.
that's why I recommend investing in a precision level.

 

[Jake M]

newbie questions, Why is it important to level the lathe? What points do you level?

The lathe actually being level is not the end goal. It's a very useful feature "sometimes" if it's perfectly level, but it's by no means a necessity. The reason you have to level a lathe is simply that it is the most effectve, most cost effective, most practical, and most approachable way to get the lathe set up so that all of it's own geometry is true to it's self. It's a stepping stone really, as once that's done, you will "dial it in" by measuring your cuts.

You have to think of the lathe (or any machine tool) as being flexible. Rubber. Jello. Your final adjustments for accurate cutting will be in thousandths of an inch. The leveling gets the coarse part of that done to the best of your leveling ability, and gets you close enough to "true" that it's plausible to get where you want to be.

I can mount the lathe on thick steel plate that is reinforced with square tubing around the edge.

That would be a good thing to do. Not "required", but it will be rigid. That's a good thing. It keeps the lathe from flexing so much under various cutting conditions. Makes it easier to hit dimensions in different materials, and with different depths of cut. It makes the lathe overall more consistent. (I didn't say "perfect", I said "more consistant"......) What it won't be, is "flat". It may or may not be "flat" by a carpenter's level, but dollars to donuts you're still gonna want a shim under somewhere to get it where it wants to be.

Like wa5cab said, once it's all leveled, and then brought to cut "true", you're under no obligation to maintain "level". It's kind of nice if your tail stock doesn't fall off of the back, but short of that, if it's out a little.... It won't show in the work. Just so long as the lathe it's self remains true to it's self.

 

[pontiac428]

You are absolutely correct, @Jake M, by making the distinction between squaring and leveling. Level is a convenient gauge, but straight and square is the factor you actually care about. For most of us most of the time, that means the machine is also level.

I've seen everything from Monarch EEs to 3 ton LeBlonds on ships. They are installed with jack screws and squared to the floor (which certainly moves some), but whether they are level has little to do with how they print a test bar.

The bigger the machine, the easier it is to control twist. It is a much smaller proportional movement on a small lathe. That's why I agree that you can build a tabletop of framing and plate to ride atop your rollaway base. The base, if rigid, should be substantial enough to control twist from moving it around the shop. If you can accomplish that, I don't expect you to have much trouble maintaining repeatable cuts.