craftsman 113.228360 cheapo wood lathe

[Joseph Tarantino]

i've a question about the captioned lathe, that i got for $20. i'll preface this by saying i'm a WW, but not a turner. i've no real interest in turning at this point, but for $20, i rounded out my tool arsenal with a lathe (of sorts), which was the only type of WW tool i didn't have. my question involves the tailstock.

here is a link for the lathe's OM:

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=5739

specifically, is the center spur (part l) supposed to rotate within the spindle tail stock (part f)? or is the work piece supposed to rotate on the center point (part z) that sits within the center spur (part l) that is held by the spindle tail stock (part f)? should anyone know of a video addressing this tail stock question, a link would be appreciated.

[Marvin Hasenak]

From what it looks like, I would say the tailstock center is a dead center and doesn't turn/spin. The older Craftsman lathes in the tailstock had a #1 Morse taper, it should pop out of the tailstock, if not you can use a steel rod as a knock out bar. Take the center to a place like Woodcraft and get a live center, you will be a lot happier with it. You can probably find one cheaper at Harbor Freight and other places.

[Jim Sebring]

That 1995 vintage lathe looks to have a dead tailstock center. That means the tailstock does not rotate; the workpiece will rotate on the tip of the center. That's why the instructions say to oil or wax the end of the workpiece to lubricate it. Most lathes nowadays come equipped with a 'live' (rotatable tailstock center). Your lathe is also only useful for turning spindles (like chair parts, etc.) where the wood grain is parallel to the ways. You can add accessories to allow you to turn 'face grain' pieces, like bowls, etc., but the investment will far exceed the amount you have in the basic lathe.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Joseph, welcome to the wonderful world of lathes! It's all a bit confusing when starting out, so just hang in there and ask lots of questions.

I looked at the PDF for the manual for your lathe - but could only find numbers for parts, not letters. From what I can tell from your question and the manual, the center spur you are referring to, sits into the spur drive. The spur drive is used in the headstock portion of the lathe and basically digs into the wood so the motor can turn it. The tail stock uses a center and it is only there to support the work. The older lathes used a solid center and the turner had to lubricate the thing to keep the wood from burning! These days you can buy a new center that has bearings in it and rotates with the wood while it support it. No smoke - no mess and a heck of a lot quieter!

The drive centers and the centers used in the tailstock come in different configurations and fit into the headstock or tailstock using a morse taper - which is a friction fit. Judging by the age of your lathe, I think there is a good chance that your lathe uses a #1 morse taper, just something to keep in mind should you want to try your hand at turning.

Best advice is to find your local turning club. The members there love all things turning and spending a little time with knowledgeable turners will save you countless hours fo frustration trying to figure things out for yourself! To locate a club near you, click here.

[Joseph Tarantino]

does this look like a live center that would work with my cheapo lathe?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MT1-LIVE-CEN...item4d03b7bbda

[bernard feinerman]

The manual you referenced for your lathe says that the tailstock uses a #1 Morse taper so the live center you found should work fine. Before you buy it, make sure that you can remove the old center from the tailstock - it might have rusted in place.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'd just like to mention before you invest too much money (in addition to that center) in the lathe itself, that remember it is a 20 buck lathe. I started on a Craftsman lathe also. A model even worse than yours. I had NO idea what a "good" lathe was. I turned on the junk lathe for years, and I was happy. It finally gave me a break and the motor died on me. Then I got a Jet Mini. WOWEEEEE. So all that being said, if you turn a few things and get hooked, invest in a "good" lathe...... Don't invest in fixing up that one. The live center is a worthy investment though.

Just my $0.02.

[Joseph Tarantino]

i'm painfully aware of how one can over invest in a low cost tool. but my investment is going to cap out at $60 total, just so i have a lathe for whatever small need might come up in the future. my tool buying philosophy is to get the type of tool you might need when it can be had at a good value rather than wait until it's needed and pay through the nose for it.

so for the foreseeable future, if the wood river live center i ordered today works in that cheapo c-man lathe, all my turning needs will have been met.