Craftsman lathe

I don't know if this will help but I found a website that shows pictures of how to rebuild a Craftsman lathe.

"Thomas Huntress" wrote: (clip) the spindle did not turn true, so I contacted Craftsman. They said it

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bad bearings will feel rough and possibly have play. They might be noisy. Those symptoms are not what I would describe as runninhg "not true." "Not true,' to me, describes a spindle that wobbles--there is a high side and a low side. And I would say that is probably due to a bent spindle.

Hi Tom, I agree with Leo and suggest that you remove bearings to replace them, and leave them in place to test them. What do you mean by not "running true"?

Sounds more likely that Sears isn't. Describe the lathe & its symptoms more fully and many here can provide the diagnosis and treatment.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

In message , Leo Lichtman writes

I would tend to agree with Leo, though would add run the lathe for 5 minuets before checking, as I have had the occasional bearing where the grease has hardened inside, giving the impression of a dents, (rough movement) Running it will heat usually melt the grease

Basically a bearing has two modes working or broken. If its working everything will be true (assuming everything else is true), if its broken, it will likely have a roughness to its movement when rotated, indicating a probably impact across the shaft, or it will be so lose its obvious.

Simple test mark the shaft with a line on top Try and move the shaft front to back, any slack? Repeat rotating the shaft 45 degrees until you return to the start. This should test a god combination of inner and outer surfaces of the bearing track

Test 2 If the shaft appears to wobble. Rotate the shaft to see where the high point is, i.e. which way it appears bent. Make a new mark. Now rotate the shaft and as you rotate it, check that the high point remains the high point through a complete rotation. If it stays the high point I would say the shaft is bent, if not the bearing has an issue. Reason being the inner of the bearing rotates at a faster rate than the outer, so if it was the bearing the high point would move.

Me I am going for the bent shaft, or new glasses :)

Sorry for the sketchy details. It is a craftsman 351217 2 horsepower. When I turn it on the spindle wobbles. When I contacted sears, the tech said that spindles rarely bend and that it was the bearings most likely. But this leaves me with two problems.

Problem one: I'm not sure how to remove the bearings.

Problem two: If it is the spindle, I might be in trouble. Craftsman has discontinued the spindle so I am not sure how to get a replacement.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tom

Hi again Tom, Some further suggestions: First of all is the problem 'cosmetic' or does it affect your turning wood? It's amazing how forgiving bad bearings and minor runout can be for us. We turn wood, we don't machine metal. :)

But if it does, to check bearings and spindle; correct or remove everything else that you think can influence the problem. ie. tighten pulley set screws and secure horizontal back & forth play, remove or loosen belting or direct drive, check that bearings are housed firmly, then recheck 'wobble'. If the spindle still wobbles significantly try to move the ends in & out, side to side, up & down. Spin the spindle by hand and listen carefully, maybe with a wooden stick or mechanic's stethoscope for the 'rumble' of a bad bearing. This is not rocket science, but this rumble is quite specific & characteristic of bad bearings.

As an aside, if bearings are the problem, for a temporary fix that often lasts a long time, you can cook them in a pan of grease then pack them by hand.

Don't despair, all is not lost if the spindle is bent. The OEM may have made them for other brands or some of the machining ng's can help you find one or straighten yours or likely make one cheaper than a machine shop charges. I don't know your lathe, but the Sear's spindle is likely a standard sized threaded bar of home-shop machinable steel.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

"Arch" wrote: (clip) What do you mean by

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Clever play on words, Arch.

OP doesn't know how to remove the bearings. It's time for someone who owns this same lathe to step in with some help. If this is the Sears lathe with the geared head, it may be a complicated disassembly job.

Thanks always for your guidance.

The problem in not cosmetic, but I am going to take the advice and try to get the spindle straightened.

I hear no telling sounds in regards to the bearings, and I'm pretty sure it is a bent spindle.

Now, I just have to get the thing out of the lathe. Oh, the adventure!

Oh, by the way, the plot has thickened. Now the motor will not turn. I can here a whirring, but nothing moves. I got the lathe for free, and now know why. But it has been a learning experience.

A search at Sears PartsDirect came up with 3 lathes that it could be.