Is this Craftsman lathe worth buying?

"Jack Fearnley" wrote: I am looking at a Craftsman lathe model #

113.228000C (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It would help if you gave us a physical description of the lathe. Most of us have seen the various Craftsman models, but few remember the model numbers by heart.

I don't know much about lathes. This model dates from 1989 according to Sears. It takes 36" length and up to 12" diameter. Speed is changed by moving the belt on different pulleys. It seems pretty rugged.

As I said, at $200 Canadian it might be to good to pass up even though I am racking my brains on where to put it if I get it.

Best Regards, Jack Fearnley

What you are looking at is very similar to the older Craftsman Monotube. Mine is quite a bit older than 1999, but I only paid $75.00US for it, along with tools and a couple of centers.

I built a very heavy wooden bench for it and have turned out some fairly nice work (according to my wife and my mother). :-)

____________________ Bill Waller New Eagle, PA

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net

Opinions differ. Carbon steel still makes the finishing passes at my house. Of course I don't turn at tang-breaking, steel annealing speeds, either. I learned that tool presentation trumps power in getting a good surface.

I finally got a lead on some new carbon tools, which is good, as a couple of my former 6" gouges now look more like teaspoons.

Have to agree with you. I want a set of M2 HSS tools and all I have now is Carbon Steel -- but I turned some poplar and got tiny curly shavings off the finishing pass. Thought it was sawdust till I looked closely. The skew was doing what it should do -- working like a plane. :-)

That lathe description sounds familiar. I may have the same one sitting, unused, in the back shop. As long as everything is running true and the motor is ok, it'll do fine for most turning that does not require great power. The stand takes up quite a bit of room but it's worth about a hundred bucks if you were you to buy it separately. I have no opinion about the tools.

fwiw, Tom

Hi Bruce the other, I agree that for most woodturning applications HSS is superior, but I'm not sure that hi-carbon is junk, if you mean worthless. RCW's been over this before, but Hi Carbon still has some uses. I tell my wife that if I spent the money and shop time on my Dodge PU as she does on her Beamer, the old bucket of bolts would outlast the BMW. R&D and promotion of carbon steel tools virtually ceased in the

80's, which partially explains their demise. Maybe not.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Guess I should have been more specific, Arch. I still use a couple of carbon steel spindle gouges, at slower speed and for softer woods, but for higher speeds, which I feel gives me a better finish, and harder woods, the HSS's edge last a lot longer, without re-grinding or honing.

Again, MHO-------You're always welcome to have yours.

The Other Bruce ==============================================================

Arch wrote:

Thanks to all for the prompt feedback. I have decided against the purchase. When I am ready for it I'll buy a decent lathe and learn properly on it.

Best Regards, Jack Fearnley

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote: : I'll let the "Craftsman" experts answer your question on the lathe, but : I WILL BET YOU that the tools are carbon steel, not HSS, in MHO JUNK!

Carbon steel tools will hold a sharper edge than HSS does. For finishing cuts, Carbon steel is superior --

- Andy Barss

If I took my final cuts with carbon steel and did --NOT-- have to sand after it would make a difference Andy. Guess I will have to keep using my overpriced inferior HSS tools.... :-)