# Need to find  spindle for my lathe, kinda long pos



## stevers (May 11, 2006)

Hey all,
Many of you veiwed my post "need help with my new (to me) lathe" from several days ago. First off, thanks for all the looks. 
As it turns out, the morse taper in the spindle is damaged beyond repair. After I tryed to repair the damage to the MT, I realized I went so far, its now too large and won't hold a spur center. The damage was too severe and I sanded too far. It won't hold the mandril I just got and turn truly. The mandrel is 0.002 off at the shaft, which translates to more than 0.010 to 0.012 off at the threaded end of the mandrel.
What i'd like to do is replace the spindle/drive shaft. It's a 1986 model Duracraft. #50537. Which many of you know and several mentioned, is a spin off of a Craftsman. 

If any of you have an old one in the scrap pile or have any info on the where-a-bouts of one, Please let me know. You can e-mail me if you like. 

I think the part may be the same diameter from several years. The diameter is my main concerne, I can work around pully mounts and the sorts. The shaft in mine is 0.788". I checked it in several places.

Another idea is to get a few model numbers from older machines and try to find it at Craftsman parts. They are not very helpfull in general. They wount do anything without a model number. No cross refferencing or attempts at searches at all. The model number I got from one of you,(sorry I can't remember you name at the moment) was a great help, but the part I need is no longer available from sears. I'm hoping a newer model may have the same size shaft and work for me. Thats the other probeblem with sears, they have no way to find specs on the parts. 

The Ridgid looks like it may be real close too. May be another option.

Thanks for looking and pardon my rambeling. I wanted to cover all of my bases the first time.

Thank You for any help


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## wdcav1952 (May 11, 2006)

Steve,

I am certainly not a tool expert, far from it.  Can you screw a faceplate to your headstock?  If so, perhaps you could buy a collet chuck and use that to hold your mandrels and forget about using the morse taper for now.

FWIW,


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## Phil Joines (May 11, 2006)

Don't know if this is worth doing but it could be repaired with a Morse taper sleve. The existing spindle would need to be machined with a 1" press fit hole and the sleve locked in with a set screw.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1653591&PMT4NO=7518021


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## Randy_ (May 11, 2006)

For all of the time and money you will expend in fixing that machine, you might be better off buying a new lathe.  You can get a mini from PSI for less than $200 and the Wilton goes for right at $100.  And if you are patient, you can get really good deals on higher quality lathes on Amazon.com .  They frequently sell lathes at deep discounts and sometimes have free shipping.

Even if you get thast thing fixed, you are only going to have a mediocre machine with some limitations.  It may be time to bite the bullet??

You could buy one of Peter's buffing systems and use the damaged lathe as a dedicated buffer or you could invest in an inexpensive scroll chuck if you have a spindle with a standard thread.


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## stevers (May 12, 2006)

William, thats a thought. I'm going to Vegas tomarrow and going to make a stop at Woodworkers Emporium. I'll see what they may have to help. Like to get a good face plate anyway. 
Phil, did'nt know they made MT sleeves. Could be another option. I know a machinest. Thanks.
I was waiting to hear I should just bite the bullet and buy new. I probebly should, but for now I'm going to see what I can do with this machine. The motor is real good for it's age and overall the machine is in good shape. I can still turn other things with it, besides pens and the such. I'v been wanting to try some bigger stuff anyway. Thanks for the input Randy.
I would still like to try and get some 5 or 10 year old Craftsman madel numbers and mabey even some spindle messurements. that would be realy helpfull. 
Thanks all.


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## Firefyter-emt (May 12, 2006)

Steve.. Take a look at my website, I think you have on based on my 113 model. If it is, you may be able to get parts from Sears still. Do you have a set of calipers that you can measure some spec's from??

Here is a photo of my 113 lathe


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## stevers (May 12, 2006)

Hey Firefyter,
It looks to be very similer. There are some pics of it on the post a page back called "need help with my new (to me) lathe please". 
Which messurments would you need? The only one I have so far is the spinle diameter. It's 0.788. What else do you need? 
The spindle assembly looks very close. I am hoping they used the same sizes for a while to ease repair and replacement costs. For them of course. Let me know. If you want e-mail me you are welcome to if we don't want to tie up space on here.

By the by, sears already told me the spindle ass. is no longer available. They do of course have the entire head stock ass. avail. For almost $200. Not even close to worth that.


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## woodbutcher (May 13, 2006)

What Randy said.
Jim


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## Firefyter-emt (May 14, 2006)

Ouch.. Well it looks like that would be a mute point if you can not get the spindle. You never know, I just ordered a chrome cap for a 1940's scroll saw from Sears.. $2.49 still in stock!!?? Unless you find something on e-bay that is worth it, you are stuck. I have seen the same lathe go for very little if you watch the auctions. I would have to say that you pretty much need a new lathe though.


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## stevers (May 14, 2006)

Well you know how it goes, I talked to some "person" that does'nt know anything about tools. Just looks at a sceen and inputs numbers and waits for an answer. All this person would say is " we cant do anything without a Part Number" Which means they had no idea what they were doing or what I was talking about. Barely knew what a wood lathe was. Pretty dissapointing over all. One more reason I stopped shopping at Sears. I just figured, old machine, mabey one of the better ones. Not if you cant get parts for it. I'll just keep using my little Jet, that by the way is within 0.001" at the far end of the mandrell, for pens and the such. And mabey pick up a face plate and a chuck or something so I can practice some larger stuff on the big lathe till I can get something better. After all, the chucks and face plates will have to be puchased for the next lathe too.
Thought it was worth a try. 

Thanks for all the input and options folks. 
This horse seams to be dead for now,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## Randy_ (May 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by stevers_
> <br />.....And mabey pick up a face plate and a chuck or something so I can practice some larger stuff on the big lathe till I can get something better. <b>After all, the chucks and face plates will have to be puchased for the next lathe too......</b>



True, but the next lathe may not have the same thread on the its spindle as what is on your current lathe in which case any accessories purchased for ther Sears lathe may not fit a newer lathe or only with the benefit of adapters.  I would think long and hard about investing more money in this lathe.....you may have a black hole here???


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## Rifleman1776 (May 14, 2006)

If it were me, I'd put the whole thing in a corner somewhere and start searching garage sales, flea markets, whatever in hopes another will turn up you can canabalize parts from.
As for Sears, bad news and good news. At one time they carried parts for everything nearly forever. That stopped more than ten years ago and they now only stock for a fixed period of time. Good news, what you were told about needing part number is wrong. Everything Sears has ever sold, including exploded views and part numbers was microfilmed. Presumably today they are digitalized. Your part number can be located. Whether or not the part can be purchased is something else again.


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## Firefyter-emt (May 14, 2006)

Hey, you may want to look into this more. My shaft is 3/4" by 6-3/4" long (sorry, I have no way to get a outside shaft measurement without tearing it apart) Anyway, mine is model # 113.23881 Just for kicks I typed it into Sear's parts store online and the still list the spindle. (you can order by phone too) But check it out, the part number is 56611 and the spindle is only $42.49. Not dirt cheap, but not new lathe expensive.. When Sears no longer sells the part the web part lister will tell you it is no longer able to be bought, the spindle still lists as good.


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## Firefyter-emt (May 14, 2006)

I just sent you a PM.. I found one on e-bay under "Sears lathe" Complete headstock for $50.00 buy it now!


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