This tool restoration focused on a Craftsman "Model 109" metal-cutting lathe from 1948. The lathe was giving to me by a fan about a year ago. This specific lathe is quite small for a metal-cutting lathe and everything about it has been miniaturized compared to "normal-sized" machining lathes. These were marketed as a model-makers lathe or a hobbyist lathe.
These lathes do have some fatal flaws that I point out in the video. Most notably, the spindle is only 0.5" wide and completely hollow. This means that the lathe will never be able to take large cuts or work well with harder metals. If you follow the limitations of this small lathe, then you can definitely get the job done.
I decided to repaint all parts as there was too much paint splatter on most of the castings. Several of the bronze bushings were worn out, so they needed to be completely replaced. I do believe this lathe was only missing one of the remaining gears, but hopefully I can find it one day. The decals for this machine were found here: wiki.vintagemachinery.org/Deca...
After fully reassembled, I was able to get a pretty decent cut out of some brass stock that had, so I was pleased. I may take this a but further and do some modifications on the lathe to improve performance. You can see what can be improved here: www.deansphotographica.com/mac...
I would like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
/ handtoolrescue
Instagram:
/ handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
/ handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
/ handtoolrescue
My Dad had one very similar to this one, and as I recall I inherited it, and used it to turn small commutators on small motor armatures for years in my generator, starter and alternator rebuilding shop. It was an upgraded model, as it had more gears and a multi tool holder. I rebuilt it, and remember every screw and nut in this video. I was born in 1944, and can remember that being in my Dad's shop as long as I can remember. The video brings back fond memories from years long gone. Thanks...👍😁
Awesome story. Thanks for sharing
Great job! As a former salesman in Sears Division 9 (hardware) it does my heart good to see these older machines given a new life.
Sears tools were the best. Hard to see such a great American iconic brand die.
I have the exact lathe that belonged to my Dad who has long since died. He bought it new, and after some time one of gear(s) in the power feed crumbled so he always told me it was junk. After watching this video I took a look at it and it will work it just won't cut threads or power feed until I can get some made. Now I have the desire to break it down and restore it. Thank you for the inspiration to clean up something that means so much to me and I don't mean money wise.
This was my first lathe as a young man A fellow I worked with gave it to me. I carried it around for years. Traded it for a good vice many years later. I still have the dead center for it. I wish I still had it as now I have the tooling and capiblites to rebuild it. Well done. O carried it around for
would love to see it working.
Patric, as long as you know the tooth count a machine shop can make the gear for very little cost. A thought for you, when you finish the restoration, if you only start it up just to see it run you will think of your dad. I have a pretty 1940 handsaw belonging to my dad which I still use. When I use it I always think of my dad
I'm sure the diecast gears aren't great, but you can buy nylon, iron or steel gears easily. Nylon would be appropriate for this lathe. You can even have someone 3d print them using rigid resin (very strong) and I'm talking about stereolithography, not filament printing.
I have the same lathe. Gears for it are available on eBay. Both used and new plastic are available. I replaced two of the "back gears" with used from eBay. Just be sure of the tooth count.
It's worth a like just for the intro.
Right lmao
It’s why I subscribed. A video came up recommended like 2 years ago, I subscribed during the intro hahah”
lol so true!
Any ideal why so many dislikes?
@@glbaker5595 Stupid people do stupid things, I'll give a dislike if the video is crap, with a comment, but otherwise, I give a like or move on.
When I saw you add the Threading Chart toward the end, I had to go back to the beginning to see if it was there. It wasn't. It's nice to see you take such care. Really nice restoration.
I would love to find an old lathe like that. I don't know what would be more fun, restoring it or using it. I've watched all you put out. You do an amazing job making everything work and look new again. Hats off it takes real talent!!
Both, one just came my way restore first and use after!!
I just inherited this exact lathe and a working Unimat, been collecting dust for years! This video is exactly what I needed to see. It is time to get them both back to their glory days!! Thank you
No fair!
This is such a cool, little lathe. it'd be perfect for someone like me who wants to learn but doesn't have space or money to purchase one of the bigger ones. Thanks for sharing your work!
I am in the same predicament as you are. I want a little lathe to learn on well but a gem like this is pretty hard to find for any reasonable cost. Good luck my friend!
I was getting ready to type about the washers on the planetary gears. Nice restoration makes me want to restore mine.
About ten years ago I restored a 1950’s Atlas Craftsman 12” lathe with the quick change gearbox for threading. I had a lot of gears to replace because someone didn’t know how to operate the machine,and all the gears are made from pot metal. Took about a month to get all the parts and redo it, because I had never stripped and rebuilt a lathe before. While it’s not a high precision machine, it’s a great mini lathe for the home hobbyist. I laughed out loud a few times as you forgot to put in a part, because as the old adage goes..."been there, done that!" It also is a pretty good wood lathe in a pinch, and I’ve made a few handles for tools over the years with it. I also bought an AXA wedge style quick change tool post with tool holders. It sure speeds up changing tools without having to align the tools every time. I enjoy your channel, and loved the tune you played with the sheet steel. Keep having fun, and I hope you make a few buck in the process. I can’t bear to sell stuff I rebuild, so my kids will have to do that when I croak. Won’t they have fun? 😂😂😂😂
This comment brought me a lot of joy, especially that last line haha!
Being a shop owner, it is so awesome to see someone with the ability and desire to get a gem like this back to functioning in this day and age! Now have a beer or soda or whatever you choose to reward yourself for a job well done!! Cheers!
You say that like you are gonna buy it for him lol
@@jacobleeson4763 And I would if I were in the position to.
This lathe is an Atlas press lathe. Sears use to get Atlas lathe then put their name on it.
Much respect to your craftsmanship skills, your photographic memory, and your humor. A pleasure to watch you work seemingly having fun too!
I think he has contemplated suicide many times on this project. 😂
if by "photographic memory" you mean recording footage of everything he does, which he can then reference whenever he needs to.
best kind of restoration i've ever seen, that lathe can now go on to make all sorts of things! a new lease of life for the most versatile tool.
Your "Opening credits" are amazing and hilarious. I love the humor you put in your videos. Please don't ever stop ❤😁
Thank you!
Its one if my favorite parts of his videos and when he does silly stuff like pop his head in the media blaster or the tape lol
I am agree. It's the main pleasant difference between you and other youtubers.
Lo mismo que ella dijo .... Me encantas
I bought this lathe two weeks back and it was to be a future project. After watching your video I started tearing mine apart. This video is so helpful. I’m almost finished with painting and any repairs. Hopefully back together this week. I was lucky mine was I’m pretty good shape just old grease. Thank you.
It's a credit to your skill that the repair was so successful on such a machine that requires as much precision in the parts as a lathe. This is a perfect hobby lathe now, small but still plenty big for most turning projects.
Blue painter's tape... It's everywhere! Nice work all around.
Ubiquitous 90's sitcom intro... The feels man, the feels
the whole 'damn I forgot to fit the belts' is so relatable, it reminded me of the amount of times I wired a 3 phase C-form plug then realised the back cover was on the bench next to me lol
it's even better when you had also soldered the wires so they "last a lifetime"
Could use a link belt so that you don’t have to disassemble.
@@dwaynewestley7648 I throw link-belts on all my machines for this exact reason haha!
Who hasn't done this or something like it in the past? Lol
Quality restoration mate I love the older lathes such craftsmanship and the engineering that went into making them is amazing
I'm impressed that you found the spring and detent ball. I assumed they would be lost in the bowels of your shop and eaten by a rust monster.
I heard all the rust near that location had Evapo'd
Dude is so friggen funny I love watching his restoration vids let alone very good at what he does......
Well said🙂
and magic!
Agree!! I love watching "Hand Tool Rescue" restore things and how he incorporates humor into it, too. I also like watching "This Old Tony". He's pretty funny, too, but his channel focuses less on restoration and more on machining and building things.
@@Randall82760 рот й
The old machines were made to last. Thank you for restoring this one.
I took a shot at making a gingery lathe and it’s become a resting work in progress. I’ve never owned or even used a lathe so it’s been puzzling at times but after watching this vid, it all makes a lot more sense and I’m rekindled to work on it again. Thanks for that!
Love the restoration and your sence of humor. I confess I watched the intro twice 😂. Great video, keep up the good work and stay safe.
Oh man, I was so waiting for that spring clip to fly away at 10.28 lol. How many times I've done that ha ha. Also the painters tape had me in tears... I hunted for ages trying to find an old metal lathe to restore and got sick of trying to find one so ended up buying new.
That 80s sitcom opening was strange, and fantastic. I can already tell I'm going to enjoy this.
Oh, far away childhood! Is that Grizzly Addams?
It's amazing how much you get accomplished with simple hand tools. Even though I know they're going into the yellow baskets, I always feel like all the pieces are winding up all over the workshop as things come apart, Oh yeah.... they actually DO fly all over the workshop.
Oh.. FYI - I have a collection of fine old books re making tools. My favorite is an 1890's one on how to build your own dynamo (instructions include a friendly blacksmith) :) Books like these are handy for.. well.. if the lights ever go out for few decades :)
Very lucky to have those books keep them in a good place
You should have those books scanned and uploaded. There are book preservation sights that will keep digital copies for free.
Whats about scan it and share for us?
Now THAT sounds like a book worth reading.
This is exactly the type of lathe I desire for my own workshop.
that lathe wasn't good new... the restoration is great but the lathe is crap :D
The part that impresses me about these vids is the parts that _aren't_ rusted. Gets me considering things like available materials of the time, whether any of them were suitable, or maybe that someone just took care of a few things while they used it.
Thank you for this. My grandpa left us this exact lathe model and I've been wanting to restore it but have been too afraid to start for fear I'd somehow mess it up. Your teardown and processes have given me hope that I can figure it out! :)
Good luck! I hope it goes well. Restoring my lathe would bring a tear to my eye that’s for sure.
@Byvägen Thanks! By the looks of it, the entire kit is here and in good order apart from some surface/cosmetic corrosion. It comes with what seems to be a full box of all the original gears, though kinda hard to tell since the manual is mostly stuck together in a smelly, oily chunk :)
There's some other stuff about the lathe that this video doesn't consider. Particularly, if the lathe ways are worn out or if there is a big twist in the bed. That work is much more difficult to do. Particularly worn out ways, they have to be scraped ideally, and that takes a lot of time.
Did u get it done??
I was sure the ground would open and swallow the workshop when you whipped off the last piece of blue tape...Stay safe and keep up the good work. 👍🖖😂
An og craftsman tool from SR&co. Awesome restoration and find!
I really enjoy how playful you are as you do your work. The extra long painter's tape and the little sheet metal dance made me laugh. The lathe really looks nice. Isn't it rewarding when you finish a project like this?
Used to have one of these lathes, sold it, bought a bigger lathe. Now I want one of these Craftsman lathes to supplement my bigger lathe. Thanks, enjoyed your video and gave you a thumbs up.
28:56 I saw that assembly and was wondering just how the belt went on. Your reaction was PRICELESS!
Yes - I liked that too!
For the lazy, they make link belts so that if you forget to do it, you just assemble a belt around the pulleys. ;-)
It is refreshing to see one so young display the talent that you do. Thanks for sharing with us.
Brings back memories First late I learned to run 75 years ago on my dads work bench. Had to stand on a stool to reach everything
You and I both Allen.
At least you had a father. I never knew mine. I was placed in a foster home. The foster father didn't anything with me.
@@leonardwilson1846 Oh, thanks?
That huge casting mark on the tail stock would drive me crazy. Great restoration.
Love how you tear into these things and make them better. That lathe was so interesting to see all the working parts. Thanks for a great video. Just Sub'd and liked!
I'll be interested to see how you go about improving the performance. Thanks!
That intro gets better and better each time
Watching this made me realise that not all tools from the "good old days" were better made than they are today...
Sears was always about making expensive machinery cheap enough for the average consumer. Sort of like ye olde Harbor Freight. If you wanted industrial grade machines, you went elsewhere but for the weekend hobbyist, they were fine.
and the abuse the poor thing took didn't exactly help to improve quality
I love your videos and really wish I could find tools like that down here in South East Texas the only problem is down here the salt in the atmosphere kills anything made of steel or aluminum. Keep up the great work and I’ll keep watch.
I have this exact lathe in the exact same starting condition.... wow. I was literally looking for a video of someone restoring it and this is it ^_^ so cool
Its the small silly bits in this channel that make me love it all the more ^^ Keep being awesome!
i was planning on pressing the like button once the video was over (i'm on mobile) but had to exit fullscreen and do it as soon as the wibble wobble commenced
great video. how you managed to get it back together without bits left over amazes me. I doubt I could reassemble that tbh
There are so many things that both give me anxiety and induce extreme calm in your videos…I’m hooked
I bet your glad this project is finished. Your not scared of tackling a literal lump of rust and turning it into something that is functional again.
Love this, SUBSCRIBED. I just bought the Craftsman Supremacy 10920630 for $200. These are nearly identical. As this is my first lathe my first project is to restore her. Thanks so much for this. Money cannot buy the honor that you've earned here today...
I loved this video. It would be nice to see how you keep the parts organized as you break it down.
I really appreciate your video. My mom bought my dad the exact lathe for Christmas before they were married in 1949. Now I fell heir to it, I'm semi retired, and wanted to restore it. This video popped up on "Videos you may like". More than a coincidence, maybe Devine intervention! I found the owners manual a year ago on line all though it was labeled for an Atlas lathe.
You and ave just get humor, I absolutely love the intro
If you think these guys are humorous, then you need to check out This Old Tony. I like both the ones you mentioned as well but damn, TOT is a league above in that regard.
Subscribed. I watched literally hundreds of "restoration" videos lately. But most of them are just guys giving old stuff a new paint-job and polishing stuff. This one is different. You clearly show some really good craftsmanship. It´s simple things like the use of that bronze rod that shows you´re quite an experienced mechanic.
kzhead.info/tools/MrMVIBtqFW6O0-MWq26gqw.html absolutely schools this guy
ElTurbinado I sub to both channels and I really wouldn’t say he schools him at all. I’d say they’re both on the same level.
@@austindorf83 Agreed. They both use what they have to play around in the workshop and they do it well.
If I took that apart, I would forever have a box of parts. Great job! I enjoy your channel. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this satisfying video. I just picked up a Craftsman 101 very similar to this that needs a full restoration. I'll follow this as a general guideline.
Did you know it's finally not a 47-year wait for one of the Hand Tool Rescue wrenches? There are a few available to be shipped out this month! Have a look here: www.handtoolrescue.com/shop
i need a wrench like that
I waited for months for mine, but I absolutely love it. I use it quite literally every chance I get.
I got the one that I ordered in February sometime in August. It's a very nice wrench. Thank you.
That restoration. kzhead.info/sun/qt2chZlqeYRmgps/bejne.html
I did wait a while for mine way back then but it was worth the wait and use mine every day :) My current thing is rebuilding auld Russian watches and the wrench is a bloody good movement vice/holder with a bit o' neoprene to protect the delicates hehe I've used it to hold Matchbox cars for drilling and fixing of, used it on my 1958 Lambretta and my 1985 Vespa, took the lower crank sprocket off my car's engine where I couldn't get a socket on it, doubles up as a bloody good whacker of things too :D
Nice restoration. It seems you did not reinstall the brass thrust bearings in the planetary gears. Also, the weird twist in the T bolts is by design, allows variable pressure settings for the twist action of the headstock. I guess this is why the slot is so tall.
I have a 1930’s table saw my grandfather built gaining all I can before I tackle the project. Thank you for the inspiration!
Great video. I hope mine looks and runs as well as that one when I finish restoring it. An eighty year old friend gave me a model 101 last year which belonged to her father. It's actually in pretty good shape for not being used since 1977, a bit stiff in places, but repairable. It was in his shop all those years after he died so it's been out of the weather. As far as I have been able to trace it back it seems to be from the 1930s. My friend's dad bought it in 1940 I think.
I got your wrench, one of my favourite tools after my antique screw drivers.
I’m always amazed at how many small parts many machines have.
I never thought about using foam earplugs for filling holes while painting. Good idea!
I really admire his patience. I would like to offer a suggestion and that is to have a box much like a sand blast box to take things apart so when things go flying they don't go too far.
10:39 good ol Jesus clips
Intro : 90's tv show perfection.
يغفيغي
That’s amazing. I have this exact model in almost never used condition. Thank you, now I can figure out how to use it.
Love your sense of humor also your not afraid of getting your hands dirty. No sissy rubber gloves. One of my top shows.
Props to HTR! I could NEVER get all those pieces back together successfully...
I would love to add something like this to my shop. Goal: Make 100% of the parts to a pen kit. Except for the refill of course. Thanks for the great videos.
I'm back again. Started rewatching some of your videos
i m 8o yrs old and would love to have a small lathe about that size, maybe a little newer . great video loved it, great job love your videos!!!
Parabéns pelo seu belo trabalho. Você é um grande restaurador. Felicidades e mais sucesso em sua vida. Francisco Prata desde Brasil.
Wow, all the old machines are ... beautiful, great job
It's not the most basic lathe I've seen, but close. In a way that is a great thing, because you see how it all works. I spent many hours stripping down the 4 belt drive casing for a big old English lathe with a friend. Some of the casing was so massive it took two of us to carry it! It was built like a 1920s battleship - which is probably where it came from. We also had to strip the gearbox to fix the (on-the-fly) reversing feature. All bronze bushes, hardly a ball race in the thing. Utterly solid, but so was the congealed WW2 vintage grease & dirt inside it.
Well that was the quickest 36 minutes and 58 seconds of my week!
I always wanted to do this type thing (completely rebuild a machine tool) in under 40 minutes as that exactly how long it should take according to all the bosses I've ever had and there have been many. Shazam! it's finished..
This was absolutely the best of this channel's videos. Thank you!
This is something I want to start doing soon, finding old tools and restoring them and/or upgrade them as well.
I just re-watched this . Good rescue! From table saws to this lathe , without a single emblem and no matter what diameter , that metal wheel say's it's a Craftsman !
I had this lathe. My great uncle gave it to me when i graduated from Machine shop in High School. I got a lot of use out of it making all sorts of projects. My sister in law offered to store it in her garage till i found a new apartment. Which worked out well until her junkie husband sold it for $100 worth of oxy.. I really wish i still had it.
Best video I've seen on the 109. It should help a lot of people out.
Thank you for the amazing restoration! I wish I could find a hand lathe like that in Houston, Texas!
I'm so glad this video was posted as I've got one of that model waiting for me to restore it but couldn't find any info on it as previous owner had modified the living daylights out of it. But thankfully he also had the different gearing for the different threads and so on.
Owwm.org has all the info you can imagine on this lathe. Similar to vintagemachinery.org. I have the same model. It’s more of a shelf piece at this point cause I’ve upgraded but it’s a neat lathe.
Im very curious as to how you sort all the parts after you disassemble the item in question. Would love to see a video on that!
I suspect the video he was making helped a lot!
Larry Schweitzer Might be, but, wouldnt it be quite tedious to bring your computer to your dirty workshop and go back and forth in the long, raw video footage, using your dirty greasy fingers? There must be a better way.
Keep like-parts together. Generally lay them out on the table in order/orientation. Keep notes. It comes with time. Still photos showing detail and disassembly are usually better than video, although video is great for re-assembly especially if there are tricks to getting parts to fit together.
@@silvermediastudio I use my still camera and I lay the parts out in the order removed with marker notes in the photos. Putting the fasteners in the parts also helps.
In order to put it back together don't you just place the video in reverse?
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. I literally laughed and cried...for some reason, I started mourning the loss of my two cats, I recently lost to coyotes here in LA. It just happened this week and I hadn't had the time or the moment yet to fully let myself go there. Then somewhere you made me laugh. The machine is all put together and it's so satisfying. Anyway, thank you for that. ✌🏼💕
sorry about your cats. love from Pakistan
I am so glad to see I am not the only one to fling springs and snap rings across the room and have to redisassemble to put on a part I forgot.
That trick with the hot glue on the jaws of the pliers is awesome, definitely going to use it.
Great work, But I was itching to see that threading chart engraved and infilled with a bit of paint.
Wow, that came up nicely! A lovely start... I'm wondering why the toolpost dances around so much though...?
Roger Barraud , Because this old dog was made for making junk, and is now ready to make more junk. NOT ready for Abom79 for sure.
@@BruceNitroxpro whoah buddy, take it down a notch lol
with a lathe you can make better lathe parts. it's a neverending cycle of improvement. I'd say some TIGHT bushings and some better gibs would go a long way here. He does have a metal planer after all. Any lathe is better than no lathe. I've shaped too many parts in a drill chuck to discount a lathe's usefulness.
@@picax8398 , I hear ya. I just think he needs some HELP!
@@mattfleming86 , True, true.
I am a German Industrial Mechanic I learned what you are doing there. And i have to be honest, you are definitely more experienced then I am and did it better than i could.!
Nice work! Love these little lathes, good stuff.
Theory: If you walk around with a sheet of steel and you fail to wibble-wobble it, you are a sociopath.
74KU Subway Jared??
74KU no he used Hardboard (Masonite), you should be ok with steel.
Tie me Kangaroo down Sport.
With thin sheets only. There is a strange compulsion to do it, but I can't explain why. As a diagnostic tool, it's questionable.
I agree
you are the best. i actually look forward to all your video's. keep up the awesome work!!!
Thank you!
I have a old lathe I picked up at an estate sale. I really need to find out more info about it and get it working again. It's belt driven on one end with multiple pulleys to change the speed, so the motor would be stand alone. I have a book press I need to work on as well. Ugh need more space, LOL.
We have a 1945 109 donated to where I volunteer, it needed to be put into shape , watching you was a run down memory lane, I also had to take the head apart twice to put the belt on , of course you did a great job , like new , Wow , Bill
Far Away Hand Tool Rescue looks rather shady, you should watch your back around him.
...and your front!
@@HandToolRescue Well not with that attitude. LMFAO!
You better keep an eye on your Nutella 😂
Speaking of which: where IS Nutella?
@@elliepascoe5954 oh shit, he got it!
10:39 - The infamous "See ya in two years" sound.
F
Made in 1940 lathe restoration is great. As i worked in a mechanical engg company i know something about lathe and its funtion..nice to watch .👍👍👍
Oh my God I started laughing so hard when you finally got to the end of that piece of tape! You are so great and I've learned so many tricks from you. Thank you Hand Tool Rescue!
I really enjoyed this dude a little humor thrown in there for smiles : )
For the record, it was your absolutely brilliant intro that solidified a sub from me. Love a good sitcom parody