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Craftsman AA109 mini Lathe

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scootermcrad

Plastic
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Huntington Beach, CA USA
Hey everyone! Pretty much a new guy around here. Thought I would post a new project I just acquired. It will be my first TRUE machine restoration. Thought it would be a fun little project, and useful around the shop for small stuff.

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Probably going to use this old Dunlap motor that was my Dad's and part of a grinder assembly that I used to use when I was a kid. Think 1/3 HP is enough for this little lathe?

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Plans for now are to do a general clean-up, set up a counter-shaft assembly and motor mount, machine a tool holder for it, and see how it runs. I'm SURE it will need a ton more work, including bearings and spindle work, but I'm curious to see what kind of shape it's in as it sits.

Ultimately, I will beef up what can be beefed up, get a good chuck and live-center for it, and definitely spend some time with the ways, gibs, and give it a good coat of paint to freshen it up. I wouldn't mind finding the longer base for it as well.

So far I've seen some good info out there. I ran across this gentleman's rebuild and beef-up and like what I see:

Craftsman AA 109 Lathe

Anyway, just thought I would share. Maybe you guys can who have these can provide some tips, tricks, and input. Any other resources you could share would be appreciated as well!

I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions about this thing, as well. I will post progress here as it comes together.

Thanks!
Scott
 
think twice

Hey Scott,

I don't want to trash your excitement, but think twice before you put a lot of time into this machine!

As with many other people here I owned one of these once.
The one I bought had a bent spindle which is apparently VERY common.
Make sure you check the runout before you do anything else!

They are never going to be worth a lot, so the full restoration has to be a labor of love or else you are wasting your time.

If you are just looking to learn about lathes and have fun cleaning and painting it then you will be fine. You can probably even get it to the point where it is useful for turning plastic and Al.
But don't expect ti to be at all precise, and don't expect it to turn steel without tons of chatter and argument.

good luck!
Josh
 
Fun little lathes, I have a couple plus 1 basket case, all older and more primitive than yours.

check out Welcome to Home Shop Supply if you haven't already.

You can download a manual and other information from the Yahoo AA109 group.

Make sure the spindle isn't bent. That's the Achilles Heel.

Looks like you need change gears. The Atlas 618 gears are the same, about $100 used for a set.

Get a gallon of Evaporust immediately, save yourself some grief.

Have fun :)
 
ScooterMcRad,

You are welcome to the forum but I feel I have to politely warn you that "109" lathes are a PROHIBITED TOPIC on Practical Machinist. The bulletin board owner has stated his reasons for this in the past - the gist of it is that a "109" is a totally amateurish machine. He felt that he did not want to devote space to it, and it is, after all, a privately-owned bulletin board and the owner can make the rules.

There are other amateurish machines which we aren't allowed to discuss here - I cannot remember what they are at the moment.

I have a "109" with a bent spindle mouldering under a workbench, so it's not like I personally won't talk about them; it's just that I know this is a prohibited topic and I want to save you embarrassment.

That said, you are welcome to this forum and we can talk about the vintage electric motor!

John Ruth
 
Scott
I have a few amateurish machines a 20 x 60 ATW Brown & Sharp Mill 2 K & T Mills and a few others.:D Also have 3 or 4 of the 109s, but being as we can't alk about them don't tell anyone! :rolleyes5:
 
Just one thing to note, there's a lot of mis-information about the AA109 out there, the primary of which is that the AA109 is built by Atlas and that you can get parts from the Atlas 618 lathe for it. That's not true, the Craftsman 101 was built by atlas, and is just a re-branded atlas 618.

The atlas 618 is a fine little machine, as mentioned above, the craftsman AA109 is a far inferior machine to the 618, and was produced for sears as a much cheaper alternative to the older 101
 
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The hook is set...

You have what looks like a fun little project but be warned! it will result in a lot of money that the SWMBO will not let you spend...

You will learn a lot obout the machines while tearing this one down and the re-work of this machine will give you the ability to see how they work, how they are built and how handy a lathe is to have in the shop to make the parts you break or create.

What you will also learn is to have more fun requires bigger toys!

You will stumble on bigger and better toys while looking for the parts for this one, eventually you may wind up with a 6000 pounder in the corner...been there done that...

Discussion of your lathe is limited here due to the limitations of the machine, there are other boards where these are home, but the interest in machines is welcome as well as growing your abilities.

There is an abundance of information here regarding everything you need to complete your project, search for general terms such as "rust removal" or "lathe alignment" and you will locate instructions on how to do those tasks, most of then things you need to discover are generic in nature and are not specific to your exact model.

Get some measuring tools such as a dial indicator, dial caliper, 0-1 mic and take a trip to the libary and check out books on lathe operation.

Atlas did produce one for the Craftsman Atlas that is a very good read as well.

As others have stated, your lathe is extremely limited,and not exactly welcome here, but it is the perfect entry level project as there is just as much to learn to get it working and to create good work requires extra work that will be a benefit to know and apply.

What you learn playing with this machine will be handy to have as you look for the next machine for your collection.

Good luck and have fun!
 
I say go for it.....you'll learn a lot about lathe construction and end up with something at least mildly useful. Clean it up and have a little fun. The time will come however, when you'll yearn for a larger machine and then the fun REALLY begins!

The bent spindle problem has been mentioned but be aware that all the gears are made of "Zamak" alloy, an injection molded substance not far removed from "pot metal". Also, the reduction gearing on the spindle (inside the headstock cover) is a planetary arrangement made of the same alloy. I had a 109 and those gears were absolutely trashed.

I bought a South Bend and began serious work after that.
 
The good news is that you can get a "new" spindle on the bay for $100. Tell the Hardinge guys to find one for that price. The bad news is that your whole lathe is worth about $100 in it's current condition.

I've owned a few 109's as well and invested way too much time repairing them. My suggestion is to sell it as is, buy a nice little Atlas 618, and restore it instead. It's only slightly larger than the 109, but 3x the lathe.
 
I had the slightly later Craftsman model of this for some time, and it's a little bit better than no lathe at all. My son has it now in his apartment basement, the kind of application where a little light lathe makes some sense, since it's pretty portable. It is at least capable of turning a piece of metal into something else, and handy for the occasional job if you do a variety of mechanical chores. But it's not very practical for anything but the occasional bit of work, owing in part to its flimsy spindle and relatively fast low speed, no dials on the compound, and no carriage traverse other than the knob on the end of the lead screw. I would not put much energy into this unless the restoration itself is your recreation.

It's too bad AA didn't put a little more into the design, since the quality of the castiings and the like is really not bad. Mine ran pretty precisely within its very limited capabilities.

One final bit of advice before this thread gets locked: If you do use it, turn between centers as much as possible, rather than using the chuck. It's a world of difference on a light machine like this.
 
I can verify - it starts with a Craftsman 109 and it ends with a Planer.

The Great Joenack (I'm showing my age here) predicts a visit from the NURSE is in your future. Not tonight, probably not next week, but most certainly in the not too distant future. (use search terms with my handle and "nurse" on the board and you'll get the joke.)

It starts with admiring glances at other threads with pix. Like the current one of the Putnam Planer on Ebay. Then others telling about this planer they saw here or that planer they saw there, always couched in reverential tones and with an obvious glee and envy.

And then you'll see a small one in action. Maybe on Youtube (there are several) or next door at the olde timer neighbor's house. Pull up a chair because the action is positively hypnotic.

And then during the course of a project, you'll develop a need. "Gee, " you'll say "If only I had a planer I could do this one up right.

The nurse hears your pain. And she has just the medicine for YOU.

Welcome aboard. And take all comments in stride. Some people look down on Watchmakers lathes because they only have one support on one end. Others covet them for just that reason.

Best regards,
Joe

p.s. that Dunlop motor sure looks mighty fine. I think I have motor envy!
 
Wow! Lots of comments already. Didn't really expect much to be said since it is a small lathe, but also the comments I see were mostly expected and some were sort of unexpected (mostly due to the fact that I'm a new guy).

I guess first I should reply by saying, I didn't realize these were frowned upon. If this is the wrong place or the wrong forum, feel free to close the thread, delete, lock, or whatever. I'm a hobby guy. Not a machinist by trade. Maybe I got the wrong impression here. Sorry if that's the case. Maybe someone can direct me to a place where this project would be better recieved.

Thanks for the input and comments. I didn't pay much at all for it. Mostly tripped over it, really. Just thought it would be a fun project to simply learn a thing or two about restoring a small machine like this, and something old, for that matter.

Just doing something fun, guys. I'm passionate about machining, old machines, and especially saving something old and maybe putting it to use where possible for making a few small detailed hot rod parts... I realize a larger machine would be better. Already have something in the works for that.

Anyway, thanks for looking and for your comments. They are appreciated. Hopefully someone can point me to a place where this project can be discussed.

Thanks! OH! And I'll check out this "Nurse" thing...
 
Well, the thread's not locked yet, so maybe this is going to be counted as antique enough to excuse its low position on the mechanical food chain. I would not discourage you from setting it up and using it. Any lathe is better than no lathe, after all, and it could be the gateway drug for a rewarding case of old iron addiction. I just wouldn't put a great deal of energy into a real restoration unless you enjoy the restoration as a process in its own right. If the gearing is, as it usually is, set for feeding rather than threading, you won't have to hurry getting a set of gears. Unless you set up a countershaft to slow the whole show down, you'll find threading pretty frantic anyway. I've seen some of these lathes set up with a larger crank on the end of the lead screw. Since that's your only manual feed, it could help make things easier to use.

1/3 horsepower is plenty for this. I think mine had either 1/3 or 1/4.
 
if spindle is bent. the proper response is to MAKE ANOTHER ONE. I suppose 4140 PH is the right stuff, but personally, I'd use whatever was handy and cheap......

I did make another, and subsequently sold the machine to someone for $200. I had two others that I would not sell it to, because it wouldn't do what they wanted. But this guy paid and didn't say what he wanted it for, so it was "don't ask, don't tell".

I was pretty happy when that vehicle drove away....

BTW, someone said plastic and aluminum... add free-cutting brass to the list. The machine is a POS, with no dials, and no use for them.... 0.04167 per rev on the dials....

Definitely NOT WORTH the effort. But, on the other hand, if you mess up when scraping or whatever, you can't feel too bad....... So I'd probably class it as a good basic practice piece.

And with all those nice scraping marks visible, a little blue porch paint and you're good to go on ebay.:D
 
I'm passionate about machining, old machines, and especially saving something old and maybe putting it to use where possible for making a few small detailed hot rod parts

How can anyone (even the Mods) argue with that? We know your type already. You're one of us. A "Keeper of the Flame." You're another who turns his back on our "big box" world and prefers a more personal involvement with his technology.

Welcome to the club!

Joe
 
109

Scott,
There is a Yahoo group for the 109's, and they have lots of information and data about the machines including the owners manual and parts list.
 
ScooterMcrad,

I liked what Joe in NH wrote about turning one's back on the big box world.

It should be really clear that we all welcome you and want you to be with us.
My motivation for writing about how "109's" are a prohibited topic was to forewarn you so that you would not feel hurt when the thread gets locked because it's a prohibited topic.

Everything else about the project, except for the basic fact that that "patient" is a 109, is very much allowed and encouraged.

Heed what JST said about "no dials and no use for them" - the 109 has a sort of "fractional" pitch crossfeed and compound feed, rather than a "decimal" pitch that yields an even number of thousands for each revolution of the handle.

That said, some magificent work has been done on 109's. This work could have been done much more easily on a more capable machine.

My personal view of the 1930's origin of the 109, not based on any particular knowledge but just on "what it is and what it can do" is that it's basic dimensions were chosen such that it could do armature work in a 1930's automotive garage, specifically commutator work and turning the bearing surfaces and making bushings for generators and starters.

(In those days, generators and starters were repaired, not simply replaced with a factory rebuild.)

Note that this presumed purpose is consistent with the notion that the spindle is only adequately strong enough to support work between centers.

John Ruth
 
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My motivation for writing about how "109's" are a prohibited topic was to forewarn you so that you would not feel hurt when the thread gets locked because it's a prohibited topic.

And I'm not so sure thats even as true as it has been. My discussion with the Mod a while back regarding a previous AA109 poster has widened BOTH our perspectives: Mod is at the front line and attempts to keep the subject matter focused, relevant, polite, and of wide readership. We individuals at the other end like to discuss what interests us personally. The two don't always meet in a sliding fit.

I expect we might have problems continuing a thread talking about Mattel's "Beginners Woodshop." But to give the Mod credit even that has happened here. But I think (hope) the bar has been lowered a bit lower on the AA lathe. Mostly because it has been a starting point in the mechanical interest of many of us.

This is a board NOT just about antique machine tools in their historical sense. It's also a board about PEOPLE with this interest. "Keepers of the Flame" we are.

Like your first car or your first crush, that FIRST holds a big influence in your memory banks.

Joe
 
Paula, my gifted fellow moderator, once referred to me as "bad ole John" (or similar).

Note the mellowing, and count your blessings.:D

I will retain my exceedingly low opinion of such things as the subject of this thread.



John Oder
 
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