Relative to a previous post. I got the old Sears wood lathe all finished and running.
Will post some pics soon. According to my calcs it is turning about 862 rpm's with the pully setup I used ( 1/4 hp 1725 rpm with 2 identical step pulleys ) It turns cork fine. My question is ; What is the optimal speed for turning wood ? Is 860+ enough speed for wood or do I need to get up on pulley size at the spindle ?
I also turned some nylon, worked fine. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.
Oh ,,one more thing. It is set up for mandril use only.

That depends on the diameter of the turning stock and the type of wood you're turning. Generally, the larger the diameter the slower you want to spin the wood because as the diameter increases so too does the rate of the wood moving past the cutting tool.

As far as hardness of the wood itself, harder woods are turned at slower speeds and softer woods at higher speeds.

I strongly suggest getting yourself an introductory book on basic wood turning. It will pay great dividends in the long run.

.............

Good tips Tom. And I will definately get a book.
So , one speed is not good for all woods. Do you think 860 rpm is ok for cork, since I'm only useing sandpaper ? Seems to work fine, no wobble, smooth cutting, clean finish.

I think I may have been the originator of the previous "old wood lathe" post about a month ago. I am also in mid process of rebuilding my old sears-roebuck wood lathe. I have just picked up two pieces of 1/8" sheet steel, one for a baseplate for the lathe and motor hinge, and the other for the motor itself. I have also ordered a 1/2" drill chuck and a live center from Penn State Industries (both on #1MT tapered arbors) but haven't received them yet. A McMaster-Carr measurement table gave me the #1MT taper sizing (thanks John C.). I will also make an attempt at posting a pic or two after I get it all put together.

Just today I spent a little time at the Scranton PA public library @ Lackawanna College trying to find some old Sears-Roebuck catalogs to search through (no joy there!). I am curious as to how old my lathe is and would love to have a copy of the listing in the catalog with the description and technical specs. I've googled and searched everywhere (no joy with that either!). Any suggestions? A big stack of old Sears catalogs in your grandma's attic?

Rog

Hi Roger,,, I dont have any old Sears catalogs , that would be real handy !
I mounted mine on a computer desk top, about 3 X 5 ft and 1 1/2 " thick.
Put on a 3/4 Jacobs chuck with a #2 MT live center.
2 identical 3 step pulleys for speed reduction.
1/4 hp motor mounted on a hinge, attached to a steel plate, with tensioner screws on the other side of the motor.
I shortened the bed down to 3 ft. This thing is a hunk. Runs very strong and smooth.
Will post pics when I get the cork dust off her.

Roger, if there is a model number on the lathe anywhere, google Old Woodworking Machines and do a search by the model number. You might be able to get a manual/partslist for the lathe. I found one for a 1969 sears lathe. The site is a PITA to find stuff, but there is a message board, that might help you find stuff. It worked for me.

Tony

Thanks Tony, I'll give that a shot.

Rog

I inherited my grandfather's 48" Sears Craftsman lathe. Won't be able to use it until a garage gets built, though. Thanks for this info Tony. I'll use it as well so that it's ready to go at that time.

Putter
Williston, ND

For moderate sized wood turnings it is nice to be able to start at 500 or so rpm. for sanding small objects, it is nice to be able to do 2500 or a few more rpm. You can just do everything at 866, but it will be overall a better setup if you go to the trouble of fitting it with step pulleys.

Thanks Bill Moschler, That is exactly what I was looking for. I have step pulleys on the motor and chuck spindle, 2" ,2 1/2" and 3". Right now it is set up with 2" on the motor and 3" on the spindle which I think gives me 1/2 of the motor rpm . Motor rpm being 1725, that should give me about 862 rpm , I think. On second thought,,,If I have 2'' on the motor, I would have to have a 4" pulley on the spindle to cut the rpm in half ???? Is that correct ?