Craftsman 109 Metal Lathe Opinions and Modifications

The trusty Craftsman 109 lathe: Few machine tools can bring out such extreme gushing or vitriol depending who you ask. They are to home machinists what Bose 901s are to vintage hifi collectors. If you go into a forum and ask what people think of them, in a matter of minutes, lines will be drawn, sides will be taken, and death threats will be made.

Personally, I appreciate the 109 for what it is. It's cheap, it's compact, it's adaptable, it's common, and it can handle most small jobs just fine. I see no reason to love or hate them. (Which is also how I feel about the Bose 901s, but that's a video for another day.)

Here I discuss my own 109 lathe and show a few of the modifications I've done to it. I don't claim to be a leading authority on these, I'm just a guy that happens to have one and has spent many hours hunched over it. (See: my profile picture)

Feel free to tell me what you think of them in the comments. But please, no death threats.

[anthonyoresteen]

There are 4 main generations of the 109 lathe. The 1st Gen "0700" was made from 1939 to 1942ish. Models were 109.0701, 109.0702, and 109.0703. These had 28" long beds and the bed Vees were 2.125" between centers. The 0701 was crude, and is not found very often. The 0702/0703 were much improved. The 0702 is the same as the 0703 but without the gears for thread cutting function that the 0703 had. An upgrade kit was available to convert it to a 0703 spec lathe.

2nd Gen were "20630" models and were made from 1945-1946ish. Models were the 109.20630 plus some regional model variations. The bed is 22.5" long and the Vees are 2.50" center to center. The 109 lathe shown in the video is a 109.20630 model lathe.

3rd gen was made from 1948-1963. It is the model 109.21270. These are most often found with a bronze/gold color bed, headstock, & tailpiece etc and are much better that the two previous generations. Beds are 22.5" long and the bed Vees are 2.50" center to center as in Gen 2.

The 4th gen were the 109.21280 final models which are very rare (and valuable) and never appeared in a Sears catalog. Parts are completely different from Gen 2/3. This model was introduced in 1964 and the last year that any were made is estimated to be 1968.

I am in the process of re-building a Gen 1 109.702 converting it to a 109.0703, a Gen 2 109.20630, and a Gen 3 109.21270 bronze model. These 3 Gens all use the same spindle. Gen 2 & Gen 3 share quite a few parts.

I have never seen, much less handled a Gen 4 109.21280 lathe.

[Miner-]

Nice....I have the same lathe. They are great bench top machines. Proper care and they will last for decades.
I recently purchased a Barnes 4.5. Patient date 1887 but mine was made in 1906. It was a treadle and I converted it to motor. It only had 1/10 runout on the headstock. A real steel heavy duty chip maker.

[stan]

You deserve credit for working to put that lathe into shape with a real spindle and bushing! I had a 109 that was too far to be worth fixing since I had no second lathe to make parts. I eventually went Chinese but should have kept the 109 as a project.
I would advise anyone shopping for one to spend extra for a complete one with a good spindle.

[billrose]

Hi. I like your mods to the 109. I'm looking at one right now to purchase. I've been a machinist for almost 50 years but have retired. This is the perfect little toy. Thanks for the video.

[deanmoore]

20 thumbs up dude!! I just got a 109 and I'd love to totally copy you with that. I was 16 when I kinda got kicked out of high school and via paperwork got to start the 2yr machine tool program at Napa JC. Blah, blah, blah, Anyway, even though I'm a carpenter and remodeler for the past 20 yrs I've got a decent sized shop now and can't wait to get this guy tuned up and, anyway, Great Job Dude!!!

[timhart]

Hey Mark, great video, I have an Atlas 10 inch, I am going to get a 109 eventually just for an extra machine, I have looked at all sorts of smaller lathes and I really like the simplicity of the 109, the thread cutting ability is another reason I like it . It will mainly be used for small brass parts, best video overview I have seen on the 109 . TJ

[christopherhicks]

Always looking to buy more of these machines

[larryg.]

... Worked as a Class A metal lathe machinist... And just found a 109 at the swap meet today, June '22 ...So, yours is the 1st of what looks like, over 50 films on the 109... So, thanks for expressing some insight on this micro-lathe...

[richardross]

Nice video. I have several of the little lathes, a 10" South Bend and 2 huge old lathes that are 100+ years old. When I get the time, I'll get several of the machines working. I like the modifications that you made. In 1978, they were $200 from Atlas but you really had to spend another $100 to get the tooling. Good Luck, Rick

[drafty]

Nice work man! I also have one of these. It's a bit of a live/hate relationship, which I'm sure you relate to. The first time I used it, I tried to face off a bit of bar stock. It dug in and screwed the job up...

[mikestand]

i just changed the spindle in my 109 put solid 1/2 x 20

[MrUbiquitousTech]

Nice upgrades on that 109, looks really good!

[DavidHerscher]

That's a really cool little lathe. I've never seen one of those before, i only knew about the atlas lathes. I guess craftsman used to make all sorts of neat stuff. I recently acquired a craftsman rotary x/y table that i also had no idea even existed until i found myself buying one... haha.

[burnheretic]

Have had a handful of small lathes. Didn't really care for the craftsman 12 I had years ago. The Southbend 9 with underdrive cabinet blew it out of the water. Had no issue taking a 1/8 cut using back gears. The craftsman with flat ways just couldn't do much without alot of headache. But these little bench models used inverted v ways which in a great advantage, am thinking about picking one up just to see how capable I can get it within its means. Thanks for sharing you lathe.

[Cabal]

I making my own modifications for Craftsman 109...I finally acquired spindle 3/4 in outer diameter which over 9" length...Front stock entry holes widened to accept much larger brass bushings/bearings to support 3/4 diameter..I already did same with face gear assembly with pulley, it become success and brass bushings was installed..Final part is slight reaming to let spindle go through..The 3/4 diameter is maximum large spindle that can go through pulleys, gear drives, etc..Next project would be installing brass bushings on plain pulley and keep as spare accessory for lathe....Spindle gear was drilled for 3/4 hole and need additional retaining screw because of large spindle..Benefactors from that spindle allow installation of MT1 arbor plus it have little larger hole than 3/8 all way through spindle which allow do deep drilling operations, tapping, reaming and rifling..The fun with that lathe won't end on front stock with spindle, I already got designs how to build gear box and modify lead screw..Last part would be making large size holes on manual adjust chuck, self centered chuck and face plate with cog..Furthering upgrade would consist of modify secondary bed and use as extension bed reaching swing over 56" long, also this would be need making extended lead screw..last part would be upgrading lathe with gear rack and transform tail stock into turret tail stock allowing deep drilling operation....I did work with Wen 12" drill press by building new support column and securing gear rail so table assembly won't rotate or wobble..This only could be done if column walls is thick and can withstand maximum weight of 10 ton, I test column for strength after it was build and finished..My strict tolerance is factory zero 1:1 scale design, not too tight and not too loose which exact 2.550" wide, all drill press parts fit like glove including head assembly..Those extreme transformations of drill press making perfect candidate for milling machine set up science I have all accessories that made for such mini milling machine, including special milling vises that installs at milling compound...If I get certain materials I can build horizontal milling head and particular would become horizontal milling machine which I have most tools and accessories for that as well....All machinist measuring and cutting tools, bunch of spare parts and accessories allowing virtually achieve any machinist task..I did ones again precise calculations, I knew without reading anything that lathe would take 3/4 spindle, and it did exactly so..the gear/pulley face assembly allow exactly maximum 3/4 size of spindle go through..Geared pulley took lot of drilling and deburring to allow brass bushings/bearings installation..None of bushings loose inside and was firmly knocked with hammer and copper plate by not damage them, little polish from inside and spindle would enter precisely as intent..Front stock would face a little problem, it need to make special collet shaped bushing like original but much larger size, the holes for bushings measures 24.3 and 26.3mm, as for holes they need to be bit smaller than bushings allowing them tight installation so they won't wobble or become loose...Last part would be modifying retaining clamp for pulley which is very easy of everything else, more things than that apron have to be retained at other end, Sears and Craftsman models not interchangabe although looks identical, I making exceptions and making parts align.last annoying part is tail stock, somehow it not sits on bed correctly and need alignment with front stock spindle before it get calibrated and made to suit..The gear box assembly contains normally 2 lever adjustments, first for spindle speed select while other is for lead screw speed select.Machine is very simple and easy to understand how it function, I didn't had chance loot for manuals, there is totally like 6 different manuals, including Sears 109 version...The 3/4 spindle is exact size that Craftsman or Sears should design for that 109 lathe, it is like using lathe with electric drill capacity and inserting large object to work on..Weaker 1/2 threaded end can band and deform because of large sized parts, Craftsman/Sears 109 lathe can work on anything that 6" limit of loaded parts, that how large object could be worked on...

[justinlacapria]

Someday I'll get to finish my great grandfather's 109 I "borrowed" from my grandfather 5 years ago. I tore it down cleaned everything. Then discovered one of the main drive gears was in peices. (Replacement parts aren't cheap) the other things that gave me huge problems was the spindle(someone modified or replaced to have a center) and those darn bronze oilite bushings, especially that front tapered one I haven't attempted to make yet. I really like the idea of enlarging the spindle and threads that I can actually find chucks and accessories for unlike the 1/2x20. Oh and the #00 Morse tapers have been annoying too lol. Ever thought about putting ball bearing instead of the bronze. I'd assume you'd have to machine out the spindle housing. Someday I'll get to it all.

[RustyInventions-wzir]

Just found your channel and Subscribed. Nice work.

[Trikekid]

Great video! I'd like to do these upgrades to mine in the future. So there are no bearings, just bushings in the headstock?

[Cabal]

Hello, What did you do with spindle to become larger???Is it larger diameter than original 109 model???If so how it inserts in the front stock assembly???The larger the spindle the less wobble and friction would be, if spindle is hollowed it would allow do all major gunsmithing and possibly rifling operations..Upgrade ideas would be interesting to hear...

[georgespangler]

Picked up 2 lathes today, ,109 like yours and a 101 6 inch, , both in really good condition, , , and great price 400 for both, , , already had the 12 inch, , , going to sell the 109 and keep the 101, , , wondering what to ask for the 109?