My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He didn't
ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the lathe
(3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse taper
available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive centers
available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't found any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

Thanks,

Walt Cheever

Walt Cheever wrote:
My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He didn't
ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)
As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the lathe
(3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse taper
available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive centers
available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't found any.
Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

It's a Harbor Freight lathe, should be MT1. get the model and
serial number and order your parts from them. Delivery will be
6-8 weeks probably. Depending on which lathe and condition, it
should be usable, just not fancy.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

Have a yard sale of your own. Put the lathe in it. Rejoice at whatever you
may get for it. Don't look back. Buy your kid a good used Jet mini and get
him started turning the right way................ without the frustrations
of frantically searching for non-existent accessories.

Barry


"Walt Cheever" wrote in message
news:T7aje.8370$z_.4607@attbi_s71...
My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He
didn't
ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the
lathe
(3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse taper
available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive centers
available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't found
any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

Thanks,

Walt Cheever

Walt Cheever wrote:

My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He
didn't ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the
lathe (3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse
taper
available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive centers
available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't found
any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

Thanks,

Walt Cheever

Dave is right - not to mention which if your son breaks it, finds he hates
turning or whatever, you are not out much. The same cannot be said for a
Jet Mini.

BTW, he will need a set of gouges, HF eight piece set for $39.95 is not a
bad way to go. You can always upgrade - IF there is an interest in turning
on the part of your pride and joy, that is.

Deb

Hi Walt, HF lathes vary from dangerous junk to quite usable, so I'm not
sure if this model will encourage or turn off your son's enthusiasm. I
wouldn't spend much time or good money after bad on it since you have a
lathe & tools and can safely supervise him to decide if turning
interests him. If it does, I'm with Barry. A jet mini will hold its
value if you resell, which you won't.

How about cutting it down to make a polishing and/or sanding head? Or
if you have the space, you could add a length of allthread with a series
of buffing wheels for a dedicated finishing station? Or it could be used
to hold and rotate pieces for spraying, carving etc. away from your
turning lathe. I don't know if it can be used for turning wood. It's the
old turned off by cheap but bad junk vs encouraged by
inexpensive but adequate no frills decision.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

No wonder I saw a month-old Central Machinery 14x40 on sale on Craigs
list for $129 today! Oh well...

On Fri, 20 May 2005 02:05:08 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

Hi Walt, HF lathes vary from dangerous junk to quite usable, so I'm not
sure if this model will encourage or turn off your son's enthusiasm. I
wouldn't spend much time or good money after bad on it since you have a
lathe & tools and can safely supervise him to decide if turning
interests him. If it does, I'm with Barry. A jet mini will hold its
value if you resell, which you won't.

How about cutting it down to make a polishing and/or sanding head? Or
if you have the space, you could add a length of allthread with a series
of buffing wheels for a dedicated finishing station? Or it could be used
to hold and rotate pieces for spraying, carving etc. away from your
turning lathe. I don't know if it can be used for turning wood. It's the
old turned off by cheap but bad junk vs encouraged by
inexpensive but adequate no frills decision.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

a 2nd lathe can be very handy for odd stuff that you don't want to tie up your
lathe on..
I make most of my finishing stuff (ring clamp for bottom finishing, expandable
drum for waxing, etc.) for the Shopsmith, so I don't have to keep changing the
setup of the mini all the time..



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"Walt Cheever" wrote in message
news:T7aje.8370$z_.4607@attbi_s71...
My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He
didn't ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the
lathe (3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse
taper available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive
centers available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't
found any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?
======================
Walt,
It sounds like he may have bought one of their bottom of the line lathes. If
it is the one I think it might be, it's a 40in sheet metal contraption with
a minium speed over 1100 RPM. The new price on those on sale is well under
$100. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is dangerous, but safety precautions
are in order if you try to mount any thing near it's rotational capacity and
is unbalanced. Give us a model number, or go to Harbor Freight Tools web
site and use the keyword "lathe" to see if you can find it.
Good luck!

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX.

Thanks to all for your help.

My son is a pretty fair turner already--did some nice spindle and bowl work
in school, so I suspect that if the lathe doesn't suit him, it will become a
boat anchor fairly rapidly.

I don't understand how buying a set of cheap chisels will make a cheap lathe
work better. He has a set of Buck Brothers (carbon steel) chisels that I
gave him for his birthday 15 years ago, that I cleaned up and sent to him.
He graciously let me use them until he needed them. I think good tools
will make the experience a lot better.

We'll see how it works out, and maybe there might be a Jet in his future. I
love my 1440.

Walt C


"Walt Cheever" wrote in message
news:T7aje.8370$z_.4607@attbi_s71...
My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He
didn't ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the
lathe (3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse
taper available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive
centers available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't
found any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

Thanks,

Walt Cheever

Hi Walt, Good chisels compensate for poor lathes about the same as good
books compensate for poor practice.

Those earlier Buck Bro's tools with their small ferrules, distinctive
handles and good steel were great weren't they?. I still have mine and I
bet many besides us have kept and still use them. As with the old
Marples, they fit with today's mini lathes just right.

I was wrong to presume that buying a second hand HF lathe made your son
a beginner. Apologies to him and all HF owners. I have many of their
tools.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

I own one of these and wouldn't recommend them to anyone. If you try to
turn anything with a little weight and not perfectly balanced it will not
work. The whole lathe head will flex. However, for spindle work its ok as
long as its light stuff. I bought another Central Mchinery lathe with cast
iron head and ways and its much better (one day I'll buy a oneway). I
bought a oneway tralon chuck with the proper thread adapter and it worked
pretty good, just don't put much weight on this lathe.
Rick

"Dr. Deb" wrote in message
...
Walt Cheever wrote:

My son brought home a Central Machinery Lathe from a yard sale. (He
didn't ask my advice, so I claim no responsibility.)

As I understand it, the drive center is threaded onto the shaft of the
lathe (3/4" 10 tpi if I read the manual right), and there is no Morse
taper
available. I've been looking to see if there are any other drive centers
available (2 prong, smooth etc) that are threaded on, but haven't found
any.

Anyone got any hints, guesses or experience in this direction?

Thanks,

Walt Cheever

Dave is right - not to mention which if your son breaks it, finds he hates
turning or whatever, you are not out much. The same cannot be said for a
Jet Mini.

BTW, he will need a set of gouges, HF eight piece set for $39.95 is not a
bad way to go. You can always upgrade - IF there is an interest in
turning
on the part of your pride and joy, that is.

Deb

On Fri, 20 May 2005 00:35:56 +0000, Dave in Fairfax wrote:


It's a Harbor Freight lathe, should be MT1. get the model and
serial number and order your parts from them. Delivery will be
6-8 weeks probably. Depending on which lathe and condition, it
should be usable, just not fancy.

Dave in Fairfax

My HF 12x36 is a #2 MT.

__
to contact me send email to
bill13510
@gmail.com

Bill wrote:
My HF 12x36 is a #2 MT.

OK, but he didn't say which his was, or hadn't when I posted that. Some
of their lathes had MT1 as well. with a more complete description we
might be able to give more info.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.patinatools.com

"Bill" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 20 May 2005 00:35:56 +0000, Dave in Fairfax wrote:


It's a Harbor Freight lathe, should be MT1. get the model and
serial number and order your parts from them. Delivery will be
6-8 weeks probably. Depending on which lathe and condition, it
should be usable, just not fancy.

Dave in Fairfax

My HF 12x36 is a #2 MT.
========================
The HF clone of the Sears monotube is also a 12X36 and is an MT 1. Yours is
probably the Jet clone.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX.

On Sat, 28 May 2005 20:55:47 +0000, Dave in Fairfax wrote:

Bill wrote:
My HF 12x36 is a #2 MT.

OK, but he didn't say which his was, or hadn't when I posted that. Some
of their lathes had MT1 as well. with a more complete description we
might be able to give more info.

Dave in Fairfax

It is (an underpowered) SKU# T34706

Yes, I'm the same Bill as posted above. I had a serious glitch in my
computer that ended up with a re-install of my entire hard drive. I didn't
get my settings exactly the same this time around as last.

Bill

Bill wrote:
It is (an underpowered) SKU# T34706
Yes, I'm the same Bill as posted above. I had a serious glitch in my
computer that ended up with a re-install of my entire hard drive. I didn't
get my settings exactly the same this time around as last.

The website shows that as a discontinured model. Sorry about the HD, I
just had the same problem. %-( Ken's probably right about it being a
knowckoffof the Jet monotube.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.patinatools.com