1940s Dunlap 103-0603 Lathe Restoration

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
spindle adapters can be bought for 4 jaw chucks to fit it.
That is something I've been meaning to purchase. Do you have any recommendations on a chuck/adapter combination?

I agree the indexing pins are a plus. I think there are 120 around the circle (I knew once). I've used these when doing carving on turned legs as a way to segment the diameter into uniform sections.
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
Thank you all.

So here are some pics with additional info:

@awldune the headstock was fairly easy to disassemble. @Roy G here is how the grinding wheel was mounted. It seems to be a custom mount held in place by a set screw (the mount has 2 set screws but only one was actually touching the rod coming from the headstock. I am not sure how am I fitting a drive center to it?

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Also I didn't hear any bad noises. I am no mechanic though. There is one ball bearing used at the right hand side of the sheaves that I would like to replace. Any idea on where to by a replacement?

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I cleaned it up a little, here's a closer look on the ball bearing

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@smallboat I am not sure how to confirm that this is an MT#1 headstock?

@tvrgeek these are the only parts we have. None of these look like a face plate to me. Do you see any? Maybe the one in the red circle but is very small and if it was, how would we mount it?

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@creasman thanks for sharing! That tool rest looks like its at least twice as long as the 6" tool rest in my little Dunlap.

Finally, these are pics of the motor I plan to use... I need to wire it but other than that I think it will work. Any advise on where to get the cables I need? Feel free to comment :)

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Thanks in advance;

E
 
Last edited:

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
here's a closer look on the ball bearing
Mine doesn't have any bearings, just bronze bushing. The bronze is semi-porous, allowing the oil I put in at the cap fittings to lubricate the shaft. The bearings were probably a later edition. I'm sure you can find a replacement for these if needed.

The tool rest on mine is about 10". It had some nicks so I filed it smooth across the top so the tool slides freely.

1616879825933.png
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
@creasman I believe my Dunlap has 2 bushings as well, plus a single ball bearing (drive spindle ball bearing, according to the manual, if I'm reading it right). I seem to be missing the "spur center assembly". Not sure how to solve that challenge yet.

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awldune

Sam
User
The spindle appears to be a 1/2'' solid rod with no external thread or internal taper. This is bad.

I had a Darra-James lathe of similar vintage that had the same deal. You will probably need to search Ebay for a drive center and face plate.

I don't mean to be negative, but it may be easier to just buy a newer lathe. Pretty much any lathe that is at least 10-15 years newer (i.e., ~1960+) would be much easier to work with. Alternatively, you might be able to find a replacement spindle that would fit and have more modern connections.

If you stick with this lathe, you will want to obtain a step pulley for the motor that matches the headstock pulley(s). This is actually a pretty standard part and you should be able to find one. You'll want to be sure the bore is the right size for your motor. This may be a match?
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
The spindle appears to be a 1/2'' solid rod with no external thread or internal taper. This is bad.

I had a Darra-James lathe of similar vintage that had the same deal. You will probably need to search Ebay for a drive center and face plate.

I don't mean to be negative, but it may be easier to just buy a newer lathe. Pretty much any lathe that is at least 10-15 years newer (i.e., ~1960+) would be much easier to work with. Alternatively, you might be able to find a replacement spindle that would fit and have more modern connections.

If you stick with this lathe, you will want to obtain a step pulley for the motor that matches the headstock pulley(s). This is actually a pretty standard part and you should be able to find one. You'll want to be sure the bore is the right size for your motor. This may be a match?

@awldune the diameter of the drive spindle is 5/8" hopefully that betters the odds. Also, we have another step pulley we could use for the motor, its shown in one of the pictures on a previous posts. I wasn't sure if we needed it, so thanks. I did a quick search and found a drive spur that would fit the 5/8" drive spindle. Now I'm just confirming the dimensions before ordering it.
 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
I believe my Dunlap has 2 bushings as well, plus a single ball bearing
Mine has a spacer between the pulley and housing, but I don't believe it has bearings in it. Let me know if you'd like me to take a better close up of the parts. You will want to get a step pulley for the motor as @awldune points out.

The drive shaft on mine is hollow and is threaded both on the inboard and outboard sides. Yours does pose an interesting challenge. It's almost as if someone switched out the shaft.
 

Chris C

Chris
Senior User
20170428_164853.jpg


A friend gave me this one. I restored it and never used it. It's gathering dust around here somewhere. I need to send it down the road.
 

awldune

Sam
User
The drive shaft on mine is hollow and is threaded both on the inboard and outboard sides. Yours does pose an interesting challenge. It's almost as if someone switched out the shaft.

I believe his is an earlier iteration or possibly a lower-end model. Many fewer machining operations to produce a plain spindle versus a threaded and tapered one!

@PappiJoe 5/8'' does help, as that is the size of the Shopsmith lathe spindle, which is also non-threaded. You could get this spindle adapter and put a chuck on the lathe, although I am not sure that is advisable or worthwhile.
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
I believe his is an earlier iteration or possibly a lower-end model. Many fewer machining operations to produce a plain spindle versus a threaded and tapered one!

@PappiJoe 5/8'' does help, as that is the size of the Shopsmith lathe spindle, which is also non-threaded. You could get this spindle adapter and put a chuck on the lathe, although I am not sure that is advisable or worthwhile.
Thanks @awldune Im seriously thinking of getting a 5/8” drive spur made with the shopsmith in mind. Saw it on eBay earlier today. I enjoy the challenge and experience gained from bringing tools back to life. Understanding this is not the preferable setup for a wood turner, which Im not. If I can restore this lathe to a point where I can learn to make a couple pf front knobs for some old hand planes, ill be happy. I appreciate your help to calibrate expectations ;)
 

awldune

Sam
User
Yep, you should be up and running with a Shopsmith drive spur. Well, that is if your tail center is complete. Can you show us a photo?
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
Reviewing your photos I think this lathe been taken apart one time before and reassembled incorrectly. The ball bearing you have is probably a thrust bearing and should be behind the step cones instead of in front of it. This is to provide lateral thrust support for the headstock drive whenever you have pieces between centers. I see no way they could function properly being in front of or towards the open face of the headstock. If someone else wants to weigh in and tell me differently I would appreciate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
Reviewing your photos I think this lathe been taken apart one time before and reassembled incorrectly. The ball bearing you have is probably a thrust bearing and should be behind the step cones instead of in front of it. This is to provide lateral thrust support for the headstock drive whenever you have pieces between centers. I see no way they could function properly being in front of or towards the open face of the headstock. If someone else wants to weigh in and tell me differently I would appreciate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And that is one of the reasons why I like consulting you all. I went back to one of the manuals we found for an earlier model and, if im reading it right, it supports your hypothesis...

Thanks!

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Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
Glad to help someone start down the slippery slope of turning. This will be a good 'gateway lathe' for you. If you are able to overcome its shortcomings, you may be able to find out if you will enjoy turning or not. Some people don't, but most people do, even to the point of being 'closet turners'; they turn stuff but just don't talk about it here....... ;)
Next up, chisels and a sharpening system.
 

PappiJoe

New User
E
Quick update. I believe its safe to say its functional. Now its a matter of practicing with this setup. But, next step before playing more with it, disassemble, clean, sand, and paint in in the next weeks.

These pics are just a quick run playing around with a piece of 2” x 2” pine...
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