Craftsman Router Crafter ? - Woodworking Talk

**Daren** · 07-28-2007, 01:16 PM

My wife dragged one home from a garage sale ($10 complete). Has anyone used one ? Are there plans/websites about them?

**TexasTimbers** · 07-28-2007, 01:24 PM

Dunnno anything on it but sounds like a good fiind. Is it a carver?

Big Dave · 07-28-2007, 01:31 PM

I found this site. I didn't look around but thought it might help.

http://www.twistedtimber.net/ad/craftsman.html

**Daren** · 07-28-2007, 01:32 PM

Yea, for making fluted, twisted legs/posts. I posted before I read Big Dave's response, cool. http://www.twistedtimber.net/2007/staircase.html
That is a link from the homepage I found off Dave's link.

**Daren** · 08-21-2007, 05:25 PM

Since nobody seemed to know what one was, I will tell you what I learned. I had a chance to play with it for an hour or so this morning.
It is basically a router lathe with some bonuses. It will hold a 36" piece of stock x 4" square. I had some 2" oak laying around. The router mounts on the plate than is either dragged along the piece as it rotates making spiral cuts by a cable on the handle pullies. Or the cable attached to the handle that turns the stock can be disconnected from the base and the router is stationary as the piece turns on it's axis. The stock can be held fast and the router base slides up and down the rail for rounding (slight turns each pass) and for making fluted legs.

The depth adjustment is controlled by setting the little feet that run down the front rail. Or as in the pictures their are 2 bolt holes for mounting a template for making duplicate turnings. I used the bolts holes and a scrap of straight wood to make a tapered leg by tilting the board. There is a roller on the front of the carriage that rides the template or straight edge.

**Daren** · 08-21-2007, 05:37 PM

I messed around and make a couple spiral turnings. I did not clean them up, they are practice throw aways. I did not read the manual and "eyeballed" the crossing spirals and they are not perfect. I have since read the manual and have that figured out, pretty easy, I was just playing this morning. There are numbers on the handle end that do the proper math for you to get even spacing. I also found I was using the wrong bit on the first 2, it burned the wood. It could be sanded out, but the right bits don't make burn marks as I found on the third one (middle in the picture).
The tapered leg I posted a picture of above I later ran flutes down it, using the same straight edge, worked pretty good.
I attached a couple pictures from the manual.
At first I thought this was a gimmick tool, I have a couple lathes. But was surprised how well and fast it does round down square stock (faster than a lathe) and I can get perfect repeated tapers, and more complex duplicates. I like the flutes and the spiral rope turning.
If I have a chance to play with it more I will post more pictures of something nice I made with it. This was just a few minutes trying to figure out what it was even for.
Not bad for a $10 investment (Just out of curiosity I watched one sell on ebay for $213 + shipping) Another toy.

rob.hough · 08-21-2007, 09:01 PM

very cool! I need to send my GF out to yard/garage sales, hehe.

Gerry KIERNAN · 11-03-2007, 12:31 PM

Ten Bucks??? Good score!

Gerry

Corndog · 11-03-2007, 04:03 PM

Looks like too much sanding to me.

**Daren** · 11-03-2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corndog

Looks like too much sanding to me.

On oak with a dull router bit (I was messing around) yes. On something like walnut or maple I bet there would be little/no sanding. I have not had that thing back out for over a month, or whenever that first post was made ?

Hiclay2000 · 11-14-2007, 11:25 PM

10 bucks! Hard to believe but possible. Im going to pay top dollar then on ebay for one. I did see one in a junk pile at a house for sale. I tried getting in touch with the owner to see if I could have it. I keep waiting to see it in a pile on the side of the street but evidently not. I will probably have alot of questions once I get one and start using it