# Sears Router Crafter?



## Drugstore Cowboy (May 17, 2007)

At least I THINK that's what it was called.
I just seemed to remember seeing this gadget that was essentially a hand turned lathe -- but instead of using carving tools -- the cutting was done by a router mounted on rails.
Just curious -- 
Does anyone else remember this?
Or am I just imagining things on this rainy Sunday night?
Did anyone ever actually USE one?


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Yup they sold quite a few of these things for awhile. They even sold them on QVC during the Craftsman Hour several years back. You could make some neat looking carvings like lamp bodies, walking sticks etc. Never did see one working in person though. There is actually a tool called the legacy mill that is a real expensive tool that is similar to that. It has chain drives etc. on it but can do small like a pen or big stuff. 

Corey


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## Visteonguy (Aug 6, 2005)

Yes, Thats what it was called. I bought one from Sears back maybe about 1970 and I played with it right after I got it home. It was a neat little rig, I turned out some nice figured spindles that had spirals that you could NOT produce on a regular lathe. But I was only about 16 at the time and had a lot of interrest going at the time and after I made a few spindles on it,, I pushed it back in the corner and figured I would get back to it later,,, hahaha,, still got it but still have not gotten back to it yet. But if you come up with a project that needs some interresting spindles, that could be just the tool you might want to use. Sears stopped selling the Crafter after a few years and I thought I read some place not too long ago, they were thinking of trying to market it again,, I am not sure if they ever did or not, though. I have seen them turn up on EBAY once in a while and I ran across a web site once that delt with owners and their discusion groups.


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Visteone I believe they produced them again in the late 80's to mid/early 90's for awhile. Like I said I remember them selling them on QVC for awhile. That's where I first learned of it. 

Corey


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## Visteonguy (Aug 6, 2005)

Yes Corey,, I cannot remember where I seen that article,, I am sure it was in one of the wood working magazines or maybe even in popular mechanics a few years ago. I just looked on Ebay and I see there are 2 selling right now. A brand new one that was never used and with just under 4 days to go, its up to $84 I think. But they are quite the toy to make fancy spindles that will keep your friends guessing how you made them.


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## Drugstore Cowboy (May 17, 2007)

Thanks 
It's been a LONNNGGG weekend on a LOT of levels - and I was just sitting here with my brain kinda in free flight.
That was just one of many strange thoughts that floated by.
Glad it wasnt an illusion.
Sounds like it might have even been more useful than I gave it credit for.

The time frame is about right -- I got my first router - about 1977.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

I had one also they can do many .many router jobs that the standard router table can't do and the lathe can't do as well.(fluting,craving,etc.)

If you a search on the forum you should see many posted items popup on them.
If I recall a web site called Twisedwood or something like that ,shows all the items you can make with the Sears jig.

http://www.whois.ws/whois_index/t/domain_list.t.0874.php

Bj


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Hi Drugstore Bandit, here in Australia they are known as router lathes.The timber is mounted as in a normal lathe and the router is mounted on a traverse plate to which a stranded steel cable is attached and goes around the headstock then the length of the bed, around a pulley and back to the head stock which has an indexing system. In use the router is physically moved along the bed and because it's connected to the headstock it rotates, the ratio of rotation to horizontal movement of the router can be altered because there is a stepped pulley on the headstock around which the cable goes. Using this system single or multiple spirals can be routed, there are 36 indexing points. For parallel flutes the headstock is locked and the cable unhooked from the traverse plate. I hope all this makes sense to you.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Here's one that you can make if you have a lathe and you want to put on some flutes or make a rope turning 

http://woodworkersedge.com/FlutingJig.htm

Bj


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## Drugstore Cowboy (May 17, 2007)

harrysin said:


> . . . I hope all this makes sense to you.


Thanks Harry - and everyone -
Yes -- makes perfect sense.

Sounds like I was about to give a somewhat useful tool a bad rap. Like I said - all I was going on was a foggy 35 year old memory of a picture in a catalog.

I still have a feeling its actual VALUE depends a LOT on the creativity and skill of the user.
Then, again, that could be said of any tool.


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

I still have mine I made lot's of table legs Havent used it in yrs Still have the router bits for different pattern's and the paper that show's how to use it and the legs ect del


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## Woodnut65 (Oct 11, 2004)

Hi: The Sears router Crafter was made by a company called Vermont American.
After Sears stopped selling them, I had a special job to do for a client, so I bought one router crafter from Vermont American. Still have it I think it was only used on that one job. I also have a lathe but the crafter will do some things that are difficult to do on it. That's my 2 cents worth. Woodnut65


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## Tom Edwards (Sep 12, 2004)

*Sears Router Crafter*

I have one of these devices. I have yet to use it but did see quite a few turnings that was done on one. I obtained it because I thought that one day I would like to make some twisted (rope like) candlestick holders. I also saw several items that had left and right hand turnings which looked very professional.
I could send a pix if it would be a) permissable, b) desireable.

matelot


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## downhill (Nov 21, 2008)

I've owned one since around 1976. I played around with it for a while and made a few items for a bed but it's been just taking up space ever since as I've not had the time or money for doing a lot of woodworking. 

That's been changing for several years now as the kids are all out of the house and I've been doing a few projects here and there. 

This router crafter is going to figure into a new bed frame for the guest room. 

If you find one on Ebay or own one, from what I remember about mine, be very careful of the spindles for the wire harness. You can't get parts for this anymore but I suppose one could make them out of wood.


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## Amy (Nov 7, 2008)

Fast question on these, I'm reading the box on ours and it keeps saying that you can hollow out the center of what you are working on with the lathe.

I'm completely confused on this- the only way I can see that you can hollow this out is NOT with the lathe, but rather a drill, or pre-routing two coves on different sides of the wood and gluing it together.... is there another way or something that I'm missing?

2nd- has anyone actually done it??


Amy


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Amy

I have one also 
I didn't see that on the box,,,
I don't see how it can be done,,it's not a true lathe...


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Amy said:


> Fast question on these, I'm reading the box on ours and it keeps saying that you can hollow out the center of what you are working on with the lathe.
> 
> I'm completely confused on this- the only way I can see that you can hollow this out is NOT with the lathe, but rather a drill, or pre-routing two coves on different sides of the wood and gluing it together.... is there another way or something that I'm missing?
> 
> ...


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## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

Hi Amy,

I think what that may be referring to is the ability to make hollow twists, for things like lamps and such....does that make any sense?

Ed......



Amy said:


> Fast question on these, I'm reading the box on ours and it keeps saying that you can hollow out the center of what you are working on with the lathe.
> 
> I'm completely confused on this- the only way I can see that you can hollow this out is NOT with the lathe, but rather a drill, or pre-routing two coves on different sides of the wood and gluing it together.... is there another way or something that I'm missing?
> 
> ...


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Ed

That may be it..

Amy here is a snapshot how to do that... 

======


karateed said:


> Hi Amy,
> 
> I think what that may be referring to is the ability to make hollow twists, for things like lamps and such....does that make any sense?
> 
> Ed......


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Bob you are to much. You have it all! And nice turning!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Nick

Thanks,,,  I started with some GREEN Aspen Log that was two days down, I gave it away and it's now a lamp  LOL LOL hahahahaha, one man's junk thing or to say one man's firewood... 

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nickao65 said:


> Bob you are to much. You have it all! And nice turning!


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

I am not a turner and I always wondered what happened to these types of things as they dried out. 

Is it possibly the turning in the picture could get ruined just from the drying out process? 

Are most things like this turned totally green?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Nick

I was once a turner  

Most green logs dry out and crack like a walnut shell..you can buy stuff to help slow it down or to say keep it from cracking..BUT

Many like to use green wood because it cuts so nice and the smell is great..but it's best to use dry wood..  if you want it to last..

But it can take years to dry out the log(s) at one time I stuck them in some goop that would seal the ends and that help a lot...


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nickao65 said:


> I am not a turner and I always wondered what happened to these types of things as they dried out.
> 
> Is it possibly the turning in the picture could get ruined just from the drying out process?
> 
> Are most things like this turned totally green?


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## Amy (Nov 7, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> But it can take years to dry out the log(s) at one time I stuck them in some goop that would seal the ends and that help a lot...
> 
> 
> =====




Based on that statement, when you made the knobs out of the logs earlier this year, how dry were those??? I'm asking because we happen to be visiting a place at x-mas that has woods.... and a selection of tree branches we can cut.

That and there appears to be a shagbark hickory that is fallen down the road from where we're at(in another apartment complex) that we may be able to snag branches off of. It's been down since the windstorm we had a few months ago. Matt is interested in doing knobs like yours as well as possibly some lamp stands (I'm thinking that'll be great for christmas NEXT year) with that router lathe. We got the new router on the table, the little ryobi 1/4" smaller HP one on the lathe, and the old one in the new plunge base, and he's biting at the bit to use the lathe as soon as the bits we ordered arrive.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Amy

I use dowel rod to make the knobs the norm , it's dry the norm...the ones I made from the tree turned out ok because I used the heart wood of the tree,, they have not spit/crack yet..  
I think the hickory would work great but it would need to be a big branch.

You can use just about any router ,,,but one with a 1/2" collet would be best to take on the bigger bits, to hog off the out side of the log/branch.
like a gouge for the real lathe so to speak..a smaller router will do it also it will just take more time 


Router Lathe on you-tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7NYL0HnsQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7NYL0HnsQ&feature=related

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Amy said:


> Based on that statement, when you made the knobs out of the logs earlier this year, how dry were those??? I'm asking because we happen to be visiting a place at x-mas that has woods.... and a selection of tree branches we can cut.
> 
> That and there appears to be a shagbark hickory that is fallen down the road from where we're at(in another apartment complex) that we may be able to snag branches off of. It's been down since the windstorm we had a few months ago. Matt is interested in doing knobs like yours as well as possibly some lamp stands (I'm thinking that'll be great for christmas NEXT year) with that router lathe. We got the new router on the table, the little ryobi 1/4" smaller HP one on the lathe, and the old one in the new plunge base, and he's biting at the bit to use the lathe as soon as the bits we ordered arrive.


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## Amy (Nov 7, 2008)

we've thought of attaching the freud 2.25hp one to it, but I was iffy about it saying that it was for 1/4 routers; however, I do think you have a very valid point. I'll switch it out when he's not looking, and see how long it takes him to notice.

The hickory that is down is HUGE. I mean this thing fell over and they left it there. I was going to snag bigger branches, but it will defiantely take two people to get any of them, my poor car is in for it when we get them in there. Property management/maintence has no issues with the tree or parts of it dissappearing.


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## Thelt (Feb 3, 2009)

*I've got one*

I think it's somewhere in the attic. Never had the patience to learn how to use it. I may have to drag it down and see what I can do with it.


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## Thelt (Feb 3, 2009)

Amy said:


> Fast question on these, I'm reading the box on ours and it keeps saying that you can hollow out the center of what you are working on with the lathe.
> 
> I'm completely confused on this- the only way I can see that you can hollow this out is NOT with the lathe, but rather a drill, or pre-routing two coves on different sides of the wood and gluing it together.... is there another way or something that I'm missing?
> 
> ...


A few years back I ordered a 6 pack of woodworking books from the internet. Amongst these books was a booklet called Twisted Timber, A Power Tool Guide For Ornamental Turning.

I think what is meant by "hollowing out" is after you make the twisted turnings the booklet goes on to say to chuck it in a lathe with a "dove tail jaw chuck" and hollow it out like you would in a bowl turning. I have attached a .pdf of one page from this hard to follow book. Because of copyright I cannon copy the entire booklet. It has a pretty good illustration of the "twisted turning" hollowed out for an oil lamp or candle holder.


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## tommiefromva (Mar 29, 2009)

*Sears Router Crafter*

I have a Router Crafter. I bought it after reading in Wood Magazine about a guy in Tennessee that made canes and walking sticks on a router crafter. I got it to make piano stool legs but never made any legs because I had so much fun making walking sticks. I still use it now and then. Tommie


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## MACswag (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi Harry,I'm now in the market for a routerlathe,I' currently watching two on E/BAY. I've had one before but sold most of my gear because of bereavement, to just get away and find some sunshine and be alone for awhile,I'm back but not in the best of health and the house is empty now so I spend a lot of time in my garden and shed just tootling around,can't seem to work up any enthusiasm for much, still enough of my moans,as said I'm trying to win one on E/B. MAC


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## MACswag (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi Bob,is that a home made rig come router crafter,very neat and strong looking too, MAC


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## Matthew Lamie (Oct 9, 2013)

Yes i have work really well have to go slow and steady b\still see them on ebay now and again nice to have around the shop


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