Antique Hardindge Bench Lathe. How to remove spindle head

[medida]

Hope the wisdom of this board can assist me. I just purchased this Hardinge Cataract Bench lathe and want to remove the spindle head. There are no attachment bolts or nuts that are visible from the underside. There are two holes in the back side of the main spindle head just under the oil tubes. When I look inside them, it looks like there is a pin about 3 inches or so from the surface.

The only thing I can think of is to knock these pins further into the casting. But am reluctant to just try that. Does anyone know how this spindle head comes off of the lathe bed?

 

[medida]

added a pic from underneath

 

[GK1918]

Only thing I think of is in the key on "E" ya gotta rock with me baby!! you will get it!!!!

 

[Tony Wells]

Just a guess, but it appears to me that those horizontal pins draw the housing down to the bed casting by intersecting with the studs in the tee slots. Unless they filled the holes on the front, you will need to drill and tap the pins, provided they are not hardened, and jack them out. The the headstock should lift off. I suspect the pins you see are tapered, so driving them in is not likely an option.

 

[12bolts]

As it looks like you are doing a complete overhaul? I would hit the front of the casting with a flap wheel and see if the holes do indeed come all the way through. Maybe just some bondo in there. Might be tricky trying to drill, tap, and extract from a deep hole in the back

Cheers Phil

 

[medida]

Interesting point. Did not think of this. Will take a look

 

[12bolts]

In this pic there appears to be a collar on the t-bolt.

When I zoomed in the diameter appears to be larger but the focus is a bit fuzzy.

Can you see the "possible pins" by looking up past the side of the "collar"? Is it possible those collars are threaded on?

Cheers Phil

 

[medida]

Well, scrapped the paint off the other side and there is no hole. Took some more measurements. The one pin is in by 2 1/4 inch....so about 1/8 inch from the centerline of the lathe. The other pin is in by 2" (or 3/8 from the centerline of the lathe). I would not think that the PO put taper pins in, as this would cause the pin to cock (being that it is so close to the TSlot hole. Does anyone know how far the hole in the cast went beyond the centerline of the lathe?

I'm hesitant to just start hitting it (to move) as it might break the casting

 

[medida]

Phil

I looked closer to see what these are. Here is a pic looking inside the unit (toward the tailstock end). Then I thought about this. The tailstock had a riser block also. Here is a pic of the tailstock TBolt. I expect the front are the same. The hole is the casting is about .375 inch diameter. THe hole in the TBolt is .390 inch

Other than drilling out the pin...and other thoughts?

 

[core-oil]

Looking at the pin lying next to your ruler makes me wonder if this system of tightening/loosening, is something like an old lathe I have lying by me, If one looks in the horizontal holes in the headstock casting you will be able to see the transverse thro' hole in the pin, & the bottom of this transverse hole slightly up from the bottom face of horizontal holes.

take a portion of bar set up in a four jaw chuck & turn a slight length "off centre" thus making a cam shape, On the outer end of the bar cross drill for a tommy bar feed bar in, till cam portion is in transverse hole in the vertical tee bolt. Lightly push down or tap tommy bar in appropriate direction & this should take the pressure of your tee bolt section & allow head or tailstock to slide free