Atlas mill home at last

[Dave Smith]

Got some bad news about the mill today.I took it to the machine shop hoping that the arbor press idea would finally solve my problem.After a while the guy called me and said that there was a tiny screw wedged down in the spindle thats why nothing I tried worked. He said he could get the arbor out for me but he would have to charge me a small fortune. So now i'm thinking this project might be at an end. The only other option is trying to drill out the arbour like another poster had suggested. But how much damage has been done to the spindle? Is it even worth saving now??

My curiouslty is how he knows there is something like a tiny screw between your spindle taper and your arbor mt ---it would be impossible to see in that area from my thinking. maybe I'm thinking about the wrong location. If he could see it it--it would have to be in the tang or drawbar entry area. hope you can get some pics so we can see where he says the little screw is jammed in.---on your thought of this being the end of your project, always remember that you can just make a vertical powered head and ignore the spindle problem.---that is how I am going to make my vertical powered head without using the atlas hor. spindle at all..--waiting for your pics and more information. Dave

 

[Uncle Buck]

My curiouslty is how he knows there is something like a tiny screw between your spindle taper and your arbor mt ---it would be impossible to see in that area from my thinking. maybe I'm thinking about the wrong location. If he could see it it--it would have to be in the tang or drawbar entry area. hope you can get some pics so we can see where he says the little screw is jammed in.---on your thought of this being the end of your project, always remember that you can just make a vertical powered head and ignore the spindle problem.---that is how I am going to make my vertical powered head without using the atlas hor. spindle at all..--waiting for your pics and more information. Dave

You bring up some very valid points. However, I think he can get the thing separated and even in a worst case scenerio only sacrifice the arbor in the process.

 

[Dave Smith]

You bring up some very valid points. However, I think he can get the thing separated and even in a worst case scenerio only sacrifice the arbor in the process.

You are right Uncle Buck--keep attacking the problem even if it goes slowly--I bet if you and I were there to help him we could get it---Your thinking is very similar to mine.....thanks for all the advise you are giving him. --Dave

 

[cbtrek]

Got some bad news about the mill today.I took it to the machine shop hoping that the arbor press idea would finally solve my problem.After a while the guy called me and said that there was a tiny screw wedged down in the spindle thats why nothing I tried worked. He said he could get the arbor out for me but he would have to charge me a small fortune. So now i'm thinking this project might be at an end. The only other option is trying to drill out the arbour like another poster had suggested. But how much damage has been done to the spindle? Is it even worth saving now??

Can you please add a photo of this screw so we can all see the problem.

 

[wa5cab]

Robert,

I think that this thread may have set a record for longest thread that actually stuck to the original machine and subject. :whistle:

At any rate, although there is no way in which you can recoup the time you have spent trying to remove that arbor, all is not really lost. If you have finally decided that you cannot remove it from the spindle, sacrifice the arbor and cut it off. There is a guy on eBay who sells new arbors in all three diameters. After the amputation, remove the spindle from the machine and take it to someone with a 30 or 50 ton press and have them remove the arbor stub. Then decide whether the spindle is usable/salvagable or not. If not, replacement spindles aren't easy to find but eventually you should be able to locate one.

Robert D.

 

[robert1352]

I’m going to try one more shop near by because I don’t see the screw the first guys was talking about, if that doesn’t work,im cutting off the arbor. As far as the rest of the machine is concerned, im still stripping off some stubborn paint and getting ready to buff and polish some of the parts. See the picture of some freshly stripped parts and my new to me workbench. I found it for 20$.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Robert,
I think that this thread may have set a record for longest thread that actually stuck to the original machine and subject. :whistle:

At any rate, although there is no way in which you can recoup the time you have spent trying to remove that arbor, all is not really lost. If you have finally decided that you cannot remove it from the spindle, sacrifice the arbor and cut it off. There is a guy on eBay who sells new arbors in all three diameters. After the amputation, remove the spindle from the machine and take it to someone with a 30 or 50 ton press and have them remove the arbor stub. Then decide whether the spindle is usable/salvagable or not. If not, replacement spindles aren't easy to find but eventually you should be able to locate one.

Robert D.

YES ABSOLUTELY! I AGREE!!!!!

 

[robert1352]

One more item for today, a few weeks ago I suggested that there were what looked like gaskets on my mill. I later said that I might have been mistaken and that it was just sludge and grime from thirty or so years of use. In a pm to me Uncle Buck said that it would make sense if there had been gaskets on my mill because it had a coolant pump and would need gaskets to prevent the coolant from leaking out. Well to finally put the question to rest I can now say conclusively that there were gaskets on my mill, I know this because I just spent about forty minutes scraping the little bits off with a razor. LOL

 

[iron man]

If someone put a screw in the arbor to stop it from spinning in the taper that would be one thing but that should be easy to see otherwise I think the guy just did not want to do it and is blowing smoke. I wish you lived near by I am pretty sure I could have it out of there in short order with no damage.. Ray


I have access to a 250 ton press that should do it..

 

[robert1352]

I agree with you Iron Man, I think that guy just didnt want to be bothered with it. Like I said there is another shop near by that I will take it to early this week and let them have a look at it. There is not too much left to do paint stripping wise, so I was wondering what everyone thinks would be a good color for the new paint job? Should I get something off the shelf or try to get it back to the original color? Also, from what I have been reading on this site and a few others it seems like using a brush might work out better than spray paint,any thoughts?