Atlas mill home at last

[robert1352]

So autozone did not have a bearing splitter,the guy at pep boys didnt even know what a bearing splitter was so now im wondering if there is some way I could make a gear puller work.Any input would be welcome as I really havent done much of anything else to the mill since this problem with the stuck arbor is holding up my progress.

 

[Uncle Buck]

So autozone did not have a bearing splitter,the guy at pep boys didnt even know what a bearing splitter was so now im wondering if there is some way I could make a gear puller work.Any input would be welcome as I really havent done much of anything else to the mill since this problem with the stuck arbor is holding up my progress.

No puller will do this job. What makes a bearing splitter so uniquely qualified to do this job is the fact that with it's knife edges it is made to slide into very narrow gaps (like you have between the end of the spindle and the beginning of the arbor) when you start tightening each bolt of the bearing separator it draws those thin knife edges deeper into that narrow crack/space where the spindle and arbor meet. As the splitter is tightened it acts like a wedge and forces the two pieces apart that are stuck together. Don't forget, tighten each bolt a turn or two, then use your hammer to give it a few raps to see if that won't help it pop while it is under preassure from the bearing separator.

PM me your mailing address and I will send you my bearing splitter to use. I will also send you the extra new v belt I bought for my machine that never fit it too. The belt may not fit your machine either but if it does, you are that much ahead; if not. then you have a belt you can't use either. UPDATE: As I look at your pictures closer I think the belt I have will fit your machine. I noticed 2 steps on your spindle belt pulley hanging on the countershaft. My machine has 3 steps which I think makes it older than your machine. When they changed the design and went to 2 steps on the pulley I think the pulley grooves were made widere than mine meaning the belt I have will I think work fine for your machine which would be great news.

In the first pictures you posted there was a little cast iron bracket bolted to the housing of your mill right above the window where the belt enters the machine. I noticed in later pictures you removed that part. Did you happen to keep that little part? That was the hanger for the original Atlas coolant pot and spiggot that at one time was used with the pump you sent my way. If you did not toss it would you consider selling that part?

 

[Dave Smith]

Hi I'm wondering if you got your arbor out of the spindle yet? I looked at mine and I'm wondering why I see all those spindle threads showing on yours--doesn't your arbor have two slots on end to slide into a driver end with two pins? mine has a spindle nut collar that threads on my spindle so I can't see any threads exposed like on yours. How about yours Uncle Buck, I cant tell from your shinny pictures of your arbor if it has slots in the end collar--does your arbhor have two collar slots on taper end ? it must have them to keep the arbor from spinning in the taper. Dave in Minnesota --- I've enjoyed reading this forum ---I just had an idea--If your arbor has the slots then take a spanner wrench and give good quick hammer hits from one direction (left or right) and then give it a quick hit from the other direction--this should maybe break the taper free enough to try again on your drawbar If you don't understand this--I can take pictures of mine and post them

 

[Dave Smith]

I just looked back at Uncle Bucks mill and his has the driver collar on his spindle threads also like mine--now it is making since why yours is so tight--It probably spun in the taper and maybe galled up or owner put some type of seize liquid to keep it from slipping and over tightened the drawbar---if that was the case then use some anti seize penetrating fluid and then try the side taps on the spanner wrench when you have some outer tension with the bearing puller ---I have a question for Uncle Buck--does your vertical head have up and down travel or do you have to use your vertical axis of your mill for the height adjustment? Dave

 

[robert1352]

No Dave Smith my arbor does not have any groves near the collar. Im going to stop by a wallmart tomorrow and see if I can pick up a bearing splitter like Uncle Buck suggest,I couldnt belive they didnt have one at autozone! If that doset work I will give the anti seize fluid a try,im like you I think the previous owner probably way overtightened it. Im afraid to use too much force when tapping on the drawbar because I have read on other sites that atlas used some brittle pot iron for there castings. Yes Uncle Buck I would like the v-pulley belt,thank you for your kind offer.By the way please tell your friend to post pictures of the finished pump!!

 

[Uncle Buck]

You are correct, my machine does have the same threaded collar with the two little dogs that lock the arbor in and keep it from spinning. Robert, Wal-Mart will not have a bearing splitter. If you don't want to borrow mine why not just buy one on-line? Harbor Freight will carry cheap ones. In honesty, bearing splitters are not something you will find at regular hdw stores or big box stores for that matter. Industrial supply stores serving industry or well stocked stores dedicated to selling nothing but tools will generally have bearing splitters. I would not expect to find one at Sears either. Where you find bearing splitters sold you can bet it will be a very well stocked tool supply store.

I will send you the belt once you PM me your mailing address. You might want to rethink borrowing my splitter. Unless you buy one from Harbor Freight a bearing splitter will be expensive for a one time use, likely $40 or close to it. It might be Monday before I can get pictures of the pump up. Also, once you get that thing separated I think I have an extra drive nut I can give you too which should prevent this from happening again. In fact, I will mail it with the belt.

 

[Dave Smith]

I would think NAPA stores would have bearing splitter--or if you just take your head in they could press it out easily. I will send pics of my mill head and arbor--you may have to cut two slots in your arbor to use the correct spindle nut. Dave

 

[Uncle Buck]

Dave, I agree Robert should be able to get a bearing splitter at NAPA, but I think pressing that affair apart on a press might prove more difficult. Robert cannot remove the spindle and and arbor from the body of the machine as those parts are held captive due to their being joined. If for that reason alone I don't see a press fixing this problem. Actually, Robert could probably buy a bearing splitter as a special order from virtually anyplace like O'Reilly, ETC. If he can find a counter man that is not an absolute boob and knows how to use his store catalogs he could likely get one special ordered. Or, as I said, he could save a bunch of money on a tool he will likely never have need for again and borrow mine!

 

[Uncle Buck]

Here is the initial message upon re-assembly that Ray sent.

[quote author=goodfellow link=action=profile;u=5 date=1364587103]
I finished it up this afternoon Herb. As expected, the motor itself it's a bit tired when you apply the pump load of the impeller to move fluid, but it grudgingly does the job. The biggest problem is the motor itself. The field windings are starting to crack and will most likely short within a few years of use. Also the bearings have a lot of play so I'd be careful running it in the upside down position, it will make noise. That said, I ran the motor for 15 minutes straight sitting in the vertical position and it hummed along quite nicely.
The biggest problem encountered was centering and balancing the pump impeller. The previous owner had it apart, but I suspect that he didn't assemble it correctly because the impeller was wobbling on the shaft and scraping the pump housing, so if you need to take the pump portion apart for future maintenance make sure you witness mark the pieces to ensure they go back together in the same way.
Here are the pics of the finished product --



Please send me you current address, so that I can get it out to you next week.
Take care, and Happy Easter to you and your family.
Ray
[/quote]

This was a followup Ray sent a short time later.

Just a quick note -- I wasn't too happy with the coolant flow on this pump so on a hunch I flipped the impeller inside the pump. Wow!!!! Now we have coolant flow. The damn thing could pump my 20 gal parts washer dry in minutes.
I'm betting that the previous owner took it apart or purchased it from someone who didn't know how to put it together, because the impeller definitely was put in wrong. Here's a pic of the flow inside the parts washer --

You should be good to go. Unfortunately, though a few drops of solvent hit the new paint and ruined the finish in one small spot. You can mask it and repaint it yourself when you get the time --
[/quote]

 

[robert1352]

Sorry I havent had a chance to get on the net till now,I went to two more auto parts places today and like before one guy said he didnt even know what a bearing splitter was and the other guy at least tried to look up what I was talking about on the computer but still no luck. Uncle Buck I will send you my mailing adress in the nest few minutes so check you inbox. Dave as to your idea about using an arbor press I thought of that as well but after talking to others it seems like that isnt the best way to solve this problem,but thank you for the advice. Uncke Buck im going to talk to my neighbor when I see him cutting his grass in the next day or two he and his dad like to work on trucks so im going to ask him if he hass a splitter if that fails I might just take you up on your offer to borrow your splitter. And just to let you guys know I have some of the parts soaking in degreaser and I got some pant stripper,so I am making some head way. I do have one about how my knee works.Im going to take some pictures ,there is a rack on the main casting but,maybe im missing a gear but it dosent seem to connect to anything.I know that might be a hard to follow question so like I said I will post some pictures to better illustrate my question.Thanks everyone Robert.