Clausing 100 mk3a Timken spindle bearings

COMachinist

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Hi All
Well I think it is time to change bearings in my Clausing 100 mk3a. So I don’t know crapola about bearing but I know they aren’t cheap. How ever a new lathe is $3600+ for Grizzly or a PM 12x36 lathe. So bearings would be cheap I guess. I want best bearings but don’t know what ask for or order. Don't even know the bearings that are in it. I do know it has started chattering like crazy all of a sudden, and there is about .0015-002 play in the spndle side to side and less than 5 tenths end to end so thinking bearings. Any one know the numbers of bearing and class I need to order? Where to order? I search the forum for bearing info on clausing but no joy. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
CH
 
Sounds like they may only need to be taken up a little. Put a piece of round stock in the chuck about a foot long and give it the lift test. By taking up some end play you will reduce the amount of lift.Timken's cold should be around +.001
 
Yes they may only need readjusting, try that first.
Mark
 
Ok that is what i did, the lift test. .002 I tried to adjust the end play but that is about .0005-.0007 and can’t be 0’d out no help on the run out. I don’t know how old the bearings are. They maybe original for all I know. I have had the lathe a few years and usd the heck put of it. Never had chatter unless I over did depth of cut, untill now.q even lite cuts chatter like crazy. Gibs are all adjusted, clean and oiled. It’s got drip oilers and I keep them full.
 
While over tightening the spindle bearings should have no effect on runout, with tapered roller bearings you should always be able to reduce the end float to zero. And the lift to zero also unless your chuck jaws are bell mouthed. When cold, Timkens should be slightly over tightened to all for lengthening of the spindle as it warms up. The only exception that I could think of was if either cone is not at least a light press fit on the spindle.

When doing the lift test, you should use a solid bar that will just fit through the spindle and indicate the register area of the spindle, not the bar.

On buying the bearings, you should be able to still get them from Clausing. I never asked about ones for a Clausing but I know that they do still stock ones for the Atlas machines.
 
I think I have a similar lathe and believe you may have a cracked bearing roller. Not the best news I know but I believe you can check them without much trouble. Memory fails me so you may want to check with the Clausing lathe site in the UK.
I bought replacement bearings about 10 years ago through the CarQuest auto parts store. Yes they are pricey.
There used to be a bearing house in Colorado Springs, Moore Bearing Co. that supplied most bearings to the cement plant near Florence. Not sure if they are still there but Pueblo Bearing, Pueblo, CO was a good source as well.
Have a good day
Ray
P.S. You may want to take the bearings to the replacement supplier to be sure of all dimensions.
 
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While over tightening the spindle bearings should have no effect on runout, with tapered roller bearings you should always be able to reduce the end float to zero. And the lift to zero also unless your chuck jaws are bell mouthed. When cold, Timkens should be slightly over tightened to all for lengthening of the spindle as it warms up. The only exception that I could think of was if either cone is not at least a light press fit on the spindle.

When doing the lift test, you should use a solid bar that will just fit through the spindle and indicate the register area of the spindle, not the bar.

On buying the bearings, you should be able to still get them from Clausing. I never asked about ones for a Clausing but I know that they do still stock ones for the Atlas machines.
Hi
Actually I called Clausing and they where abosulutly no help at all. The lady was only able to tell me that the bearings where discontinued, which I allready figured. They couldnot even tell me a Timken Number. I mean she was worthless.
CH
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think I have a similar lathe and believe you may have a cracked bearing roller. Not the best news I know but I believe you can check them without much trouble. Memory fails me so you may want to check with the Clausing lathe site in the UK.
I bought replacement bearings about 10 years ago through the CarQuest auto parts store. Yes they are pricey.
There used to be a bearing house in Colorado Springs, Moore Bearing Co. that supplied most bearings to the cement plant near Florence. Not sure if they are still there but Pueblo Bearing, Pueblo, CO was a good source as well.
Have a good day
Ray
P.S. You may want to take the bearings to the replacement supplier to be sure of all dimensions.
Hi Rock Braeker
I may talk to Whistler Bearing here in Colorado Springs. They usually are willing to help. Im tring to get a couple projects finished before i rebuild the spindle. Is there any way to get the bearing numbers without tearing down the lathe head stock? It looks like this could take a while to get parts together. I am tempted to just try to get the money together and order a Grizzly 12x36 gunsmith lathe or a Presion Mathews. That lathe has paid for its self many times over. Ijust hate to scrap a nice old iron lathe like that. I have so much nice tooling for it. Oh well every thing gets old theses days, kind of like me, ready for the scrap heap.
CH
 
Hi
Actually I called Clausing and they where abosulutly no help at all. The lady was only able to tell me that the bearings where discontinued, which I allready figured. They couldnot even tell me a Temkin Number. I mean she was wortless.
CH
Well, that is quite strange. I don't have a Clausing lathe and all of my calls to Clausing have been about Atlas lathes, mills, etc. I had just assumed that if they still supported the Atlas line at least partially, they would for sure have continued support of the Clausing line. Maybe they made so few of them that there wasn't enough business to warrant keeping parts.

In any case, if no one knows what the commercial bearing numbers are, if they are Timken the 3, 4 or 5-digit Timken part numbers should be etched into both the cup and the cone.

Also, although I can't guarantee that Clausing still has this info as they still do some of the Atlas, but it's worth another phone call and this time, ask for Tom McNett. Unfortunately, Jolene, the woman in Sales who would at least have been able to tell you flatly that they didn't have any info on the older Clausing machines retired maybe two years ago. The ones who are left are a mix of helpful but haven't been there too long and (censored).

In any case, I would hate to see you scrap the Clausing in favor of something from Grizzly just over a pair of bearings.
 
Hi Rock Braeker
I may talk to Whistler Bearing here in Colorado Springs. They usually are willing to help. Im tring to get a couple projects finished before i rebuild the spindle. Is there any way to get the bearing numbers without tearing down the lathe head stock? It looks like this could take a while to get parts together. I am tempted to just try to get the money together and order a Grizzly 12x36 gunsmith lathe or a Presion Mathews. That lathe has paid for its self many times over. Ijust hate to scrap a nice old iron lathe like that. I have so much nice tooling for it. Oh well every thing gets old theses days, kind of like me, ready for the scrap heap.
CH
If you are beyond 84 you may be getting old. I do not have records of the bearing numbers. There is a website in the UK that may have this information, not sure about the Clausing dealership here in the US.
As for dismantling the headstock it seems like the outer races do the adjusting but am unsure about the one on the chuck end. I do remember using 1/2" all thread a bearing splitter and shims to get the shaft out. As I recall I didn't push against the cast iron housing but included it as shim material. Some of the shims were 1/2" torch cut scrap iron with the slag ground off.
If you do retire your lathe please keep me in mind.
Ray
 
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