My little 7x14 is now ready to be cleaned, fettled and the rest

[SouthernChap]

Can you shorten the key or am I missing something? not that I think you will have a problem with the spindle missing a little material, I Think it is fine.
I have separated many a stuck race using a Dremel tool. If you find yourself in this pickle again try using a cut off wheel and cutting a slot in the race. Get close and use a wedge (cold chisel or old screwdriver) to break the remaining. Races are usually hard enough to crack easily when “tapped” with a wedge and hammer. Don’t forget eye protection.

I need the longer key to hold both the teethed drive pulley and the gear that goes to the change gears.

The key that fits the shorter keyway on the 'unmolested' spindle only has to hold the gear that transfers the spindle movement to the change gears.

The 'unmolested' spindle is an older version, it's identical to mine in all aspects but this shorter keyway.

Hmm...maybe I underestimated the cutting efficiency of a Dremel cut off wheel? Given the lack of success drilling I dismissed the Dremel and went straight to my bench grinder.

As usual; I should have asked first on here, then acted!

 

[SouthernChap]

Just sorry this happened... that is all. You have a great attitude towards the situation. That is all that matters. The rest can be fixed/replaced.

Following the progress.

Just to be clear, I really wasn't being arsey. I honestly wondered if you had any advice and so I thought I'd give you a nudge.

As for my attitude, eh, this is a pretty inexpensive Chinese mini-lathe and I do have a spare spindle if I have done something fatal (just need to work out the best way of extending the keyway about 15mm without a mill and with only a drill press). I guess if I'd chewed up something important on a Colchester or a Myford (the prices on Myford parts are sheer madness) I'd be less philosophical

Also someone on another thread expressed the opinion that it's in the nature of beginners to wreck equipment. If I'm still as much of a danger to my tools (especially if I have a better coverage of task-appropriate tools) in a years time, I'll be more worried.

 

[SouthernChap]

Our Aircraft Engineers would require a minimum of 80 % contact area for a locating surface to be acceptable.

Oh, sounds like I'm within parameters then

 

[OTmachine]

Just to be clear, I really wasn't being arsey. I honestly wondered if you had any advice and so I thought I'd give you a nudge.

As for my attitude, eh, this is a pretty inexpensive Chinese mini-lathe and I do have a spare spindle if I have done something fatal (just need to work out the best way of extending the keyway about 15mm without a mill and with only a drill press). I guess if I'd chewed up something important on a Colchester or a Myford (the prices on Myford parts are sheer madness) I'd be less philosophical

Also someone on another thread expressed the opinion that it's in the nature of beginners to wreck equipment. If I'm still as much of a danger to my tools (especially if I have a better coverage of task-appropriate tools) in a years time, I'll be more worried.

Set up a fence on the drill press, set up some sort of clocking device, (drill press vice?), and chain drill the keyway. Then affix the dremel to the table to hand feed the shaft in the vice along the fence.

 

[Eyerelief]

I need the longer key to hold both the teethed drive pulley and the gear that goes to the change gears.

The key that fits the shorter keyway on the 'unmolested' spindle only has to hold the gear that transfers the spindle movement to the change gears.

The 'unmolested' spindle is an older version, it's identical to mine in all aspects but this shorter keyway.

Hmm...maybe I underestimated the cutting efficiency of a Dremel cut off wheel? Given the lack of success drilling I dismissed the Dremel and went straight to my bench grinder.

As usual; I should have asked first on here, then acted!

Now I understand. I apologize if you had mentioned the need to drive to gears earlier and I missed it.
In case you are hot familiar with them, look for “reinforced” cut off wheels by Dremel. They are a bit pricey but when you need to cut something, they are better than the fragile non reinforced variety.

 

[SouthernChap]

Set up a fence on the drill press, set up some sort of clocking device, (drill press vice?), and chain drill the keyway. Then affix the dremel to the table to hand feed the shaft in the vice along the fence.

Yeah, I've done chain drilling on my drill press before using a jerry-rigged fence (piece of angle iron held by g-clamps), but I'd not thought of using my dremel fixed to the drill press table to grind out the holes accurately enough to form a straight keyway. That's a neat idea.

Another idea that has just entered my head (and I don't know why I didn't think if it before) is to pop to a nearby-ish 'men's shed' that I visited recently to buy a cabinet from.

The chaps there were very friendly and I did say I'd pop back in but just haven't got round to doing so. If they have a mill there (they definitely have lathes and I think I remember catching a glimpse of a small benchtop mill), I could ask one of the chaps there to tutor me and help me mill the keyway.

Might drop the organiser fella an email.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Just sorry this happened... that is all. You have a great attitude towards the situation. That is all that matters. The rest can be fixed/replaced.

Following the progress.

This.

And I’ll add that the shoulder for that bearing race was paper thin.

Not that you didn’t do your part, but man….

 

[SouthernChap]

This.

And I’ll add that the shoulder for that bearing race was paper thin.

Not that you didn’t do your part, but man….

Yep I certainly did.

Anyway, next steps:

One way or another (either use of the mill at the men's shed or the setup suggested by @OTmachine ) I'll lengthen the keyway in the pristine spindle I still have.

In the meantime (tomorrow evening to start), I'll be cracking on further with the reassembly. I'll see if my battered spindle holds up, if not I'll swap to the other spindle.

After all these (self-inflicted, I'll grant) obstacles, I'm straining at the leash to do my first facing, turning, grooving, boring and yes, parting off.

Got some brass, aluminium, 12L14 steel and bronze round bar stock that needs my clumsy attentions.

 

[OTmachine]

I've done chain drilling on my drill press before using a jerry-rigged fence (piece of angle iron held by g-clamps), but I'd not thought of using my dremel fixed to the drill press table to grind out the holes accurately enough to form a straight keyway. That's a neat idea.

This will take a fair amount of adjusting, but can be done.
Is there a way that you can take your compound off the cross slide, drill and mount a 4 x 4 x 5” long piece of angle iron to your cross slide and attach your dremel to that? This would give you X, Y & Z travel for your machining. You would have to mount your spindle parallel to the ways

 

[SouthernChap]

This will take a fair amount of adjusting, but can be done.
Is there a way that you can take your compound off the cross slide, drill and mount a 4 x 4 x 5” long piece of angle iron to your cross slide and attach your dremel to that? This would give you X, Y & Z travel for your machining. You would have to mount your spindle parallel to the ways

Now that's an interesting idea that has made me realise what an idiot I am.

I negotiated a milling attachment and ER40 collet chuck with a few collets thrown into the deal with my lathe. I cleaned them up (they were covered in the usual anti-rust gunk) and put them in a drawer for later.

Turns out they might come in handy earlier than I thought.

If I have the right collet (not sure I have, will check tomorrow) I could use the slightly messy spindle with the collet chuck mounted to lengthen the keyway in the good spindle.

I can't believe I forgot the milling accessories. I pushed for those to be included because I knew I wouldn't be able to afford a mill for a good while and then just plain forgot I had them