Pope P-32 Spindle - How to disassemble

here is some more info...https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/correct-orientation-of-spindle-bearings-in-norton-surface-grinder-spindle.302258/
 
I did a class in Istanbul Turkey for a German company called Spinner. They opened a plant in Turkey instead of China for logistics. In Germany when they build their spindles they use the same type of tapered spindle bearings like a Pope design. Spinner sent their German Technicians to Turkey to train the Turkish Techs. After a year of training and the new guy's ruining countless tapered spindle bearings they changed the spindle design to standard straight bore bearings. You may get lucky as hell and figure it out. But I have been rebuilding precision spindles for years and I would not attempt to rebuild a Pope. As you can see from the Practical Machinist thread. Mactool is a famous rebuilder in Australia and Gbent is a retired engineer at John Deere and they would not attempt it. I just spent 30 minutes looking for info for you. please document what you decide to do and if you are successful you you will go down in history on the boards. You may want to contact Northland spindle repair around noon and ask to talk to a technician that does spindle repair. You might get a pro who does spindles while the salesman is out to lunch. I've heard of this happening. Oh CarbideBob on Practical machinist is still a member. I will write him and see if he has any documentation. If anyone has any he will. Rich

Here is what I just wrote on PM...


Richard King

Diamond​

JoinedJul 12, 2005LocationCottage Grove, MN 55016
On another forum a fellow is going to try to rebuild his Pope spindle . It's a Reid surface Grinder. Does anyone have a drawing or photo's of a Pope Spindle with the tapered bore ball bearing style. I know this is an old thread and we have been discussing it for years. I was hoping someone has been successful. Carbide Bob of Mich Buck what would you say? Rich
 
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Haven't heard from anyone yet on the other forum. If you take it apart note how many turns you have to turn the bearing retainer nut, scribe a live where it starts from. before pressing off the bearings look for the TIR mark it looks like a dot. * mark where it is located on the shaft as that is the extreme run-out mark of the bearing and the factory mounted it 180 degrees from the spindle run out. You mark it and put it back on where it comes off. I would order some Mobil grease # 28 or 32. Thats what I have used for bearings for years and only install about 30% fill. more then that and the bearing will get hot. Kluber Isoflex gease is expensive but probably the best. and only fill 25%.
 
Wow, thank you very much Rich! I appreciate your efforts on my behalf. BTW, my name is Richard King, and I also go by Rich.
Your additional advice is beginning to have its intended effect. :fat:
 
I was just thinking I wonder if you could re-engineer the spindle and grind the tapered shaft diameters straight and install some angular thrust bearings on the front end and a single deep grove bearing in the back end? You would have to find the bearing ID and grind the shaft so it would be a light press.
 
Tomorrow I'm going to have another go at removing the motor rotor. If I can get it done I should be able to complete the disassembly.
I like the idea of redesigning the spindle to a more rebuilder-friendly configuration.

I'll report progress tomorrow ...
 
Get a magnifying glass and look at the threads above the nut. Many times the machine builders used a left hand thread. I have a dentists pick I like to try to follow the small end sticking up above the nut to see the thread direction. Good Luck tomorrow.
 
No success at all with rotor removal.
Used a heat gun to heat the rotor to about 250F, then applied force to end of shaft. I cycled the force on and off many times.
The press has a listed capacity of 20 tons and I applied all it has. Absolutely no movement of the rotor on the shaft.
I left the shaft on the press with it fully loaded for two nights (the concept of gentle pressure, relentlessly applied). Still no movement.
BTW, there is no nut securing the rotor in place.

The shaft definitely appears to be tapered (or stepped). Diameter at the small end is 1.125. At the opposite end of the rotor is 1.500.
 
Also if you want to get some Blaster penetrating fluid and squirt it into the rotor shaft and let is soak for a week or more, every so often tap on it as I will describe. If you have a heavy duty steel table or welding table, not a wood work bench. Screw on the free end nut (to keep the threads from getting buggered up. Then lift the spindle up off the steel table 24" and slam it down on the end with the nut. This is something my Dad taught me years ago to get a stuck part off a shaft. (momentum stop) Wear some leather gloves. The tapping will vibrate the penetrating fluid in between. I once had a shaft take 3 weeks of doing that every day before it came off. The heat probably expanded the inner shaft too. I would remove that woodruff key too as once it starts to move you don't want to stop and take it off
 
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