Suggestions sought; how to remove the rack on my Atlas 618 lathe

[RJSakowski]

No need to drill and tap. The rack comes off easily with gentle prying with a simple pry bar. The pins are 1/8" dowel pins.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-to-safely-remove-taper-pins.60292/

 

[4GSR]

I've drilled and & tapped threaded holes in gear racks that we installed on machines just for that reason, to allow you to remove with ease. Generally the tapped holes were adjacent to the dowel pin holes next to the bolt holes that held the rack on the bed. These were big sections of rack like 4 or 6 DP.

 

[Woodsman 22]

Drill and tap through the rack in several places, remove a length of thread from a screw of the same size and jack the rack off of the pins, this is a common practice with tight fitting machine components and is sometimes done by the manufacturer, taperlock drive bushings and scroll chucks for example.

As seen below, the non threaded holes pull the taper into the part and hold it tight, to disassemble remove the screws and place them in the threaded holes and jack the taper apart.
The only reason that the OEM would no do so is cost.

And no, this will not effect the gears use, it is merely a method of disassembly.
http://controlscentral.com/product_pictures/Large/H1.jpg

- That is brilliant! I was vacillating back and forth over this; "do it, don't do it". Your method does provide a way to get that rack off without bending it. Thanks!

 

[Woodsman 22]

I've drilled and & tapped threaded holes in gear racks that we installed on machines just for that reason

"Wreck" said the same thing and a big thank you to both you guys. I would never have thought of that. So if I do decide to take that rack off rather than just clean and paint around it, if it gives me any grief I know there is a way to get it off the bed for sure. This idea is going into my bag of tricks.