Atlas MFC - loose and jammed arbor?

[brandon428]

I hadn't taken off my arbor in a while, and went I went to do it yesterday (my normal method is to take out the drawbar, use a 5/16" brass road sunk against the inside of the female end of the morse taper (past the 3/8" threads), and bumping it out). Yesterday I bumped it 57 times with a brass bar and it still wouldn't come out. Two more rounds of PB blaster and the same, but no luck.

So I put this on hold to finish a project, put things back together, and now I noticed the arbor moves back and forth after the drawbar is back before I put the arbor support back on. Now I've never felt any of this play when changing cutting tools, so it's possible this is normal, but I'm not sure. I also attached a picture of the bearing on the inside, which looks like it could be further back than it should? So is this normal?

Now assuming this is normal, and I don't have bigger problems, any tips on how to get the darn arbor off?

 

[JPMacG]

I sometimes have trouble removing a Morse taper from the spindle of my Atlas mill. When that happens I put a 1/2" diameter 12" long steel rod through the spindle and beat on it with a brass mallet. I do worry that I will damage something, but so far I have not. I don't understand why these are so hard to remove. Maybe we are tightening the draw bar too aggressively?

My spindle has no longitudinal play. I adjusted the bearing nut to remove all play when I changed the belt and it has held. If you have developed longitudinal play then the bearing nut may be loose. I'd remove the gear cover and inspect the bearing nut. Maybe you just need to adjust the nut. If that is ok then you might need to investigate the spindle. Maybe the bearings or races (right word?) have shifted.

 

[brandon428]

Not sure I understand. Are you hitting the shoulder or the female thread or the back of the Morse on the arbor where the drawbar threads into?

Are you hitting the steel rod with the brass hammer? Wouldn’t that potentially mar what you’re hitting while protecting the steel rod? Rather than protecting what you’re hitting?

If the spindle isn’t supposed to have play, I’m pretty sure my banging on the arbor is what caused it to loosen up. Is the bearing/race I attached the one you’re referring to? It’s possible that arbor was in so tight that I loosened that up instead.

 

[JPMacG]

Yes, I'm hitting the outer shoulder of the Morse taper. The 1/2" diameter rod is about the largest that will fit through the spindle hole. And yes, the steel rod has marred the Morse taper. I could just as well use a steel hammer, but I happen to have a brass one. I watched Rudy Kouhoupt's video and he gives the Morse taper a polite little tap on the loosened draw bar and the Morse pops loose. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[34_40]

I think you've overtightened the drawbar. There was an older thread in here where someone had a stuck arbor but he thought it was from sitting in place for years. I think he had to pull the shaft and take it to someone with a big press to get them apart.

 

[brandon428]

Yes, I'm hitting the outer shoulder of the Morse taper. The 1/2" diameter rod is about the largest that will fit through the spindle hole. And yes, the steel rod has marred the Morse taper. I could just as well use a steel hammer, but I happen to have a brass one. I watched Rudy Kouhoupt's video and he gives the Morse taper a polite little tap on the loosened draw bar and the Morse pops loose. I must be doing something wrong.

Yeah, the manual says to tap it with a brass rod. Not hammer but tap.

I’ll try a 7/16” or 1/2” brass rod and see if that’ll work.

 

[brandon428]

I think you've overtightened the drawbar. There was an older thread in here where someone had a stuck arbor but he thought it was from sitting in place for years. I think he had to pull the shaft and take it to someone with a big press to get them apart.

How would I even pull the shaft? Figured I’d have to get the arbor out before I’d be able to do that.

 

[brandon428]

Oh, and I had this thing off within the past year or two. It’s not like it’s been sitting for decades never having been off.

I did mill some 303 stainless not too long ago which is pretty heavy. Milled it slow and it was fine but certainly heavier than normal.

 

[DAT510]

I had a similar issue when I got my MFC. Not sure what the previous owner did, but the arbor was in there tight. I ended up using a pair of pickle forks as if they were large Jacobs wedges. I placed them between the drive flange and the spindle collar. I gently taped them together and the wedging action popped the arbor right out.

 

[brandon428]

I had a similar issue when I got my MFC. Not sure what the previous owner did, but the arbor was in there tight. I ended up using a pair of pickle forks as if they were large Jacobs wedges. I placed them between the drive flange and the spindle collar. I gently taped them together and the wedging action popped the arbor right out.

Interesting idea. Guess Jacob Wedges could work too, though pickle forks would have more leverage.

Do you happen to remember what size pickle forks you got?