Help!

[toolman]

While trying to tram the head on my mill yesterday, I discovered that the spindle has about .006 worth of vertical slop in it. Is there any adjustment to tighten this up or do I have a bearing/thrust washer going south? It runs nice and quiet, but I'm fixing to cut sight dovetails on a 1911 for a potentially very large customer and it needs to be right. I'm heading down to the shop shortly to start tearing into it, but a little insight would be nice before I start slinging parts.

 

[RandyM]

You mean with it locked in position?

 

[Ray C]

What style of mill? Most of the spindle types I'm familiar with are designed to be locked while making the cut. It wiggles a tiny bit when unlocked but, it rock solid when locked. Also, the head or table should be adjusted so that you have minimal quill extension to make the cut.


Ray

 

[Tony Wells]

I'm reading that as end play in the thrust bearings. Unacceptable, and probably does mean a bearing is failing or has failed. At the very least, if it came factory fresh with that much end play, then some shims will remedy it.

 

[toolman]

To clarify, I can lock the quill but there is still vertical play in the spindle. The mill is a ProfitMaster, it's a Tiawanese B-Port clone made by Nantong.
Here's a pic:

 

[JimDawson]

You can pull the quill out and see if you can tighten the preload adjusting nut. That should take out the play. If the bearings are rough after tightening then the bearings need to be replaced. There are lots of articles on rebuilding BP quills on the Internet.

 

[toolman]

You can pull the quill out and see if you can tighten the preload adjusting nut. That should take out the play. If the bearings are rough after tightening then the bearings need to be replaced. There are lots of articles on rebuilding BP quills on the Internet.

I'm going to try to do it without removing the head or motor because this one has a plate right above the forward pulley. It looks like I can pull the top plate, range components, pulley, etc. and hopefully get to the nut. While I'm in there, I'm going to see why it's so hard to shift it into high range.

 

[JimDawson]

I'm going to try to do it without removing the head or motor because this one has a plate right above the forward pulley. It looks like I can pull the top plate, range components, pulley, etc. and hopefully get to the nut. While I'm in there, I'm going to see why it's so hard to shift it into high range.

If it is a standard BP type spindle, you will have to drop the quill out the bottom to get to the nut. The spline shaft sticks out of the quill about 10 inches and engages with the internal spline in the drive shaft so I don't think you will be able to get to the nut from the top. There is a lot of hardware in the way.

To drop the quill out:

Release the tension on the quill return spring, make sure you have the quill lock on or the quill supported on the table or it may just drop.

On some machines, the quill rack goes all the way to the top of the quill. So all you have to do is support the quill on the table, then crank the table down until the quill comes out the bottom of the head.

If the rack does not go to the top of the quill, you will have to remove the pinion shaft. It comes out the right side of the head. Remove the feed clutch on the left side of the head, pull the gear gear out, then remove the snap ring on the inner gear and pull the gear out. Now you can pull out the pinion shaft. Be sure to have the quill supported when you do this.

Note: The quill skirt will be left in the head, so be sure to get the tabs lined up with the keyways when you put it back together.

Hope this helps.

 

[jmhoying]

I'm going to try to do it without removing the head or motor because this one has a plate right above the forward pulley. It looks like I can pull the top plate, range components, pulley, etc. and hopefully get to the nut. While I'm in there, I'm going to see why it's so hard to shift it into high range.

I easily removed the spindle without dropping the whole quill out. My only head-scratcher was that the spindle hung up as I tapped it out. Turns out that on some clones, the bolt that holds the adjustable quill stop (on the front of the head) projects far enough to cause interference. Just had to back it out a bit and the spindle came right out.

Jack

 

[JimDawson]

I easily removed the spindle without dropping the whole quill out. My only head-scratcher was that the spindle hung up as I tapped it out. Turns out that on some clones, the bolt that holds the adjustable quill stop (on the front of the head) projects far enough to cause interference. Just had to back it out a bit and the spindle came right out.

Jack

You are absolutely correct. I forgot about dropping the spindle out that way. That is the quickest way.

I also forgot to mention removing the quill stop. That's what I get for trying to answer technical questions when I'm half asleep.

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