ROTEX RM-1 Rebuild (kind of)

[aztoyman]

Dan, on page 5, post #48 and #50 you can see the quill and housing disassembled. I think you should be able to get some kind of penetrating oil in several areas if you have the handle plate removed and through the slot in front for the stop. As well as from the top and bottom.

Soak it good and be careful not to damage anything. It will be almost impossible to find parts.

Good luck with it.

 

[SouthernChap]

I'm a long way from even getting any kind of mill but thank you for posting this thread, if for no other reason, just for the pure pleasure of reading about your restoration and looking at the pictures...

...especially the end result pictures...oh gawwd those end result pictures; that's one lovely looking mill.

I have no specific explanation why, but for some reason the aesthetics of that mill of yours absolutely floats my machine tool boat.

 

[Danx931]

Hi, Thanks for your replies...

Yes, the vertical spindle lock is frozen, and I have penetrating oil on it. The spindle will rotate, but the quill is also frozen, and I'm working on the Quill Stop Nuts. They may be the problem. I got the upper calibrated nut loose, but there is a washer, and the stop nut below it is frozen.

Thanks for the spindle pictures # 48 & 50... Do you have one with the Spindle in place lowered down?

My goal with this machine is to get it running and then decide if I will do a complete restoration. My other main problem is the motor, it's also frozen. I have a replacement and will try to swap the end bell and flange onto it. The rest just need a good cleanup (I hope.

FYI, I may have access to another Horizontal as a parts machine. I'll let you know when I can get it uncovered, It's in a pile of rubble!
See where I found my machine below.

 

[aztoyman]

@SouthernChap, Thanks for the kind words. I never thought I would find a mill (I could afford) either when I found this one. I sold some Toyota parts I had to a crotchety old guy in his 80's that thought I was trying to cheat him somehow. I offered him his money back if it didn't work. He still didn't trust me and I said to take the part for free and if it doesn't work , no worries. If it does, come back and pay me. And that I was glad someone could use it. I didn't want to throw it away.

He actually came back a week or so later. He lives WAY out there in the desert close to the Mexico border. He has to truck in water and his power is from a generator. He talked a lot this time and after I told him I was looking for a mill he said he might have one to sell and he would think about it. I didn't hear from him for over a year and one day I get a text to come look at it. No address, directions out to the middle of the desert in some foothills. You can see the pics of how I found it at the beginning of my thread.

Long winded way to say, Ya never know when you'll get your mill.

Scott

 

[aztoyman]

@Danx93, I'll grab some pics today.

 

[aztoyman]

Here's a couple pics of the quill all the way down. You can see the top through the slot.

 

[aztoyman]

Here you can see the quill lock lever.

 

[aztoyman]

There's a small set screw that needs to come out to remove the depth stop assembly. Sorry, I didn't check the size.

Once this is out, you can get to the stop block or whatever it's called off.

Obviously the side plate and associated parts need to come off as well.

 

[aztoyman]

Here's where I went wrong trying to remove the motor pulley. I slowly drove wedges between the large end and the housing. The motor armature was all that was on it. I removed the rest.

The wedges worked but I didn't pay attention and the small pulley was getting beat up as the unit slowly came off.

I think I would drill a hole in the housing and use a drift against the shaft from the small end. Making sure the large end is flat against the housing if I were to do it again.

 

[aztoyman]

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.
Scott