Spindle wrench

[mmcmdl]

I remember now, search for PTO coupler or adapter. Can buy em on ebay. They're used on tractors to drive external accessories or something. PTO stands for Power Take Off. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, I don't know anything about tractors.

BTW ToT has a video on how he machined a PTO sline, the male drive though.

Edit: n/m Frank beat me to it, I type slow.

Tractor Supply has shelves of them just for our convenience !

 

[RJSakowski]

That’s the ticket Frank!

Any idea how they ar measured?
Top of the spline?
Edit: seems that they are measured from spline to spline. I’ll see if I can get a caliper in to take a measurement.
Maybe Westen Supply would carry or bring one in.
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The O.D. of the 1-3/8" splines on both my tractors measure 1.372". My Ford 8N has a 1-1/8" spline but it will require some disassembly to measure. Offhand, I would say it is safe to assume that it is slightly under 1.125"

 

[RJSakowski]

I don’t believe it was modified @RJSakowski. If it was, the modifications are not apparent to me.
I have some 10L that I might try using to make a socket similar to the drawing in your post above.


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If it were me, I would check with some other owners of the same machine on this forum. The thread engagement just doesn't look right. It looks like only a few threads are engaged. Maybe non-OEM bearings were substituted? If the top of the nut were level with the spindle housing, you would have sufficient exposure of the spline.

 

[WCraig]

Another option is to 3D print wrenches:

RF-30 Spindle Quick Change Wrenches by cilynx

This wrench set is the same nesting, through the top idea as my Quick Change Knobs, but for folks who prefer a pair of wrenches. I'm not honestly sure which I like better. I'll probably leave both on top of the mill for a while and see which I grab when I need them.

www.thingiverse.com

BTW, the same creator has a set of knobs that do the same functions. That way, if you forget to remove them, they aren't twirling around at injury-inducing speed! But may not have enough torque to secure the collets.

Craig

 

[DavidR8]

If it were me, I would check with some other owners of the same machine on this forum. The thread engagement just doesn't look right. It looks like only a few threads are engaged. Maybe non-OEM bearings were substituted? If the top of the nut were level with the spindle housing, you would have sufficient exposure of the spline.

Interesting thought.
Here’s a close up of the pulley as I received it. The spindle looks flush.
The grooves in the counter pulley and spindle pulley are in the same horizontal plane so I think the spindle pulley is fully seated but I will double check.

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[mickri]

David you don't need a special wench to fit onto the spindle. The splines in the spindle fit into grooves in the spindle taper sleeve which the pulley fits onto and is held in place by that big nut. All you need to loosen the drawbar is a wench that fits onto that nut. You probably don't even need a wrench on the nut. Unless you have way over tightened the drawbar squeezing the belt tight to the pulley should be sufficient to loosen the drawbar.

Have you looked for the slot in the quill and the matching slot in the spindle. You will have to lower the quill to see the slot and rotate the spindle to line up the slot in the spindle with the slot in the quill. If you look at the parts diagram for your mill/drill part number 68 is called a punch key. The punch key goes into the slot and will also hold the spindle in place to loosen the drawbar. And because the punch key is wedge shaped once the drawbar is removed a tap on the punch key will dislodge what you have in the spindle. This is partially described in the manual for your mill/drill.

Have you read the manual? Lots of good info in there about using your mill/drill.

 

[DavidR8]

Thanks @mickri, I had really only thought about using the punch key (is is also called a drift?) to remove tooling that has a tang such as my drill chuck. I think I have a punch key among the stuff left to me. I'll check today.

 

[RJSakowski]

Interesting thought.
Here’s a close up of the pulley as I received it. The spindle looks flush.
The grooves in the counter pulley and spindle pulley are in the same horizontal plane so I think the spindle pulley is fully seated but I will double check.

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My pulley is recessed on the top and seats the nut further down. I have never used a spindle wrench on my mill. I just grabbed the pulley. When I made the wrench, it was for a Grizzly G0755 which is gear driven so no pulley to grab.

I would be careful using the spindle nut for holding the spindle as tightening the drawbar could loosen the nut. Depending on the amount of torque used to seat the nut, it is probably OK but.... Another option would be to drill two holes for a spanner wrench in the top of the pulley. A simple bar with a clearance hole for the drawbar and two pins and you're done.

 

[DavidR8]

I take it the common practice is to leave the top cover off?