# Drawbar  accident



## ARM

Hi  Guys  
This  is  quite  embarrassing,  but  we have  to  get  it  out  in   the  open and  rectified.  

Whilst  working  with  our  Asian  BP  clone we  left  the  Spanner, some  of  U  Guys  call  it a  wrench, in  the DRAWBAR  and  turned the  machine  on  without  realising  what  we  had  done. Definitely  was  not  intentional  as  we  were  totally  engrossed  in  the  problems  with  the  job at  hand.  Well  crash  boom  bang  !!!  ~!@#$%^&*()_+{   This  was  a  first  and  a  shocker  for  us !!!  Had  a  Millwright  remove  the  stuck  DRAWBAR,  albeit  he  could  not  trace  any  serious damage  nor  reduce  the  noise  in  High  Speeds.  Regrettably  this  happened  a  second  time  and  we  managed  to  remove  the  DRAWBAR  ourselves,  seemingly  without having  done  too  much  damage  ???  

However,  having  now  acquired  a  nice  GMT R8 Integral  Keyless  Chuck  which  we  tried  in  the  machine  today,  we  noticed  that  the  DRAWBAR  had  to  be SCREWED  really  deep  to fully  engage  in  the  Spindle.  With  a  drill  bit  mounted  in  this  new  Chuck,  it  ran  beautifully  true  visually,  without  being  clocked,  in  direct  contrast  to the last  Fong  Kong  one  we  had  to  return  to  the  local  Supplier.   Reading  some  other  threads  here  as  well  we  note  that  some  of  the  original  BP  Drawbars  have  WASHERS  etc.

Now  the  obvious  questions  that  need  be  addressed  here  would  be  :-

1.  How  much  and  what  damage  have  we  done  to  the  Machine  ???
2.  Would  using  Washers  resolve  our  deep  threading  problem  ???  
3.  Would  we  need  to  re-open  the  complete  top  of  the  Machine  Head  to  access  intricate  Parts  ???
4.  Have  we  crushed  any  Bearings  above  the  Spindle,  although  the  Spindle  seems  to  be  functioning  normal  ???
5.  And  finally,  what  would  be  the  best  bet  in  eliminating  such a  recurrence,  without  having  to  change  the  complete  HEAD  and  installing  an AUTO  FEED,  like  the  later  Models. ( Or  changing  the  Operator !! )

We  could  take  pics  and  upload  if  necessary.  However,  we  must  make  it  very  clear  here  that  we  will  definitely  not  be  able  to  take  chances  and  attempt  any  mechanical  corrections  as  that  would  be  way  beyond  our meagre  capabilities.  It  would  be  obvious  from  these  incidents  that  we  are  indeed  rookies  trying  to  get  work  done  on a  sophisticated  machine without  prior  training  or  qualified  Supervision.  We would  love to  restore  our  Machine  to its  original  smooth  quiet  running,  even  if  we  have  to  solicit  professional  help.

Your  advices  would  be immensely  appreciated.
aRM


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## darkzero

ARM said:


> having now acquired a nice GMT R8 Integral Keyless Chuck which we tried in the machine today, we noticed that the DRAWBAR had to be SCREWED really deep to fully engage in the Spindle.



For this very same reason I made my replacement draw bar with two nuts to allow me to adjust how far I want to screw the drawbar into the arbor. My import bench mill came with a POS draw bar with the same style so I just copied it. I have that same chuck too BTW & I'm pretty happy with it especially for the price.


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## Jeff in Pa

Regardless of any machine damage, that is a _*very*_ serious safety issue.  Both drawbar wrenches (spanners) and chuck keys should *never* be left in a machine. They stay in your hand and when your hand comes off of them, it's to put them in their storage position.  

 Since the person did not learn from his first mistake, they need a stern talking to about shop safety.  Their lack of following proper safe working techniques not only put himself in danger but also anybody in the immediate vicinity.

 If I see anybody leaving wrenches or chuck keys in tools, they get their "ear chewed on".  I've been a machinist for over 30 years and I do not tolerate unsafe working conditions at all.

  Jeff


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## 8ntsane

Sorry to hear of you misfortune. It isn't clear if the noise your hearing started with the first, or second time around.

As far as the adjustable draw bar, that has already been covered, and looks to be a very nice solution to the problem. So that part may take care of that problem without doing too much work.

By the sounds of it, your not ready to add on a power draw bar just yet. There is other ways to get around this. One that comes to mind is something I had seen on a mill in a fab shop. It was a very simple device that had only 3 parts. There was a base plate that bolted down in the same location as a power draw bar. Its was bored to take a round sleeve that was machined with a step on the bottom. The base plate was bored to fit the sleeve, and the sleeve was installed up through the bottom of the plate.

This plate had simple spacers to hold it up about 3/4 inch up off the head, so longer fasteners will be required. The sleeve was machined to take a coil spring to drop over the top and a simple hose clamp to retain it. Im sure most people would make up something much nicer than the hose clamp, but this did work just fine. 

The way it worked was, the sleeve would cover the draw bar, and when the operater was to loosen the draw bar, he must push down on the spring loaded sleeve to get the wrench to engage. It was still done one handed, so it was easy to operate. As soon as he took pressure off the wrench, the spring would force the sleeve up, and disengage the wrench.

Simple to build, easy to use. You could not ever forget to leave the wrench on the drawbar again with this item. I watched them changing toolin with this setup, and noticed that they were using a small hammer with a socket welded on one end. The spring loaded sleeve would just move downward when they were tapping on the draw bar to release the collet.

Im not sure what type of head your mill has. If its a Vari-speed head, then you could have a few things to look at. If step pulley, its much less complicated for sure. Before you get too crazy tearing the head down looking, I would start with removing the drawbar completely, and run the machine at several speeds.
Don't for get, when doing this, remove any tooling that's in the spindle too.

On my Vari-speed head, I was almost convinced the plastic bushings on the sheeves had worn out, and replacement time was near. But I found that the rattling noise was indeed the drawbar wobbling around. it also had evidence marks on the drawbar from doing so. Made up a new bar, problem solved. This may not be your problem, but removing the drawbar and running the machine would give you a quick yes or no real fast.

Good luck


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## ARM

Jeff in Pa said:


> Regardless of any machine damage, that is a _*very*_ serious safety issue.  Both drawbar wrenches (spanners) and chuck keys should *never* be left in a machine. They stay in your hand and when your hand comes off of them, it's to put them in their storage position.
> 
> If I see anybody leaving wrenches or chuck keys in tools, they get their "ear chewed on".  I've been a machinist for over 30 years and I do not tolerate unsafe working conditions at all.
> 
> Jeff


JEFF
U  are  absolutely right and  justified  in  what U  say.  We  have  now implemented  harsh shop  Rules  amongst  ourselves to avoid  such  a  recurrence.  
aRM


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## ARM

8ntsane said:


> Sorry to hear of you misfortune. It isn't clear if the noise your hearing started with the first, or second time around.
> 
> As far as the adjustable draw bar, that has already been covered, and looks to be a very nice solution to the problem. So that part may take care of that problem without doing too much work.
> 
> By the sounds of it, your not ready to add on a power draw bar just yet. There is other ways to get around this. One that comes to mind is something I had seen on a mill in a fab shop. It was a very simple device that had only 3 parts. There was a base plate that bolted down in the same location as a power draw bar. Its was bored to take a round sleeve that was machined with a step on the bottom. The base plate was bored to fit the sleeve, and the sleeve was installed up through the bottom of the plate.
> 
> This plate had simple spacers to hold it up about 3/4 inch up off the head, so longer fasteners will be required. The sleeve was machined to take a coil spring to drop over the top and a simple hose clamp to retain it. I'm sure most people would make up something much nicer than the hose clamp, but this did work just fine.
> 
> The way it worked was, the sleeve would cover the draw bar, and when the operator was to loosen the draw bar, he must push down on the spring loaded sleeve to get the wrench to engage. It was still done one handed, so it was easy to operate. As soon as he took pressure off the wrench, the spring would force the sleeve up, and disengage the wrench.
> 
> Simple to build, easy to use. You could not ever forget to leave the wrench on the drawbar again with this item. I watched them changing tooling  with this setup, and noticed that they were using a small hammer with a socket welded on one end. The spring loaded sleeve would just move downward when they were tapping on the draw bar to release the collet.
> 
> I'm not sure what type of head your mill has. If its a Vari-speed head, then you could have a few things to look at. If step pulley, its much less complicated for sure. Before you get too crazy tearing the head down looking, I would start with removing the drawbar completely, and run the machine at several speeds.
> Don't for get, when doing this, remove any tooling that's in the spindle too.
> 
> On my Vari-speed head, I was almost convinced the plastic bushings on the sheeves had worn out, and replacement time was near. But I found that the rattling noise was indeed the drawbar wobbling around. it also had evidence marks on the drawbar from doing so. Made up a new bar, problem solved. This may not be your problem, but removing the drawbar and running the machine would give you a quick yes or no real fast.
> 
> Good luck


PAUL
At  the  outset  allow  me  to say  a  gracious  THANK  YOU  for  this  highly  enlightening   solution.
Just  some  more  clarifications,  if  U  may.
The noise  did  commence  the  first  time  around.
If  U  are  referring  to  the earlier  post  on  the  adjustable  Draw  Bars then we have  another  problem  in  that  we  don't  exactly  know  what  the  IMPERIAL  THREADS  are  for  our  DRAW  BAR,  to  make  another  ???  U see  we  work  with  METRIC  here  and  even  on  inquiring   from  the  Machine  Supplier  previously,  we failed  to  elicit  a  positive  response.  I  think  they  are  NF,  but  what  size  exactly,  we  reckon  U  Masters  should  know  better.  We will  be  able  to  get  those  Dies  locally  to  Duplicate  our  Bar  and  harden  it.      

The  perfect  solution  U  presented  makes  absolute  sense.  However,  without  the  specifics  in  dimensions  and  or  drawings we  will  need  take  this  to  our  Toolmaker  to  have  made  up.  

Ours is  a  STEP  PULLEY  belt  driven  Spindle  and  we  will,  first thing  in  the  morning  run  the  Machine  as U  suggested  and  ascertain  the  source  and  type  of  noise.  That  should  be  enlightening.   

Once again  an  appreciative  THANK  YOU  for  these  kind  assistances.
LORD  BLESS
aRM


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## OldMachinist

The threads in R8 tooling is 7/16"-20 UNF.


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## darkzero

ARM said:


> If U are referring to the earlier post on the adjustable Draw Bars then we have another problem in that we don't exactly know what the IMPERIAL THREADS are for our DRAW BAR, to make another ??? U see we work with METRIC here and even on inquiring from the Machine Supplier previously, we failed to elicit a positive response. I think they are NF, but what size exactly, we reckon U Masters should know better.



If your spindle is R8, it should be 7/16"-20. I believe all R8 arbors are 7/16"-20, regardless where they are made.

When I was making my drawbar I was researching about what type of steel I should use & if it should be hardened. Some use 4140 & some just use 1018. The points made that I saw was that the draw bar does not need to be hardened as it would be considered a "consumable". Cheaper to replace a damaged drawbar than a damaged arbor especially if that arbor is integrated with the tool. A draw bar should not get damaged unless it's abused as there's no need to really crank down on them. 

Dorian drawbars are made of 4140 & heat treated. I just made mine out of 1144 with hardend flange nuts & called it a day. Time will tell how it holds up but so far I can't see it getting damaged or worn out at my rate. But I'm just a home shop machinist, in a production environment or where multiple people use the same machine as it sounds like in your case it may be a different story.


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## Tony Wells

While the spring loaded sleeve certainly is workable, it may be easier to implement a spring loaded socket on a breakover. Same basic principle, but might be easier to put together. If you can find a spring that is just a bit smaller than the across flats dimension of the hex socket, just peel back, or unwind a coil or two on the end that you will insert into the socket. That will serve to retain it in the socket. You'll have to experiment with strength and length to make that work. Operators won't like having to hold the wrench down to tighten/loosen the drawbar, but it will be safer.

I've only powered up a knee mill with the wrench on it once (I'm partial to a box end wrench), it was in the direction that merely loosened the drawbar as soon as I turned the machine on. It could just as easily been the other way, and I suspect would have either stalled out the motor, slipped the belt, or possibly even broke the drawbar. More than once, though, I have been caught by lowering the quill to check for proper clearance or something, touching off a surface, etc., and had the wrench disengage and fall off. Better than powering the machine, but if you're in the wrong place, you get a nice knot on the head. Or a dong on the table or workpiece. If lowering the quill becomes a habit, the wrench hitting the head will "impress" the point about not leaving the wrench on the drawbar. Of course, as stated above, the best way is to become accustomed to never letting the wrench leave your hand unless you are setting on the workbench or hanging it on a hook or something. Just like a chuck key on a drill press or lathe. If you're not actually using it at that particular moment, it should be in its storage place.

As far as damage, it's hard to say. The spindle is pretty robust, so it's possible that no serious damage was done. As someone else suggested, run the machine with no drawbar and an empty spindle (no tooling in the taper). If the noise is still there, and you want to make sure there is nothing going on that will build into a major breakdown, which absolutely must occur during a most critical operation, you may have to tear it down and see if the bearings are damaged. It's possible they were.


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## ARM

darkzero said:


> A draw bar should not get damaged unless it's abused as there's no need to really crank down on them.
> 
> But I'm just a home shop machinist, in a production environment or where multiple people use the same machine as it sounds like in your case it may be a different story.



WILL
And  that's  exactly  the  other  problem  -  we  had  to  "really crank  down"  on  the  bar  when  mounting  that  new  chuck.  We  hope  in  heaven's  name  we  had  not  cross  threaded  the  Tool,  but  did  reverse  and  start  a couple  of  times  over  from  the  beginning.

If  we  understand  our  problem  correctly,  we  would  need  to  shorten  the  Length  of  ours  either  by  making  a new  one  or  inserting  an  appropriately  sized  turned  COLLAR  just  above  the  Spindle  Bore  ???   

We  are  Custom  Knifemakers,  Son  Full  time  and  me  part-time  sharing  the  shop,  and  only  we  two  use  the  same  machine. 
So  there's  no  one  else  to  blame  except  meself  !!!
aRM


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## Tony Wells

Some aftermarket drawbars come with spacers, some don't. You can make one easily, but just make sure it isn't so large it prevents the quill from extending. I have seen some with a small step that fits just inside the top hole, and that helps keep the drawbar centered.. A drawbar that is not centered can make quite a racket when you extend the spindle by rubbing the hex on the ID.

Some people may advocate just cutting off a bit of the length, but if you do that, make sure that all your tooling will receive adequate engagement. Theoretically, they are all the same if the manufacturer held to the established dimensions, but that is not always the case.


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## ARM

Tony Wells said:


> While the spring loaded sleeve certainly is workable, it may be easier to implement a spring loaded socket on a breakover.  Operators won't like having to hold the wrench down to tighten/loosen the drawbar, but it will be safer.
> 
> I've only powered up a knee mill with the wrench on it (I'm partial to a box end wrench), it was in the direction that merely loosened the drawbar as soon as I turned the machine on.    Of course, as stated above, the best way is to become accustomed to never letting the wrench leave your hand unless you are setting on the workbench or hanging it on a hook or something.
> 
> As far as damage, it's hard to say. The spindle is pretty robust, so it's possible that no serious damage was done. As someone else suggested, run the machine with no drawbar and an empty spindle (no tooling in the taper). If the noise is still there, and you want to make sure there is nothing going on that will build into a major breakdown, which absolutely must occur during a most critical operation, you may have to tear it down and see if the bearings are damaged. It's possible they were.


TONY  WELLS  Esq
Thanks  for  this  bit  of  candidness.

 It's  just  reassuring  to  know  that  we  were  not  the  only  ones  who  were  deeply  concentrating  on  solving  the  problems  of  the  job at  the  Vise  end  whilst  negligently  forgetting  the  Tool-Mounting  end.  Like  they say...."it  happens  to  the  best  of  us"  !!! 

Be  that  as it  may,  loading  a  SPRING  in  the SOCKET  is  also  a  good  solution  to  our  quandary.  Will  try  that  out  as  well. This  should  not  be too  much  of  a  hassle  as  there's  only  the  Son  and I  sharing  the machine.  And  he's  a better,  observant  worker  around  Machinery  than  I  am.  We  are  all  not  that  youthful  and  sprightly. 

Our  CRASH  result  was  the  total  destruction  of  the  Ratchet-Socket  Wrench  with  a  heavy  ding  on  the  Motor  veins  which  U  understood  well  as  the  Motor was  run  Clockwise  to  tighten  into  the  arbour  Bore.  Am  going  down  into  the  shop  to  run  the  machine  without  the  DRAWBAR  and  any  TOOLING  and  will let U  good  Folks  know  what  she  sounds  like.  We  only  hope  that  there  was  not  serious  damage. LW.

aRM


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## ARM

Tony Wells said:


> Some aftermarket drawbars come with spacers, some don't. You can make one easily, but just make sure it isn't so large it prevents the quill from extending. I have seen some with a small step that fits just inside the top hole, and that helps keep the drawbar centered.. A drawbar that is not centered can make quite a racket when you extend the spindle by rubbing the hex on the ID.
> 
> Some people may advocate just cutting off a bit of the length, but if you do that, make sure that all your tooling will receive adequate engagement. Theoretically, they are all the same if the manufacturer held to the established dimensions, but that is not always the case.



TONY  WELLS  Esq
Methinks  that  making  a  SPACER  would  indeed  be  a  better  idea  than  shortening  the  Bar.  We  could  even  make  a  few  different  sized  ones  to  accommodate  those * idiot-syncracies*  that  usually  occur  !!!   Must  remember however,  that  the  Bore  diameter  is  crucial  here  as  well  as  the  Drawbar  diameter.  Shortening  and  re-threading  the  hardened  bar  would  be  a  little  more  difficult  as  it  would  first have  to  be  annealed  and  then  re-hardened,  and  there's  no  guarantee  that  it  would  remain  absolutely  straight  after  the  second  hardening/temper.  

Once  again  THANK  YOU,  kindly  for  Your  valuable and  much  appreciated  inputs.  It  gives  us  much  to  ponder  and  work  on  without  dejection.
LORD  BLESS

aRM


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## Tony Wells

Actually, they're not all that hard. Certainly not so hard you couldn't cut threads on it. Unless the spacers you need would be ridiculously tall, that's probably the best solution, and yes, a good idea to make several of different lengths. Just make sure to use the right one.


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## HSS

Another solution would be to only use an open end wrench instead of a socket or box end wrench. My open end wrenches won't stay on the nut on either one of my mills if I take my hand off of them. 

Patrick


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## ARM

8ntsane said:


> .........   If step pulley, its much less complicated for sure. Before you get too crazy tearing the head down looking, I would start with removing the drawbar completely, and run the machine at several speeds.
> Don't forget, when doing this, remove any tooling that's in the spindle too.
> 
> ................ removing the drawbar and running the machine would give you a quick yes or no real fast.
> 
> Good luck



PAUL
Sadly,  seems  we have  done  more  damage  than  was  initially  anticipated.

We ran  the  Mill  as U  suggested  sans Drawbar  and  sans  Tooling  in  the  various  speeds  on  the  Electrical  Switch.  Both  forward  and  reverse.  No  dice.  That  terrible  loose  Bearing  rattling  sound  still  persisted. Can't  describe  it  exactly  though.  

What  we  omitted to  mention  in  the  first  post  though  was  that  the  Drawbar  had  sunk  I'd  say  about  an  inch  on  the  second  mishap.  So  definitely  some  SLEEVES  or  BEARING  CASES  may have  been  squashed.  What  do U  think  ???

We  ran  the  machine  in the  Lower  Speed  Ranges  moving  the  Levers  at  the  side  and  top.  Here  she  ran  like  a  charm. Like  her  old  usual  self.  No  cranky  noise.  That  lovely  smooth  swishy  speed  sound of  the  motor  ONLY.  !!!  Changing  these  levers  to  the  HIGH  SPEED  RANGE  and  Switching  the  starting  button  caused  that  grinding  Gear  Meshing  for  a  second  before  she  ran  into  full  speed.  We  usually  used  our  Spanner/Wrench  to  spin  the  Drawbar  and  mesh  the  Gears  before  starting.  For  this  experiment  we  ran  the changed  higher  speed  to  check  what  would  happen,  without  the  Drawbar  being  present  nor  turned.

In the  final  analysis  methinks  we  will definitely have  to  get  a  MILLWRIGHT  to open  the  head  and  thoroughly  check  her  out,  without  waiting  for  something  bigger  to  crash.  Guess  it  will  just have  to  be  done  'cos  we  would like  our  machine  running  properly  and  as  new.   

Thanks  all  the  same  for  assisting  to  resolve  our  problem.
Take  Care.
aRM


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## 8ntsane

You now have a few ways to remedy the problem. A spring stuffed in a socket is a great idea, and simple to do, with out machining any parts. The poster that said to use a open end wrench has probably the easiest solution of all. As already mentioned, the R-8 draw bar threads are 7/16 NF

As for the drawbar. They don't need to be hardened. On my own mill, I have replaced the drawbar with my own shop made draw bars. I just pick up 7/16 round stock, and thread the end with a die. I also have also milled a couple of flats in the bar so I can use set screws to lock the upper portion to the lower. I used to weld them together yrs ago, but found the heat didn't help the warping problem any.

Some people will also make the drawbar extra long on purpose. With the use of spacers, they can easily remove a spacer, then cut off the worn out thread, and the draw bar is as good as new with in minutes. I don't use the spacers on mine, but I understand why some would use that method, be it for tooling that requires it, or fast way to repair a damaged drawbar thread.

The photo posted earlier would take care of the problem if the tooling requires draw bars of different lengths, though spacers would work fine as well. One thing I have run into over the years is, finding the threads in some collets not cut as smooth as I would like. I do keep a test bolt in my tool box to check and make certain any new collet or tooling screws in without tight spots. If they don't I blow the threads out with compressed air, and retry. If the threads look good but still wont go, just run a tap through it, and should be fine. Other wise, if the thread looks bad to start with, simply return the product.

If running your machine without the drawbar and tooling still makes noises, you may have caused some damage , and need to go deeper, but hopefullt not. But as Tony says, it is possible.

Reading your last comments. Are you saying with out the draw bar, your noise has gone, except for a second when restarting after shifting to Hi range?

You should be aware that when shifting the lever positions, you should grab the spindle and be certain each move you make is locked in place. Also, I think I would run it at several lever positions, and take note of what setting creates the noise. I could be a simple adjustment, from a loose set screw , but try and look a little deeper. If you can find a online manual, it would help you understand your machine a lot better.


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## Kennyd

This thread reminded me of something I read a long time ago about building a safety switch for a chuck key: *Chuck Key Safety Switch*

Something like this could be adapted to a variety of machine tools


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## 8ntsane

Kennyd said:


> This thread reminded me of something I read a long time ago about building a safety switch for a chuck key: *Chuck Key Safety Switch*
> 
> Something like this could be adapted to a variety of machine tools





Kennyd

That could be just what he needs. Really, I perfer the power draw bar setup. If for any reason the PDB sticks in the down position (engaged) it will just start spinning the air tool over. Can't help but notice that. I ,like many others built it from a 3/8 drive, butterfly air gun. Some bits out of the scrap bin to a finished power draw bar for about a 100.00 total. Power draw bar could be a good project, and very inexpensive to build.


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## jworman

Kennyd said:


> This thread reminded me of something I read a long time ago about building a safety switch for a chuck key: *Chuck Key Safety Switch*
> 
> Something like this could be adapted to a variety of machine tools



When I was in the Navy, so many years ago, I would often stop and visit the guys in the machine shop.  One of them told me a story about going through Machinery Repair school.  

If the instructor found a chuck key in a chuck, he simply removed it and dropped it into a bucket full of very old water and many many cigarette butts.  If you chewed, the bucket was there for you too.  It was pretty nasty.

The offender was told where his chuck key was.  Almost no one offended twice.

I didn't get to go to the school (I was a boilerman) but I never forgot the story.  If I even hesitate about removing the chuck key, the story comes back to me.

A bucket full of cigarette butts may be hard to find, but I'll bet an oily substance would serve as well.


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## ARM

8ntsane said:


> You now have a few ways to remedy the problem.
> 
> If the threads look good but still wont go, just run a tap through it, and should be fine. Other wise, if the thread looks bad to start with, simply return the product.
> 
> Reading your last comments. Are you saying with out the draw bar, your noise has gone, except for a second when restarting after shifting to Hi range?
> 
> You should be aware that when shifting the lever positions, you should grab the spindle and be certain each move you make is locked in place. Also, I think I would run it at several lever positions, and take note of what setting creates the noise. It could be a simple adjustment, from a loose set screw , but try and look a little deeper. If you can find a online manual, it would help you understand your machine a lot better.



PAUL
There  has  been  much  useful  info  here  from  all  well-intentioned  Folks  that  I  am  sure  will  come  in  handy.
Kudos  to  each  and  every  one  of  U.

That  bit  about  first  testing and  running  an  equivalent  7/16 thread  through  a  new  Tool  is  very  good  and  practical.

There  was  absolutely  no  noise at  all  in  the  LOW  RANGES.  It  occurred  only  in  all  the  HI  RANGES. 

Will  look for  a  Manual  as  U suggested.

Thanks  a  Mill
aRM


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## ARM

Just  so's  U  Guys  know  we  are  serious  about  our  equipment  and  we  appreciate  the  time each  one  of U  spent  contributing  to  resolve  our  dilemma   !!!

Millwright  came  and  removed  the  Head  today.  Seems  like  one  of  the  topmost  bearings  is  shot.  He's  gonna  open  and  replace  if  necessary.  Hope  there's  not  much  more  damage  done.

Have  also  downloaded  and  printed  a  hard  copy  of  a  BP  Manual  as  PAUL  recommended.

Have  also  sourced  the  7/16  Bar ( hens  teeth  here )   -  just  in  case  we  need  to  make  another  drawbar.

And  shopped  around  for  hard-to-find-locally,  albeit  expensive,  7/16-20 NF Tap  and  Dies.  Can  get  a  whole  set  off  E  for  the  price  of  both  of  these  !!!  ~!@#$%^&*()P_     

aRM


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## dwdw47

The Key Safety Switch is mighty old! When I was learning machine shop in High School the instructor had them on all the drill presses and mills. 
As an addition there was a hook for the 3/4 box wrench hanging out of an electrical (1900) box that had another micro-switch under the hook. 
That way both were kept in their home space. That was in 1961, In the next year my electrical class, we made them for the wood shop. That is a great safety for the beginners.
dwdw47


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