Removing a spindle from an atlas mill

V

vikinginging

Registered
Registered
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Messages
10
Hi Everyone,

I have an atlas mill that's in a pretty sorry state. I'm taking apart cleaning & repainting. Problem is the spindle is totally stuck in the headstock. The spindle spins freely in the bearings, the locking collar unscrewed from the back easily. I've removed set screws from the collar inside the headstock and the gear inside the headstock. The gears, pulley and collars inside the head stock all slide up and down the shaft freely. But the spindle will not budge. I see you need to be careful to line the key up with the notch in the headstock when removing, but every video I can find shows it coming out with a light tap. As best I can tell from knocking mine with a hammer and a block of wood it doesn't move a fraction of an inch. Any ideas on getting it out?
 
Up front, anything that has been assembled can be disassembled. This is especially true of old machine tools. I have a version of the Atlas mill. I don't remember exactly how I got it apart, I've had a few strokes since I rebuilt it. But there is a driver gear set on the very right side inside the head stock. There is also a three level sheave about the middle with an oil hole. Sometimes the setscrew for the oil hole is seated too deep. This sheave and the locking pin to the right is part of the back gearing. The toggle for the back gearing does play a part in disassembly.

There are several sites that have assembly diagrams for the machine. I can't say where, when I find one of import to my machines, I save the PDF to my hard drive for future reference. All I can really tell you is that there is something holding you up. When I rebuilt my machine, a MF-C, it did have some points holding the spindle that had to be released. Get a caffeine fix and sit and stare at the machine. You will eventually see what is holding you up.

.
 
Nice to see someone asking a mill question for a change. Been some time since that's happened.
What (if any) documentation do you have? I do not have my mill papers here at the house but from memory there is a setscrew down inside the sheeve and it has a plastic or brass piece under it to protect the shaft. At least that what my memory is telling me.. I could be all wet!
I'll see if I can't get by the shop and grab my papers to review. Or more likely Robert will see this and supply all the correct info!!
I haven't touched my mill in quite some time! There used to be a very active group of Mill Owners here.. more later.
 
Last edited:
I've done the Atlas spindle removal a couple of times. On the second one, the spindle dust cover (or something; it was last year) got rotated so that the notches didn't all line up. I recall using a brass drift to on the notch to rotate the dust cover after squirting some kroil on the thing the night before. Definitely try some penetrating oil, there could be all sorts of old chip as oil in there.

Presumably you're seen this, this, and this if you have gotten as far as the spindle dust cover.
 
Thanks for the info guys, at this point i think the bearings are seizPXL_20201030_200914633.jpged/ rusted onto the spindle. Maybe chips & old oil as ThinWoodsman says. I'm reluctant to press it off because of need to line up the key way with the headstock notch. Is it worth giving the whole headstock an overnight bath in Evaporust or degreaser? Or is that going to wreck the bearings? The bearings are $35 each on amazon so I'd prefer not to buy if i can avoid.

There's pictures of the set screws I've removed in case I'm missing something obvious(removed every screw I can find). Everything spins freely on the spindle so I don't think any set screws left gripping anything.PXL_20201030_200852968.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I would use Kroil, PB Blaster or ATF/Acetone rather than Evaporust and maybe a bit of heat from a heat gun. Patience is key, give it a few days, let it work, try again, repeat as necessary.
 
Yes, heat from a heat gun. The part you are heating is massive, so it will take time to heat up - maybe 10 minutes or more. Mine was stuck but gave way to a few blows from a lead mallet. I do not recommend this except as a last resort. You don't want to create runout on the spindle. I'd pry off the right side outer dust cap first. No sense putting it in harms way in case the Woodruff key rotates.

If all else fails, headstocks and spindles show up on eBay. The bull gear and gear/pulley assembly are less common and may be more valuable.

I have a spare set of bearings. PM me if/when you want them. But your bearings may just need cleaning. You may need to polish the bearing area of the spindle before reassembly, assuming you get it apart.
 
Oh by the way, the locking collar just to the left of the little gear - I don't see it in the photos. Is it hidden somehow? On my mill it would be visible.
 
Last edited:
I think JPMacG got it, you may have missed the locking collar.

Those look pretty gunked up but not disastrously so. Put penetrating oil (Marvel Mystery Oil from the hardware store will work if you can't get Kroil, it also uses wintergreen oil which I understand is the main penetrant) in the oil cup and where all the set screws used to be. Tap the spindle with a rubber mallet or a wood dowel from the back, the goal being to loosen the gears on the shaft, not to drive out the spindle. Try from the front as well, but take care you might hit the dust cover. Remember there's a key in there, so we're talking light taps to dislodge the buildup, not huge whacks to shoot the spindle out the frame.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top