Gorton 8 1/2D Gorton collet adapter removal.

I have a Gorton 8 1/2D mill and in the spindal is the adapter converting B&S#9 to Gorton collet, the adapter is stuck in spindle. Any ideas on how to get it out of the spindle?







image C.

A suggestion:

Look thru hole in spindle to see if tail end of adapter has a tapped hole. Get a piece of all thread that screws into same.

Give the threaded rod a sharp enough whack to remove the adapter.

Since you have the spindle assembly out of the mill. Proceed on taking it apart. Go easy with dis-assembly and pay attention to the left hand thread on the nut on the bottom of the spindle. Most people beat the sh%t out of it before they realize it is left hand. Once you have the spindle out of the housing, proceed to put the draw bar back in and if equipped with the left hand retaining nut on top of the spindle, put that on. Place the spindle in a vise with soft jaws or wrap some brass shim stock around the spindle. Don't tighten the sh%t out of the vise! Next put a bind on the draw bar as if you are trying to remove the arbor. Next apply heat to the area of the spindle where the arbor is located. Do not over heat to where it changes color. use a 400-450 deg. F. temp stick and get the heat even. Once reached, increase the bind on the draw bar should break loose. If not, whack the end of the draw bar a few times. It should come loose. If it doesn't, leave the bind on the drawbar, let cool to ambient temp, (come back to it the next day) reheat and try again. If no luck, find a hydraulic press and fixture up and try to press the arbor out, still using heat.

Things to remember about Brown & Sharpe tapers, they require very little require tightening torque to keep one in place, like a R-8 does.
I always used a 6" Crescent wrench to tighten mine. Any larger wrench will cause grief, like you already have removing arbors. Last always remember, if you put a cold arbor into a warm spindle and tighten, when it cools, you have a "shrink fit". Always loosen or remove an arbor when finished for the day.

Oh, one more thing, the spindle is hardened through out. It can break, if not careful.

Lots of luck and prayers!!!

Ken

Sorry John, I have to disagree with the big hammer approach on a Gorton.
Been there, done that, bought the bearings.


The B&S taper is self locking and takes a lot of force to pop free. This seems to get worse with the passage of time.
I don't leave collets in my hobby mill because they are a pain to eject after a week or two.

I am guessing this one has been in place a bit longer and the dried oil has turned into Loctite.



Normally, the B&S taper in the Gorton is no big deal, if you have all the parts.

Top end of the spindle should be equipped with left hand threads and a cap that retains the drawbar so you can push or pull with it.
When the spindle is in the machine, you use the break to lock the quill rotation and then turn the drawbar to draw in a collet or eject it.
No hammering.

There have been a few recent posts about Gorton equipment and I have pointed folks to a site with a lot of Gorton literature.
http://gorton-machine.org/forms/form_1320/index.html and http://gorton-machine.org/forms/form_1410/page08.html have cut-aways showing the basic configuration on a similar mill.

If the cap is missing, make it. Other than the thread, none of the dimensions are super critical, and its big enough you can single point it.
With the spindle out, you have the perfect opportunity to make the missing cap on the lathe because you can check fit the fit of the internal left hand threads without removing the cap from the chuck.
If the drawbar is missing, time to make it as well. It should be a close fit to the ID of the spindle bore. The threads for the B&S collet are called out in the machineries handbook if you don't have a spare collet to measure.

The B&S taper locks in a lot tighter than an R8 and wont just tap free, and the Gorton spindle is not intended to be hammered on.
Ejecting the B&S collet with a mallet like you do an R8 on a Bridgeport is asking to kill your spindle bearings.
Chances are that if the cap is missing, your bearings have seen a lot of hammer loads and are in bad shape.


If the tool has been in place for a long time, plug it, fill the spindle with a thin solvent or penetrating oil and try to jack it out after a few days of soaking.
If that does not work, heat is the next step.

As others have suggested, remove the spindle from quill and bearings and warm it up. As you heat it, push with the draw bar and stuff should pop free.
Your better off pushing hard and using low heat on a tempered part.

Excellent stuff from 4GSR and ahall.
These Gorton collet adapters are notorious for welding themselves into the spindle. Most have been in the spindle since they left the factory and have been overtightened for 60+ years. They're stuck.
Penetrant, time, heat, and steady pressure on the bare spindle is your best bet IMO.
Both nailed it on tightening a BS taper tool too.

I have both an original drawbar and cap for my 8.5D which I'd be happy to measure for you if you need it.