Sheldon No. 0 Horizontal Mill

Hello.

I bought this machine a few months and am just now getting it setup in my garage. I noticed there was play in the spindle, so I tried taking it apart to inspect the bearings. I know from the manual that the spindle comes out of the front, but the rear inner bearing race is stuck to the spindle. What is the best way to remove it?

I'll try to get some pictures up later.

Thanks,
Scott

Here's some parts lists with drawings that may help.

Sheldon Machine Co, Inc. - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org

spfrazierjr said:

I know from the manual that the spindle comes out of the front, but the rear inner bearing race is stuck to the spindle. What is the best way to remove it?

Click to expand...

If you can get a needle, whether hypodermic or basketball inflator, in to flush the bearings with Kerosene, then renew the lube, the best answer could be 'not at all'.

If after cleanup and re-lube, they MEASURE too much TIR to want to keep and run, then:

- thoroughly stone and otherwise de-bur the area the race will have to be pulled across. Depressions with no burrs will be harmless. Anything at all raised will try to 'cock' the race and it can jam. HARD!

- Kroil / PBlaster the piss out of it, give it days to act, periodic renewals. Heat-gun or hair-dryer AND NOT torch AKA 'gas hammer'.

- NO hammering. Can Brinell an otherwise good bearing.

- NO pushing from the rear. Swells the spindle ever so slightly.

- Instead pull from the front. Automotive spiders, some bolts or allthread, hydraulics if yah got 'em. You'll have to get creative.

If you can clean, re-lube, and test for for acceptable TIR on the front as well as rear, don't pull either set. Run what yah got.

Overarm needs serious de-burr and GENTLE rust removal. Pay attention to the ends. They are usually upset mushroom-style at least a little bit by Bubba's careless hammering.

Again, significant depression matter not, anything at all raised is problematic. As is rust.

Clean first. Remove second. Or even not at all.

Thanks for the information guys.

A bit more info for you. The play I am referring to is front to back if you're standing at the front of the machine. It's almost as if the rear bearing needs to be pushed in further. I can measure the play, but it's so large that it's almost not worth measuring being that it is 0.125 to 0.250 by eye. I tried tightening the spindle ring on the back, but it won't draw it any further in.

Instead of pulling it, maybe I'll soak it for a while in pb blaster and then see if I can get the ring to move the bearing race closer in.

spfrazierjr said:

Thanks for the information guys.

A bit more info for you. The play I am referring to is front to back if you're standing at the front of the machine. It's almost as if the rear bearing needs to be pushed in further. I can measure the play, but it's so large that it's almost not worth measuring being that it is 0.125 to 0.250 by eye. I tried tightening the spindle ring on the back, but it won't draw it any further in.

Instead of pulling it, maybe I'll soak it for a while in pb blaster and then see if I can get the ring to move the bearing race closer in.

Click to expand...

Not the same mill, but there is a spacer in the similar place on my Burke.

IF a previous tinker removed/left off a similar part, the threaded collar could have been run off the ends of its threads onto the unthreaded body.

Trying to run it further in - IF that is the case - could worsen an already bad situation.
I'd back if off at least enough to see if it still has either threads or clearance, first.

The manual cited may help. And there are one or two of these in other PM members hands as well.

The old chirurgeons mandate applies:

"First, do no harm!"

Monarchist said:

Not the same mill, but there is a spacer in the similar place on my Burke.

IF a previous tinker removed/left off a similar part, the threaded collar could have been run off the ends of its threads onto the unthreaded body.

Trying to run it further in - IF that is the case - could worsen an already bad situation.
I'd back if off at least enough to see if it still has either threads or clearance, first.

The manual cited may help. And there are one or two of these in other PM members hands as well.

The old chirurgeons mandate applies:

"First, do no harm!"

Click to expand...

I have taken the threaded collar off and pulled the spacer as well. When the spacer is in place, there are threads "under" it. By that, I mean there is room for the threaded collar to be threaded on further.

As soon as the spacer and threaded collar hit the inner race of the rear bearing, it tightens the spacer into the inner race instead of "preloading" the spindle assembly.

I am going to attach pictures to show the amount of movement front to back. If you flip between them, you'll see the large amount of movement.

spfrazierjr said:

I have taken the threaded collar off and pulled the spacer as well. When the spacer is in place, there are threads "under" it. By that, I mean there is room for the threaded collar to be threaded on further.

As soon as the spacer and threaded collar hit the inner race of the rear bearing, it tightens the spacer into the inner race instead of "preloading" the spindle assembly.

I am going to attach pictures to show the amount of movement front to back. If you flip between them, you'll see the large amount of movement.

Click to expand...

I see it. Good work!

IF . .that were a Timken bearing - and I do not know if it is or not [1]... I'd suspect mis-matched inner cone/roller cluster and outer race.

It was Timken's won't for Donkey's Years to provide for many shaft and bore sizes per roller cluster by offering their bearings as two separate components - pick and chose amongst a tribe of 'clans', then 'families' so to speak - of inner & outer to suit the need.

If a previous Tinker not expert in that bearing selection system had gotten the wrong match, the depth would be off, and 'not only'.

Page Two:

The inner race could be tight up against a shoulder.

Page Three:

The FRONT bearing could be wrong-matched as well. That would position the rear wrong-ish.

That said, d'you even know if it either/both front and rear IS/ARE Timken tapered-roller?

Anything useful yet in the docs linked?

[1] Tony's lathes.co.uk website says the Sheldon/Vernon mills used tapered roller bearings. That's 'probable' for all models, not 100% assured.

The Burke #4 for example, originally used plain bearings, then Timken tapered Rollers, then for the 'high speed' spindle models, BALL bearings.

Monarchist said:

I see it. Good work!

IF . .that were a Timken bearing - and I do not know if it is or not [1]... I'd suspect mis-matched inner cone/roller cluster and outer race.

It was Timken's won't for Donkey's Years to provide for many shaft and bore sizes per roller cluster by offering their bearings as two separate components - pick and chose amongst a tribe of 'clans', then 'families' so to speak - of inner & outer to suit the need.

If a previous Tinker not expert in that bearing selection system had gotten the wrong match, the depth would be off, and 'not only'.

Page Two:

The inner race could be tight up against a shoulder.

Page Three:

The FRONT bearing could be wrong-matched as well. That would position the rear wrong-ish.

That said, d'you even know if it either/both front and rear IS/ARE Timken tapered-roller?

Anything useful yet in the docs linked?

[1] Tony's lathes.co.uk website says the Sheldon/Vernon mills used tapered roller bearings. That's 'probable' for all models, not 100% assured.

The Burke #4 for example, originally used plain bearings, then Timken tapered Rollers, then for the 'high speed' spindle models, BALL bearings.

Click to expand...

The linked documents helped and from them, I was able to find the manual for my exact machine! The bearings in my physical machine are tapered for sure, but I'm not sure what numbers are on them. The manual calls out 26822/26878 for the front and 2523/2580 for the rear.

spfrazierjr said:

The linked documents helped and from them, I was able to find the manual for my exact machine! The bearings in my physical machine are tapered for sure, but I'm not sure what numbers are on them. The manual calls out 26822/26878 for the front and 2523/2580 for the rear.

Click to expand...

Looks as if they are going to have to come out after all.

spfrazierjr said:

The linked documents helped and from them, I was able to find the manual for my exact machine! The bearings in my physical machine are tapered for sure, but I'm not sure what numbers are on them. The manual calls out 26822/26878 for the front and 2523/2580 for the rear.

Click to expand...

I also have a Vernon Sheldon No. 0 mill. Mine is missing the arbor. Can you tell me what the arbor/spindle taper is?
Tks,
John

Found some manuals on them online. There some mentioning on the tapers in the older one.
Machine Tool Manuals

The modification on the arbor from the same guy : Vernon #0 Horizontal Mill