Left box wrench on drawbar/starting mill- trying to understand what happened

helmbelly · Sep 30, 2020

Running my small Rockwell 21-100 vertical mill today, got busy and boneheaded left the 12 inch box wrench on the drawbar when I started up. Nothing terrible really- no spin made a straining sound and I turned her right off. Was on lowest slowest pulley and I run the belt kinda loose- but now its got a pronounced new complaint from my abuse. She is rattling away, just enough to swear at me. She was so silent before my F up. I tightened the nut a bit more than usual and that helped. She cuts fine.

I suspect the wrench struck the motor housing which loosened it - the draw bar lost its center and bent it a hair.

I have to believe I'm not the first guy to achieve this feat of mill operating ;-)

Anyone with more experience than me confirm what I prob did? How the heck would I true up that bar?

Thanks

Limy Sami · Sep 30, 2020

Sounds like a bent d/bar, .......I'd make a new one and be done with it.

Thought - have you tried running it without the draw bar & tool in taper etc etc?

Guest · Sep 30, 2020

As said above, have you pulled the drawbar out?

L Vanice · Sep 30, 2020

I bought my Rockwell mill new in 1974 and use a standard length 3/8 drive ratchet and socket on the drawbar. I have always removed it from the drawbar before starting, but I think it is short enough that it would not hit the motor if I forgot. A 12 inch wrench seems longer than needed.

Larry

Pete Deal · Sep 30, 2020

This happened to me once with my Bridgeport. My oldest Son was in the shop and was cleaning up some. He put the wrench, for storage, on the drawbar. Later I came in and turned the motor on. The wrench swung around and gave me a wicked crack on the back of the hand- the switch is in the swing of the wrench. Lots of swearing, a quick call to the other Son (not the one that did it) to give him hell for being so stupid. Then calmed down. Nothing broken luckily. No bent drawbar because it loosened it.

ChipSplitter · Sep 30, 2020

Two words.

Power drawbar.

wheels17 · Sep 30, 2020

Three words.

Open end wrench.

Mark Rand · Sep 30, 2020

As Sami and co have said, either inspect or just make a new drawbar. A few minutes with the lathe, a bit of bar stock, a nut and some loctite.

Secondly Either use an open ended spanned and have it fly off, as Wheels says or a ratchet socket wrench. The ratchet will allways be 'free wheeling' after tighhtening the drawbar, when the spindle is in the normal cutting direction. So even if you forget it, it won't do any damage.

Greg Menke · Sep 30, 2020

I wonder if it could be belt noise, the belt on my bpt makes noise sometimes, other times not. But yeah I suppose I could easily do that too... might be that I've always had nails handy to hang the box end wrenches for the drawbars and hold-downs.. either in my hand working a bolt or hanging on the nail. I'd be surprised if a tightened drawbar would be affected at all from such a mistake on a small machine.

helmbelly · Sep 30, 2020

didn't think to run it w/o the drawbar - thanks. When it happened, like most genius attacks it was the end of the day. It ran quiet w/o the bar in. I put a tad of grease on the spacer at top and after a little wipe down - seems a lot less cranky.

helmbelly · Sep 30, 2020

Larry and all, thanks on the socket (or open end) wrench. Have not had the mill a year yet and the last 6 months it mostly sat. The socket will spin when hit - that's gonna work for me.

I mostly work with aluminum and brass thus the Rockwell. When you say "barstock' at McMaster that would be just low carbon steel rod? or tool steel? The carbon steel Ive cut machines real easy so I hope its that. Tool steel I have not cut, sounds hard. I have HSS tooling.

About the belts, I keep em quiet with a shot of silicon spray, works pretty good. I like them quiet and the silicon is pretty sticky. I do wonder about belt tension - I make em tight and then back off a bit so they are relaxed. Doesn't really seem to matter much. But I'm still learning.

thermite · Sep 30, 2020

helmbelly said:
Anyone with more experience than me confirm what I prob did? How the heck would I true up that bar?

Thanks

"Experienced" is just anyone who makes mistakes fast enough to still have time to earn a crust and eat well after correcting them!

Yah.

Whacked one of mine moving the mill about. B&S #9 size, USMT "Quartet" combo - the vertical head. Prolly a lot more "pronounced" a bend to it than your one, too!

OBVIOUS as nipples on a Jersey Cow, anway!

Turns out they aren't that hard to straighten.

Saving grace is it were the "wrenching end", not the "wenching end" as had gone sidegodlin.

kustomizer · Sep 30, 2020

I had a small (1/8") orange nylon rope from the wrench to the power switch, seemed to work OK.

Lewie · Sep 30, 2020

wheels17 said:
Three words.

Open end wrench.

ABSOLUTELY!! Saw off that box end or badly mutilate it if it's absolutely necessary to hang the wrench by the normal box end. Or drill a hole for the hook.
...lewie...

Newman109 · Sep 30, 2020

wheels17 said:
Three words.

Open end wrench.

Good idea. I have only ever used the open end of a 3/4" combination wrench on the draw bar of my Webb mill. It's not wise to leave a box wrench on the draw bar.

thermite · Oct 1, 2020

Newman109 said:
Good idea. I have only ever used the open end of a 3/4" combination wrench on the draw bar of my Webb mill. It's not wise to leave a box wrench on the draw bar.

Use a larger nut / hex section, a flare-nut wrench grips better than open-end and can still be easily dis-engaged at the reduced diameter as easily as up and off.

Red James · Oct 1, 2020

This is just like leaving a chuck wrench in a lathe chuck ... teach yourself not to do stupid stuff (I know, but try; I'm slowly getting better)

Guest · Oct 1, 2020

I always hang the wrench on the bolts sticking out of the casting you have to loosen to pivot the head.

Newman109 · Oct 1, 2020

thermite said:
Use a larger nut / hex section, a flare-nut wrench grips better than open-end and can still be easily dis-engaged at the reduced diameter as easily as up and off.

Too complex for me. When I tighten a collet, being left handed, I insert the collet with the right hand and then reach up to the drawbar and turn it until it's fully engaged. Then I pull down on the brake lever gently and then tighten the drawbar with my 3/4" open end.

When tight to my satisfaction, I set the wrench the hell out of the way and then use the mill.

Works for me. Ten years now without ever being brained by a box wrench or some other left on the drawbar.

:rolleyes5:

helmbelly · Oct 1, 2020

That's the first thing I thought of, LATHE CHUCK STUPID. Pretty simple fix, dont use a box end wrench. I put a little 4" ratchet on it yesterday. Might pick up a flare end bc I have a shoulder arthroscopic surgery coming up and the extra leverage gonna feel better post op. trying to figure out how to work one handed, not coming up with much

Left box wrench on drawbar/starting mill- trying to understand what happened

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