Buffalo No.16 Drill Press - Spline Drive Bearing Removal

[dalmatiangirl61]

Anyone familiar with how to remove the bearings in the upper section of a Buffalo No.16 drill press? There is a 1-3/4" double D nut on the lower portion, and it is recessed so no real way to get a wrench on it, upper side is just the hollow keyed shaft and no way to really hold it. Maybe it presses out as a unit?

There is a basic manual on vintage machinery, it gives instructions for removing the quill, but not the spline drive bearings. Page 7 of 12 in the pdf, or page 10 in actual manual, upper lefthand corner just under "Illustration of Parts" is the bearings I want to remove. This unit does not have the power feed, its just a plain drill press.
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=1058

 

[rklopp]

I remember my Dad changing those very bearings in a Buffalo No. 16 as a kid! That would have been about 55 years ago - time flies. Don't you just remove the cap screws under the pulley and then the whole pulley and spline drive lifts up as an assembly? I think the bearings are a slip fit in the housing. Then you can undo the nut on the bottom of the female spline piece and get the bearings off.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

I'd bet this drill has not had any love since 1955! I tapped both ends of the shaft a few times and did not get any movement, guess I'll tap a bit harder, maybe heat the casting a bit. The old grease is a mix of hard and crunchy, glue, and 90wt ooze.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

Thank you rklopp! A 2" diameter wooden dowel about 10" long, a bfh, and about 50 solid blows slid it right out!