Stuck collet Help please

[Steve's Machine&Fab shop]

I have Index 645 vertical mill I just got. It has a stuck R8 collet with a ER 32 collet holder in it for 20 plus years. I have tried using a 2 lb. brass hammer on the draw bar to try to break it loose with no luck. Also put some heat to it. I put a rubber cap on the end of the ER collet holder removed the draw bar and filled it up with pb blaster and let it sit for a week. I made a setup with 8" channel iron with 4 pieces of ½” 13 all thread in each corner. I tried to press on the draw bar (used ½” all thread for the draw bar) but the all thread tried to crumple in side of the spindle. My only last hope is to use a piece of 4140 bar with a ½” 13 threads on the end to screw in to the R8 collet. So far I have used 2 tons of force from a porta power. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[kenton]

Get straight shank boring heads, facing mills and drill chucks and have the only ER32 spindle index mill?

If your 1/2-13 bar actually threaded into the tool holder then you don't have a R-8 spindle. R-8 is 7/16-20. You likely have some manner of B&S taper.

 

[kenton]

If you are real desperate you could attach a boring bar to the table and use it to machine out the collet holder but you better be real sure of what kind of spindle you have or you will wreck it. Even then it would be my last option Hail Mary approch.

Like this but more different:

 

[just Dave]

If you have power you could side mill without a drawbar , all the while knowing that it will drop out. So stay clear of table and vice.. The cutter should be like an old resharpened 1” or so that might break a tooth when the taper lets go. This is dangerous. Be well protected and shielded

 

[4GSR]

IF your using a 1/2-13 draw bar thread, you have a No. 9 B & S taper in the spindle. There are several threads here on PM of people that have encounterred the same issue you are dealing with and getting them removed. Ken

Edit: I highly doubt that is a ER-32 collet holder. It's more than likely a U-E holder that uses "Z" style collets.

 

[EPAIII]

You used pb blaster? My favorite is Kroil. You might try that. Some are better than others.

I had a chuck stuck on my lathe spindle and tried everything I could think of. What finally loosened it was having a weight on a lever arm trying to unscrew it after drowning it with Kroil. I left it overnight and the next day I was happy to see the weighted arm was on the floor. It came loose from gravity. The constant pressure plus the Kroil seemed to do it.

I would try Kroil down the spindle and a weight on the drawbar. Leave it for a few days if necessary.

If that does not do it, you might try some kind of vibrating weight. Like a motor with off-center weights on the shaft. Not a terrible amount of weight, just a constant thing.

 

[rons]

Those Jacob chuck removal wedges are the first thought I had. In a much bigger way of course.
Soak the joint over-night and try some Italian persuasion the next day.
(An Italian guy made that persuasion comment to me once and I like to hang on to it).

 

[???]

Turn a top hat shaped insert with a thread in it. Put insert into the ER with a collet and nut and crank it up then use a slide hammer so you are pulling down. I've removed 16 mm dowels that were jammed in a press tool for forming Toyota chassis rails with a slide hammer when nothing else would move them. T on insert needs to be above collet so it doesn't pull out. You will trash the collet.

 

[Steve's Machine&Fab shop]

Thanks Guys for all your input on my problem. I am going to remove the spindle from the quill. The round nuts on the bottom of the quill are they left or right hand threads?

 

[Cyclotronguy]

I you are going to smack on the draw bar, make sure the force is taken by the spindle nose. IE block the spindle nose to the table. Otherwise you risk brinelling the spindle bearings

 

[guythatbrews]

If you find it is indeed a B&S taper, after you get it sorted out don't tighten the drawbar much. Those tapers are hard to remove if you crank down much at all.

 

[Steve's Machine&Fab shop]

Get straight shank boring heads, facing mills and drill chucks and have the only ER32 spindle index mill?

If your 1/2-13 bar actually threaded into the tool holder then you don't have a R-8 spindle. R-8 is 7/16-20. You likely have some manner of B&S taper.

Yes you are right it is a B&S collet with a ER 32 collet holder in it. The ER 32 has a 7/16-20 thread in it. I am going to remove the spindle from the quill, but I am not sure if the round nuts on the bottom are right or left hand threads to be removed with a spanner wrench.

 

[Steve's Machine&Fab shop]

If you find it is indeed a B&S taper, after you get it sorted out don't tighten the drawbar much. Those tapers are hard to remove if you crank down much at all.

Any Idea what the threads on the bottom of the spindle are left or right hand, I am going to remove the spindle.

 

[4GSR]

Any Idea what the threads on the bottom of the spindle are left or right hand, I am going to remove the spindle.

I mentioned above post that that is a left hand thread. It should have a "LH" stamped somewhere on the nut but may not be.