Thread: HELP! MC309 wood lathe cant get the drive centre out

Hello James
You should be using a knock out bar. I wouldn't use a screw driver. If you have a drift punch or parallel punch, that would be better.
Sometimes they rust in place or debris jams them, but they still should knock out all right. Where are you located?
Willy
Jarrahland

Hey willy,

I am in rockingham I dont have a drift punch or parallel punch, I've it it pretty hard with still no avail...

Jimmyjoker,

Squirt penetrating oil around the front and in the hole through the back, let soak overnight. Next day squirt more in both ends wrap a rag over the drive center and with a steel rod close to the size of the hole through the spindle and a 16 oz + - hammer give it a couple of fast hard whacks. You want a sharp shock rather than a heavy hard blow.

Be sure the hole through the spindle goes through to the back of the drive center. On one of my lathes it does not.

Steel rods can be found inside junk copy machines or computer printers, hardware stores, engineers stores, or a screw driver with the end ground flat. If you are using a screwdriver with a plastic handle and it does not shatter, you are not hitting it hard enough.

If that does not make it fly out, more oil and with a light hammer gently tap, tap, tap, on the side of the drive center turning the spindle round and round. Add more oil from both ends and leave overnight.

Next day heat the spindle nose with a propane torch, heat gun, or hair dryer, avoiding the drive center. When the oil begins to smoke quickly whack the steel rod through the spindle hole.

If no luck, more oil, heat, tap, tap, tap, and let cool, repeat until it comes out.

Too much hard banging will dent the races on ball nor roller bearings and cause them to fail. Heat and cool cycles with gentle tapping and lots of oil are better.

Sometimes if the shed is cold and you have a long hard session of turning, especially if you have tightened up the tail center pretty hard, the bearings will warm up the spindle and the drive center will slip in deeper. When the spindle cools down it will grip the center very hard.

It is good to remove the drive and tail centers several times a year, oil up well and replace loosely and twist around in the bore. Remove and look for rusty oil. If rusty, wipe out inside of spindle and clean off drive and tail centers and repeat. When cloth is mostly clean, lightly oil and replace.

Do the same with chucks and face plates.

Hey MAte
Give me a yell if you would like me to have a crack, the advice above this post is good and worth trying as well
Willy

Originally Posted by jimmyjoker

Hey willy,

I am in rockingham I dont have a drift punch or parallel punch, I've it it pretty hard with still no avail...

Ok then get the largest dia piece of round that will go down the headstock tube. Then grind a taper on the end you intend to have in the tube. The taper should not come to a point leave a flat on the end of the rod at least half the diameter. The reason for the taper is to stop the end from jamming if it swells.
OK then use a steel hammer do not use a mallet or any soft headed hammer, the idea is to shock it and to break the taper lock, you may need to hit it hard very hard several times before it will move.
If this doesnt work your in real trouble, as you may have to remove the headstock shaft completely from the lathe and apply heat to it whilst hitting it again.

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen

I visited young James and was able to assist him, one or swings of a large lump hammer onto a drift punch quickly dislodged the offending drive spur. James had done all the preparatory work, and probably loosened it for me to make me look good. Problem Solved, and hopefully, our wood turning club will gain a new member
Cheers
Willy

Well done Willy . It's sometimes difficult for a novice to know how much brute force can be used .
Ted

Well done Willy

Like we say in the trade ; if at first you don't succeed - Try a bigger hammer

Oh no! You are using the Landrover No 1 tool for something else. Well done.

Don't ya just love the internet.

Originally Posted by turnerted

Well done Willy . It's sometimes difficult for a novice to know how much brute force can be used .
Ted

Which reminds of the joke.
A cruise ship is experiencing engine issues and requests external assistance from a engineering company. A technician turns up, inspects the components and then hits the engine with a big hammer.
Some time later, a bill for $10,000 is sent to the ship. The skipper, not happy, decides to query the bill and asks for a break down of the repair costs.
The repairer replies,

$1 for use of percussive persuasion,
$9,999 for know where to hit

Cheers
Willy