Drill Press Pulley Removal

[neilski]

I have an Axminster Power Tools CH-18 Drill Press and I need to remove the spindle pulley. I have removed the locking ring but I cannot free the pulley casting from its shaft. The manual seems to indicate that the pulley is mounted on a tapered shaft, but I have tried a 3-legged puller, but it doesn't move easily (I didn't want to apply too much force in case the pulley is, perhaps, screwed onto the shaft. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[9fingers]

I have a very similar drill but a lot older and the pulley is indeed on a fairly roughly hewn taper.
If it like mine the pulley is cast iron which tend to be brittle.
I suggest a liberal application of proper penetrating fluid eg plus gas (NOT wd40 which is useless!)
then apply the puller under reasonable tension then use a mallet to strike the end of the puller to apply shock to the spindle not the pulley.
With luck it should let go.
If not try heating the pulley in the hope that the thermal contact to the taper will be poor and the pulley will expand more than the spindle.

Good Luck

Bob

 

[neilski]

Thanks Bob,

Did exactly as you suggested. Loaded up the puller (not excessively, worried about the cast iron) and gave the puller bolt a sharp tap with a hammer and off they popped! Success! The only extra thing I did do was to run the pulley lock ring up to the top of the thread to make sure the pulley shaft didn't spread - not likely as it was not seeing that much load, but better to be safe than sorry.

Once again, thanks for your advice - I would still have been looking at it otherwise!

Neil.

 

[9fingers]

Only too glad to have helped Neil.

Bob