Help desperately needed

[Newbster]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to forum and really looking forward to starting back into woodturning as I come close to retirement.
My problem is this, I bought a Viking 750 lathe 2nd hand and for the life of me I can not find the make anywhere to know where to get spare parts.

The headstock is locked on solid as I want to put on a chuck instead of what you can see in the photo but it won't move or unscrew at all. Tried heating it, giving it a belt of a hammer but nothing will budge it.

At this stage any suggestions would be greatly welcomed as it looks like I'm going to need to replace the whole spindle and disassemble the pully system.

[Ianparkin]

To remove the drive centre move the toolrest close to the tommy bar that you have in the spindle to that locks the spindle
Then use as big a pair of stitlsons as you can find and turn the drive centre adapter anti-clockwise as you look at it
A bit of warmth may help too

[Newbster]

many thanks for the reply.

Did exactly as you suggested Ian and got nowhere. I also ended up knocking the hole on the drive centre out of shape as you can see in the photo. There was a lot of rust on this from sitting up but I think at this stage the two have become one but I don't know where I would get another spindle for this machine as I can't even identify the make anywhere?

[Ianparkin]

If you can take the spindle out you could then put it in a substantial vice and repeat the stihlson attack
If all fails I can make you a spindle with whatever thread you want on the end

[Newbster]

thanks again Ian, I'll certainly try that and the fact that you can fabricate the piece if we strip the thread is a lot of comfort.

[Wood spinner]

Is it a left or right hand thread ?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I am not familiar with this lathe but I would look to see if there is a spindle lock. Although there appears to be a join to the right of the tommy bar that may not be the case, that whole drive assembly could be a threaded sleeve so to may be trying to unscrew something that is solid bar.
The other thing is where the hole in the drive has been elongated you could go in with a drill and drill the hole a tad deeper, that will have the effect of letting the tommy bar seat in properly. Give what we see as the joint a good spray over a few days of plus gas. Finally rather than risk damage to the machine, if all else fails remove the shaft from the machine before heating or beating. Held in a vice closer to where you are working will help prevent the shaft from warping.

[Newbster]

You're absolutely right about the solid bar theory, I did think I might be trying to move the unmovable but there's a hole at the join (albeit well scored by now) which leads me to believe that she is meant to come off. I can't see any spindle lock either but instead of drilling that hole deeper and running the risk of hitting thread below would it be better to score the outside of the casing so as to get a pair of stilson jaws on it?
I know that might cause an imbalance by doing so but it's pretty much ready for the bin either way.

[Twisted Trees]

Ironically the design of the 2 prong drive is supposed to be a thread protector!

Although it does look as though the back portion is the spindle lock, and separate from the 2 prong drive,  I would be inclined to take of covers to treble check there is no other spindle lock.

I would then dremmel out some of the damage to the tommy bar hole, enough for a drill bit to bite cleanly and drill a bigger diameter to match the ends of the damage BUT being sure whatever drill you use you have a perfectly fitting bar for the new enlarged hole, probably no need to go deeper than the original just true it up. All the planning and execution time should be filled with a liberal daily dose of your choice of corrosion buster, I also would recommend Plus Gas, but whatever you have is the one to use.

Most importantly go for longer bar for extra leverage and stop hitting it! I have a suspicion that unlike most modern (under 100 years old) lathes this one may not have a Morse Taper, and you may find you need this tool.

Hard to say from the photo, but I suspect this lathe spindle in an oddity and doesn't have a Morse Tapper 

[simon]

Angle grinder, grind two flats to accept large spanner?

[Paul Hannaby]

Another suggestion - when you use stilsons or mole grips to unscrew, attach them near the end of the drive so you avoid compressing threads you are trying to undo. when attached and ready to go, give the handle a good clout in the anti-clockwise direction to break the joint.

[Derek]

I am going to suggest something that may seem very strange to some people. Take two hammers hold the head of one under the part and then give the top a sharp tap from the opposite side rotate the shaft 1/4 of a turn, do this a number of times around the circumference tapping every time you turn it. This may help to shock anything like rust and free up the thread.
I use to do this when I was a plant mechanic.
By using two hammers there is less likely to damage the part. I say a sharp tap no need to belt the living daylights out of it.

[Newbster]

Another suggestion - when you use stilsons or mole grips to unscrew, attach them near the end of the drive so you avoid compressing threads you are trying to undo. when attached and ready to go, give the handle a good clout in the anti-clockwise direction to break the joint.

Paul would I be right in saying that the consensus is that this should be expected to come off? I'd feel like a right dingbat if the whole unit turned out to be a solid piece of metal. It's a mighty lathe as she is and I'd be concerned about knocking her out of true if I come at it too hard. Which I've already done as you can see from one of the holes.

Simon above thanks for that suggestion. I scored two parallel grooves either side to give the Stilson some purchase and she's still slipping like Bambi and won't even budge with a strap wrench. But it's looking like a new mandrel job at this stage which I was hoping to avoid.

[Newbster]

Is it a left or right hand thread ?

That's a divil of a question. I don't know is the honest answer but I'm working on leveraging anti-clockwise on this based on all of the replies and if it ends up that I'm only tightening it well I'll just have to live with the carnage.

[burywoodturners]

I am going to suggest something that may seem very strange to some people. Take two hammers hold the head of one under the part and then give the top a sharp tap from the opposite side rotate the shaft 1/4 of a turn, do this a number of times around the circumference tapping every time you turn it. This may help to shock anything like rust and free up the thread.
I use to do this when I was a plant mechanic.
By using two hammers there is less likely to damage the part. I say a sharp tap no need to belt the living daylights out of it.

Notstrange to me, make the hammer you are using as the anvil, bigger thn the one you are hitting with. And keep going!