Rattle in my milling machine quill

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

Moderators: GlennW, Harold_V

Post Reply
AllenH59
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:26 pm
Location: Prince George BC Canada

Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by AllenH59 »

Good day gentlemen. My mill, a ten year old Grizzly 3617 has quite a rattle in the quill, before I take it apart, I wonder if any of you have a suspicion as to what it might be. For what it is worth, it does not seem like a bearing. Thanks.
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10460
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by Bill Shields »

Does the rattle occur only when the power drive is engaged?

does it get better / worse as the quill moves up / down?
Last edited by Bill Shields on Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
choprboy
Posts: 322
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:23 pm

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by choprboy »

I suspect along the lines of what Bill is probably going to suggest, if it is a stepped pulley I believe I would know what it may be, though I have no specific knowledge of the G3617.

There is typically a splined shaft and collar that allows the pulley to drive the spindle, while the spindle can be moved up and down. Wear and fit causes the shaft and collar splines to chatter as the milling cutter engages the work (the shaft springing forward as the cutter tooth comes out of the work and slamming back against the spline as the next tooth engages). Often there are rubber plugs in the splined assembly to reduce vibration, which may have worn or fallen out.
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by pete »

A step pulley mill so it won't be the famous variable speed bushing rattle that Bridgeports get with enough time on them. So an old mechanics trick Allen. Try using the largest screw driver you have, place the screw driver tip up against the area on the head the rattle seems to be coming from and rest your ear on the handle end. It works just like a stethoscope when you don't have one. Keep moving the screw driver tip around until you can pinpoint where it's loudest. Yeah it looks dumb, but it works.That should narrow it down to how far you have to dig into this. Not saying it is, only that it's one of many it might be. My floor model drill press suddenly developed a rattle just like that. For some reason the nut holding the drive pulley to the spindle loosened off just enough to get that rattle. I'd at least check that first on yours. Looks like you'll have to pull the motor and top cover to get even that checked though.
John Hasler
Posts: 1852
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:05 pm
Location: Elmwood, Wisconsin

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by John Hasler »

My Avey has a splined shaft that tends to clatter (60 or 70 years of wear will do that.) My solution is to pack it with heavy grease. First make sure that's what it is, of course.
AllenH59
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:26 pm
Location: Prince George BC Canada

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by AllenH59 »

Thanks guys, I will have another look at it. It does have a step pulley.
KellyJones
Posts: 189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:10 pm
Location: Snohomish, WA

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by KellyJones »

Interesting....I have the same problem on my G3617. I have been dreading the job of opening it up to figure out what the problem is...Keep us posted.
Kelly Jones, PE
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw
(1856-1950)
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10460
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by Bill Shields »

Take the chuck off and the drawbar out.

Does sound change?

Does it change as quill goes up and down?

If you loosen the belts...does it change?

Put large collet in quill. Put a piece of bar stock in the collet. Clamp a piece of 2x4 in your vise. Start the quill spinning and wind the bar slowly into the side of the board to give side pressure. Does sound change?

Lots of testing you can do without disassembly.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
AllenH59
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:26 pm
Location: Prince George BC Canada

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by AllenH59 »

Gentlemen, I took the quill out and took the spindle out of it. I was cursing it all along until I removed the aluminum ring at the bottom of the quill that covers the hole that the screw for guiding the collets goes through, It is like a key for them, but a screw through the spindle, with a bit at the end that has no threads. There is a lock screw behind it. What I found was the lock screw had come loose, and was rubbing on the ring part of the way around, In addition to this, the inner screw that acts as a key had wandered in too far. I removed them both and discarded them. and that problem will not visit me again. I greased the bearing, as it has one tapered bearing at the bottom of the spindle, and lubricated all the moving parts in the mechanisms to raise and lower the quill. It was not difficult, the only thing that someone might not have in their shop is the spanner to loosen the nut to remove the spindle from the quill, and set the bearing on reassembly. I put an edge finder in a collet and put an indicator on the body of the edge finder, and it ran straight. This mill is about 14years old, now that I think of it, and greasing the tapered bearing was not a bad thing. I was kind of amazed at how cheaply the mill was made, although I guess I should not be surprised. Both the quill and the spindle were cast, then machined and chromed where they needed to look good.
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by pete »

Good to hear it wasn't anything more involved or expensive Allen. You got a bit lucky.
AllenH59
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:26 pm
Location: Prince George BC Canada

Re: Rattle in my milling machine quill

Post by AllenH59 »

pete wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:30 am Good to hear it wasn't anything more involved or expensive Allen. You got a bit lucky.
Now that I have been in it, there is not much to it. I guess if the head were worn out, the quill could be moving sideways in it, or I might have to change the tapered bearing, or the spline at the top could be damaged. A set of Allen Keys, a couple phillips screw drivers, a straight screw driver, the spanner for the bearing tension, a pair of pliers to reset the spring for the quill retract, a couple hammers etc were all that were required. Along with consumables like grease, cleaner of some kind.
.
Post Reply