
Ok soo... I have a Chinese lathe. From Wholesale Tool here in the US. Great lathe.. cheapish.. but has been really good for me.
http://www.wttool.com/index/page/product/product_id/14795/product_name/11%22+x+26%22+Lathe+with+Stand+(WT)I have had it for about.. well not really sure.. 10 or so years. Had a motor start cap die while turning a lot of heavy stainless. Changed it out no sweat. Added a QC toolpost.. inserts.. its been fantastic.
Made a ball turner.. peck drill and have been able to do just about everything I have needed at this point.
Well I was doing some wheel spacers in aluminum (6 or so inches in diameter) a year or two ago.. and decided to be diligent, and like when working on my Chinese Bridgeport, which I oil up before each use.. Oil my ways and things. I then realized.. to my chagrin I hadn't been oiling my SPINDLE.

So yeah.. I didn't read the manual.. I saw a ball oiler and put spindle oil in it. BOTH bearings.
It had greasy oil come out around the spindle while running so I oiled it more.. several times.. till clean oil was coming out. Repeated many times over the weekend making the spacers.
Fast forward to a couple weeks back and I oiled things, and noticed a bit of run out on a longer piece I was trying to turn.
Research and some intensive reading and searching later.. I realized I WASNT supposed to oil the spindle bearings. You grease them. And the manual even calls for a bearing grease past the ball oiler. (not sure how)
SO I decided I need to replace the bearings. SO I realized they are a thrust style bearing etc.. similar to one from Grizzly. More research on torqueing bearings on and on.
SO taking off the lock nuts on the pullies.. gears etc.. get down to the key.. remove that.. and there is a sleeve on the spindle. NO way to remove it.. so I screw with it carefully for a hour or so.. and realize it SLIPS OFF.. very snug fit but was able to carefully remove by hand.
I remove the LOCKS on the 3 jaw chuck on the other side.. and realize... DUH!!!

The damn spindle was finger tight. NOT snugged up. So its tiny wobble was from that.
SO happily I clean things up and as I decide to put it back together.. I check for play.. get out my dial indicator and start checking things.. and realize.. with my bad hearing.. I hear a tiny metallic clicking noise..... from the bearings.

SOoo my bearings are NOT greased. Soooo I need to remove them and either re-grease.. or replace. At the least.. Inspect them.
However.. I can NOT remove them. I am not sure how.. I have looked and looked. I don't see any thread.. or lock rings.. or.. well.. any way to adjust the play. I am kinda thinking that.. It was pressed together!
And yes I have a hydraulic press.. but I am cringing at the concept of removing the entire headstock, wiring, motor, gears on and on and on to remove the spindle.
On the belt side, I see that there is a slight recess where the... almost like a shoulder area is. I am not sure if that is a shoulder that is a spacer.. or if the wider part is the diameter of the bearing that is pressed on.
Any insight and or ideas are very welcome.




