Advice for Repairing a Drill Press?

[John A. Schaefer]

I'm hoping that someone here might be able to help me. I've searched through the site and didn't find anything relevant.

The nut that holds the front pulley onto the "pulley insert" (as it's called in the schematic - item 7C in the attached drawing) at the top of the shaft came off - probably during our recent move. Long story short, the pulley insert is completely chewed up. I've already got replacement parts inbound and they should be here in a week.

So I'm obviously going to need to disassemble it. The schematic is only going to get me so far, and I want to avoid as much trial-and-error as possible.

Any advice is truly appreciated.
370102

[Julie Moriarty]

Take pictures before you start the disassembly and take pictures as you take it apart. How many pictures and at what angles you take them depends on the complexity of the disassembly. When you are framing the picture, take a moment to see if the image in the viewer is something you will later understand.

[Lee Schierer]

I would recommend putting some Blue Loctite on the threads of that insert just before you put the new nut on. You shouldn't have to worry about it coming loose in the future, but if you use the blue Loctite you can take it off with tools.

[John K Jordan]

As well as possible photos I like to lay parts out on a big piece of paper or poster board in the order that they came off, labeled if needed, perhaps arranged as your exploded diagram since you have one. I often mark which side is up on some parts such as special washers. For things with special springs I also am careful about how they were installed or which holes they are hooked into (probably don't have these on your drill press.) If possible, I put screws and bolts/nuts back in the same hole they came out of to keep them straight until reassembly.

JKJ

[Bill Dufour]

My wife taught me to put parts in Baggies. all the parts for one section go in one big baggie. Maybe baggies inside baggies. no reason not to throw in a piece of paper with a label or diagram.

[Kyle Fries]

John,
Does the insert go through the bearings? If so you may want to replace the bearings when you have it all apart. I have rebuild and replace bearings on a lot of older press presses and lathes. If you have more specific questions feel free to contact me.

[John A. Schaefer]

Kyle-
The pulley insert goes through 2 bearings with a spacer between them (2C and 3C in the pic). But they're just over 5 years old (just out of warrenty), and haven't had any issues. It's actually not too hard to disassemble, so I know what to do when the time comes.

[John A. Schaefer]

Thanks all for the advice. I found a video that shows the key parts of disassmebly, which is what I was primarily looking for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWwmgC_TkBQ
I disassmebled it that past weekend, and it wasn't too bad. Only mistake was trying to take pulley insert and bearings out through the bottom instead of up through the top.
Tracking number says replacement parts should be here Friday, so I should be able to get it all back together this weekend.