New milling machine question #1

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay---first question (there may be a lot of these). In the attached picture, you can see that the top of the spindle, (and consequently access to the drawbar) has the round black plastic cover on it. Following all the instructions, I went to put in a collet with a 3/8" cutter. But wait!!! The damn black round plastic cover doesn't want to come off!! I don't want to break something on my brand new mill, so I undo the 4 screws that hold the yellow cover (which the round black cover is mounted to) and remove the entire yellow cover. What do I see on the inside??? Well, I see the drive motor and the top of the spindle alright, but that black plastic cover is held in place with about a dozen plastic barbs which are molded into it.---Surely the evil mind that came up with this doesn't intend me to undo 4 socket head screws and remove that entire yellow cover every time I want to change a cutter??? Advise please---

 

[rake60]

Brian that cover should just pull off.
I've never seen one that was threaded on, but try turning is counter clockwise
with a small strap wrench to see if it is threaded.
If that doesn't move it try tapping around it lightly with a plastic hammer near it's base
while attempting to turn it with the strap wrench.
These machines are usually heavily coated with rust preventive.
Sometimes it becomes a glue to be reckoned with.

Go easy and it will show you how it comes off.

Rick

 

[CrewCab]

Universal Screwdriver

To be fair, mine came off as soon as the machine arrived in the workshop and would have probably never been seen again ........... however ...... it now serves a useful purpose as a water container adjacent to the bench grinder

But to answer your original question, I can see no useful purpose to the cap, OK it covers a rotating part, but several inches below that is a rotating chuck with a lot more bite, so imho I'd skip the cap and just observe normal workshop safety procedures.

CC

 

[Bogstandard]

Just like always CC, playing at it.


The persuader

Look at the name as well

Bogs

 

[Cedge]

It's threaded on my Sieg SX3 . After a couple of runs, it now resides in my scrap iron bit bin.

Steve

 

[Tin Falcon]

that is a very important piece and is there for several reasons
1) looks pretty
2) employs another Chinaman in the factory
3) keeps some lawyer happy
4) perplexes the newby machinist
5) nice storage when you get tired of putting it back on after tool changes.
Tin
Caution keep all machine guards in place (you know I had to say that)

 

[tel]

Yer going to have to chuck it away when you fit belt drive any'ow.

 

[tmuir]

Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one that said a few 'special' words to that cap.
Mine was wedged on real tight too but after a short prayer to the four letter word god and a hefty yank it came off and of course I bashed my hand on the motor. So much for a 'safety feature'.
It's still sitting on my mill but then my mill is still sitting on the floor covered in it's packing grease waiting for me to get a chance to set it up.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay--problem solved. I called the folks at Busy Bee and they said I wasn't bashing it hard enough.---So---I bashed it a good one and it popped off the way I thought it should!!! It had been installed before the yellow paint was fully dried and the paint was holding it on.---May all my problems be this easily solved.

 

[Bogstandard]

Brian,

If you had gone with my hammer in the first place, instead of CC's. You wouldn't have had to phone them up.

Bogs