Taig Mill Spindle "clicking"

[surrealism]

So I have put quite a few hours on my mill in the 2 weeks I have had it. Other than edge finding, I always run at 2nd to the fastest RPM.

tonight I noticed an audible "clicking".... bring up my Z up and kill the motor and I still hear it slow with the RPM of the motor... cutter vibration is out of the question now.

Any thoughts? Is this the beginning of my spindle bearing going to a bad place? or maybe something else...

Thanks for any thoughts.

[Vermiculite]

Mine started clicking and I thought my motor was on the way out. It ended up being the grub screw on the pulley was loose. When the motor is disconected and you turn the spindle by hand does it still click?

[rowbare]

I get a bit of that too. I always thought it was belt noise. I will check the lock screw tonight though.

bob

[Dean W]

On mine, either the lathe or mill, that clicking has always been the belt.
Checking the grub/set screw on the pulleys that Verm mentions is a good idea, too.

Does it make any sound if you take the belt off and spin it?

Dean

[surrealism]

Hey Dean, good suggestion. I pulled off the belt and no click. I think my belt is sitting level.... but maybe I had the tension to tight. I loosened the belt a bit, and no more click. It is my belief that belt does not need to be to tight or be fully functional.

anyone with a click, loosen the belt!

[Dean W]

Well, I'll bet you're glad to know there is nothing wrong with the spindle!

The belt is meant to be pretty snug. I think the figure is 1/4" deflection when it's properly tightened. If it ticks when it's properly tightened, it's usually because the pulleys are not aligned. There is no guessing about that. A small straight edge and a critical eye will tell you. Hold the straight edge against the flat of one of the grooves on the head stock pulley and note the alignment of the corresponding groove on the motor pulley. If they are not spot on, adjust one of them to match the other.

The other reason a belt will tick is that it's been damaged from running out of alignment for too long, or the belt has been spun on a pulley and made a hard spot that has cracked, and it will tick or squeak.

Have fun!

Dean

[klaymonster]

you may want to double and tripple check the pulleys if anyone has this clicking problem... I ruled them out repeatedly before finding out it actually HAD been the spindle pulley all along. Its posible to it is just tight enough not to move when you hand test it because a combination of being cocked to one side or the (loose) pully screw is lodged slightly into the wrong position along the shaft. I loosened the pully, repositioned it and tightened it securely and that unmistakable clicking sound was completely gone.