Snap Ring on Hightower Headstock

[Busbee Cue]

Hello,

Anyone have any advice on what to use to get the snap ring off of the thick end of the headstock? It has the indexing step pulley on the spindle.

This unit is pretty old and it has alot of drag when turned by hand, I was thinking cleaning and relubricating the bearings might get it running smooth agian.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RocketQ]

take the pulley off and use snap ring pliers. In a bind you can grind long nose to work. Or two punches and regular pliers.

John

 

[Dave38]

You can call Chris, he can help. You'll need to remove the other bearing, then the pully and as Rocket said, use snapring pliers.
Dave

 

[cueman]

Snap ring pliers is the correct answer. It appears you want to take it off to change the bearings???? First you need to press the spindle out of the bearings. No need to remove the pulley from the spindle. Look very carefully and and make sure all parts go back in when you put the two new bearings in. I would suggest stopping right where you are at and get to an arbor press to press the spindle out of the bearings. It looks like you are tearing up the edge of your pulley with screw drivers or something.

 

[Cue Crazy]

Whenever I first started breaking My chucks down and cleaning them I to use something like the 2 punch method mentioned because I was too lazy to go out and buy snap ring pliers, and I've used that method many times in the past when I was in a pinch. Although crude, It was enough to get the ring out of the groove and started, from there I just worked around the circumference with a flat head, like removing a tire from a rim, and being careful not to mar anything in the process, although crude it worked. That was much easier to get to though, as I had the jaws off the lathe. I would recommend Chris's advice as He knows that machine better then anyone, but If I had a situation like that and didn't have the correct tool on hand one those curved needle nose pliers may work if the tips were ground down to fit the holes in the snap ring,although I think that may have been referred to here already. The best thing Is to just get the proper tool.I finally bought some, I think I was in advanced auto parts or somewhere similar getting car parts when I saw one of those discount bins with the cheap tools in It. They had a set of snap ring pliers that had several different shaped interchangeable heads to go on the handle,and they will work in many different situations. They are kind of cheap quality,but I picked up a set anyhow, They do get the job done, and were inexpensive.