Warco Drawbar woes...

[irving2008]

I eject tooling using a light tap from a sledgehammer, the dead blow seems a lot gentler than lambasting it with a claw hammer.

Two things I've found, the nut on top of the Warco part was only held on with a cross pin, now brazed, and you really want to disconnect the Z feed screw before you hit it

I was always taught to use a rubber mallet on the drawbar although the one that came with the mill looks like its been attacked by an army of orges trying to forge swords for the last battle! I can get a 1m length of 1/2BSW HT studding from a place in Croydon for a tenner and thats enough to make up two drawbars; one for the mill and one for the lathe, since they both take MT3 tooling. I'll get some 1/2BSW nuts and weld them onto the studding at the appropriate end.

Is yours 1/2BSW tooling as well Robin?

Apparently the tooling is available in 12mm thread as well so I might go for that as I have 12mm die and can get 12mm rod easily as well... is there a disadvantage of 12mm over 1/2bsw (range of tooling perhaps?)

[Robin Hewitt]

I was always taught to use a rubber mallet on the drawbar

What can I say but, "Good luck". I don't use the sledgehammer because I need the exercise you know :D

I only have two drawbars, the 3/8" that came with it and a piece of 12mm studding with a nut at the top.

[irving2008]

A rubber mallet....Strange teaching.....It would teach you patience I suppose! I'd say it's impossible myself ;)


I have 10mm 12mm 3/8"whit and 1/2"whit drawbars as the tooling has different threads.

You need 3 facemills flat 45 degree and round plus the collets for workholding...done...unless you fancy a flycutter....although getting the flies to stay still is an acquired art :D

OK... some tuition required... why 3 facemills? I was going to get a 63mm indexable one...

I was also assuming that since I am buying the tooling new I could get it all one thread...

I've rarely used a mill before in anger except at school many moons ago... in my professional career I've nearly always had stuff machined for me although i'd often watch it being done... I know how to use a lathe although until this year it was 28y since I did!

Personally I find catching and timing flies the hard bit... ;)