Atlas drill press head assembly removal!!!

[meatsis]

So I'm hoping that somebody here can help me. I would post pictures if I could figure out how to. I have an old atlas floor model drillpress that I would like to restore. But unfortunately I can't get the head assembly off. I removed the motor and belt. Then I removed the 2 large bolts that go all the way through on the sides. It won't budge. It's been soaking with PB blaster for the past few days and i can't get it to move at all. Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to disassemble everything else first? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[schor]

They can be very hard to get off. All that is holding it is the 2 bolts, keep pb blasting, you could try to heat up the head around the column but try to keep the column cold.

Usually its the base that is the hardest to get off, have you gotten to that part yet?

 

[454ragtop]

Maybe try carefully with a jack and a block of wood between the base and the head?

 

[meatsis]

Yeah I thought it was just take the 2 bolts out and I would slide it right off. But of course not. I haven't got to the base yet or the table. I was thinking about using a little heat as well. It is pretty old and it's been sitting for quite some time so it could probably just use a little persuasion. Thanks

 

[meatsis]

That's a grea idea 454 thanks

 

[meatsis]

Great idea thanks

 

[meatsis]

That did the trick. I used a 20 ton bottle jack with a 4X4 post and it came right off. Thanks guys

 

[WallynSC]

Congratulations, but it's not going to work without pictures. We need pics.

 

[nine4gmc]

When I restored mine, it took like two weeks of soaking and twisting it on the pole, I finally put a 2x under the head with the press laying down and took a 10# mall to it. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME!! It caused a hairline fracture in the casting that could have been catastrophic!
If I had to do it again, I'd probably hang it upside down with the head submerged in transmission fluid/acetone 50/50 solution until it comes off by hand. Please don't force it.

 

[Fretters]

When I restored mine, it took like two weeks of soaking and twisting it on the pole, I finally put a 2x under the head with the press laying down and took a 10# mall to it. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME!! It caused a hairline fracture in the casting that could have been catastrophic!
If I had to do it again, I'd probably hang it upside down with the head submerged in transmission fluid/acetone 50/50 solution until it comes off by hand. Please don't force it.

Beating is always a last resort method with an unpredictable outcome. Been there and done it though. Frustration can be a *****, can't it. Even with the better, more subtle methods though, they aren't always guaranteed to be accident free. That hacksaw bed of mine is a prime example of that going wrong. Gradual and steady pressure application is usually the safest otion though, as in the jack method above.