Chuck Removal Problem?

pgmrdan

Registered
Registered
Joined
Sep 28, 2015
Messages
160
I bought a lathe Saturday that has suffered one or more episodes of the chuck crashing into the top slide. The chuck is jammed.

With the chuck stuck on the spindle I can't remove the spindle from the headstock to replace a damaged bull gear and do a good cleaning on things. I'm at a stand still.

I've tried channel locks on the broken gear while using a lever in the chuck to remove it. I tried gently warming up the chuck. I slathered things with light oil to see if that would penetrate the threads. Other than quickly heating up the chuck to a higher temperature than I did previously I can't really think of any other solution. Should I just persist?

Other than sawing it off is there any safe way to remove the chuck?

It's a Craftsman 101.07301 with a Craftsman chuck (the original?) if this helps.
 
I was lucky with my stuck chuck as i could take the spindle out with it on , still hacksawing through the back plate with only about an inch of sawing space was quite booring.

After i got it off by cutting somone recomended using a co2 extinguisher to cool the spindle by blowing it through the boore and try to chill the spindle whilst heating the backplate.

I think my main problems with the heating was not having a hot enough torch and gass mixture. I think it was spreading quicker than spot heating.

I also trien an impact wrench on some 1" hex stock held in the chuck. About 450Nm torque , didnt shift just battered the hex stock.

Loads of people sujested the lump of wood in the chuck and bang it into the ways but i was having the motor rewound at the time and also i was a bit scared the lathe might not lke it. (Also a bit limited for space i would have had to move it quite a lot to get a good speed up)

Good luck.

Stuart
 
When I first got my Logan I couldn't get the chuck off, I soaked it in penetrate for a few days then placed some dry ice into the spindle bore,
and heated the back plate with a Mapp gas torch, had the main gear wedge with a couple of pieces of hickory, clamped up some hex stock,
and using (while holding my breath) a breaker bar with a cheater it came loose.

*** Careful handling the dry ice...
 
From my experience with stuck engine parts:

Impacts (hammer blows) are most effective.

Absolute locking of the shaft is mandatory.

Put a torque load in the loosening direction with a breaker bar extended by a looooooong cheater bar. Strike the cheater bar at the end of the breaker bar's handle.

The chuck will be damaged. It needed replacing anyway?
 
I had a S B 9 that the chuck would not come off I followed 1 guy's suggestion ,the 2/4 chucked and strike sharply, all i did was break teeth off. I made a clamp to fit the shaft on the back used the 2\4 to hold chuck used a cheeter and got it loose.
 
Is the chuck on a backplate? If it is, take the chuck off and heat the backplate whilst cooling the spindle. If not you can use a large adjustable spanner on a chuck jaw. Try to hold the spindle rigid by any method you can think up that doesn't involve using the gear teeth. Use a long cheater bar with a weight on the end whilst heating rather than pull or hammer the bar,Heat the boss if you can see it, heating the chuck is going to take ages. Use a steel sheet to stop the headstock bearing and seals getting hot.
 
One more suggestion with the lathe bolted down I have used a long two by four, as a lever, between two of the jaws and putting the lathe in back-gear try snapping the timber downward. I've been there even if it didn't crash. Some of the guys have bought trade-school machines that had seen all kinds of crashes who may have more ideas. Good luck
 
A 18" Crescent wrench wrapped around a jaw make great leverage on removing a stuck chuck on smaller lathes.
 
I got it!!! I put a piece of hex shaped aluminum in the chuck, blocked the already damaged bull gear with a piece of wood, and put an impact wrench on the hex aluminum. I let the impact wrench pound at it a little while and then it freed up.

Thanks all!

I tookthe spindle out of the head stock. Things should be easier now. I just have to do more disassembly, clean, evaluate parts, order some replacement parts, and re-assemble.
 
Back
Top