Lathe Chuck Key

omni_dilletante

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Jan 29, 2014
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156
The key that came with my four jaw chuck is pretty miserable. It was not a problem until I decided it was time to actually use the chuck.

I decided to reuse the cross bar, but make a whole new key. I decided a brass cap would look nice to cover the hold created for the detent ball and spring. Using the tap and die guides I built earlier was a real pleasure.

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I am finding that as I finally get tooling sorted out that I can actually finish small projects instead of getting lost in projects-I-need-to-finish-before-I-can-start-this-project.

I am starting to enjoy this.
 
I am finding that as I finally get tooling sorted out that I can actually finish small projects instead of getting lost in projects-I-need-to-finish-before-I-can-start-this-project.

Yep. I still get a thrill every time I don't have to buy or make something to complete what I'm doing.
 
I fully agree and now I;m now going to go rebuild my chuck key.
 
Yeah, if I ever decided to do this, I would have make 2-3. Or at least make the square end that goes into the chuck easily replaceable...
 
Thanks for the video link. That will make using the four jaw chuck easier.

I also agree that I need 2 or 3 keys. So this weekend I made two more. So now I have a spare.

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I am starting to feel like I know a little about what I am doing. It is a good feeling.
 
Very nice work. Is the handle held in place by a ball detent (shown on drawing)?

edit- read the first post and answered my question. Nice design.
 
Is the brass part threaded on? They look very nice.:clapping:
 
These look excellent. This is a little project that's been on my mind as well.
 
Yes, mine's a bit sloppy and I want to add an ejector spring. I've actually thought about attaching the master key on a short leash to the chuck key to ensure the lathe is disabled when the chuck key is in use.

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