# What is the correct way to remove a stubborn 3 jaw chuck 2-1/4 by 8 tpi ?



## ome (Oct 8, 2013)

Hi guys,
it has already happened once, so i better find the fix. 
What is the safest way as to not damage the chuck, spindle, ways.....
to remove a 6 inch 3 jaw plain back threaded  buck chuck ?
Thanks,
jon


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## pestilence (Oct 8, 2013)

So far I've gotten by with a slap on the chuck key or a piece of wood between the jaws but the best way is probably to chuck a piece of hex stock and put a wrench on that.  I'm a newbie though.


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## ome (Oct 8, 2013)

Thanks, from one newbie to another, that seems like an excellent idea.  I find it odd that there is no spindle lock, and even in back gears, i am able to get the gears to move, when i did not want any movement.
Hopefully one of the many great machinists will enlighten this topic.
Thanks,
Jon


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## pestilence (Oct 8, 2013)

Oh I have a Logan too.  You can lock the spindle easily.  You just need to pull out the back gear knob but leave the pin in the bull gear engaged to lock up the spindle.  Make sure you put the back gear knob back in again before you start it up or you'll have broken back gear teeth if the belt doesn't slip.


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## itsme_Bernie (Oct 8, 2013)

I had this exact thing happen a few months ago with a backplate alone and no chuck, on a 2-1/4 8 spindle. The backplate had voids which caused the cut to bang.  So I put a little drag on the outside of the plate to reduce the bang, and save the backgears.  THIS got the back plate on good and tight!!  Hah hah!   Lesson learned.

I used an old leather weight belt and a two-foot bar and made a huge strap wrench.  I then ran the machine slow, backwards, in backgear.  I arranged the bar and belt to grip the backplate, but fall apart if I let go or pulled the bar to the side, if something went wrong.  

BUT- Easiest solution with a complete chuck is to lock up the backgear, grab a long bar sideways in the front if the chuck and give SLOW, steady pressure.  Then you shouldn't bust a tooth.


Bernie


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## Splat (Oct 8, 2013)

Some folks like to jar the chuck with force to get it to move. I don't personally like that. This is how I got mine off and might be the safest way to do it without harming any gears, etc... 

Lay a board right under the chuck to   cover and protect the bedways, then spin the chuck so a jaw   is in the 3-o'clock position. Put a piece of 2x4 between the jaw and the   wood covering the bedways. Make a long wrench with the appropriately sized hole for the spindle. Put your wooden wrench onto the   left-most end of the spindle and tighten up the bolts on it. Standing in front of lathe you now _pull up _on the wooden wrench.  The only thing to   watch is if you have a lever collet closer assembly then you should  not  clamp onto the area on the spindle where the collet closer engages.  The great thing about this method is no broken back gear teeth, no heat, nor any hammering. Just easily and smoothly leverage the stuck chuck off.


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## richl (Oct 8, 2013)

I have a d1-4 spindle and adapter plate... mine gets stuck on pretty good, luckily a couple of light hits from a large rubber hammer has been working... you guys are scaring the hell otta me with some of the things you are doing :whiteflag:

)rich


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## gmcken (Oct 8, 2013)

South Bend Lathe group has several good articles on removing stuck chucks.  Its better to read than to break a gear tooth.


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## itsme_Bernie (Oct 8, 2013)

richl said:


> I have a d1-4 spindle and adapter plate... mine gets stuck on pretty good, luckily a couple of light hits from a large rubber hammer has been working... you guys are scaring the hell otta me with some of the things you are doing :whiteflag:
> 
> )rich



Hey Rich!

Are you lubing the spindle and chuck before mounting the chuck?  That will help remove it.


Bernie


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## itsme_Bernie (Oct 8, 2013)

richl said:


> I have a d1-4 spindle and adapter plate... mine gets stuck on pretty good, luckily a couple of light hits from a large rubber hammer has been working... you guys are scaring the hell otta me with some of the things you are doing :whiteflag:
> 
> )rich



Hey Rich!

Are you lubing the spindle and chuck before mounting the chuck?  That will help remove it.

Nothing wrong with a rubber mallet though 

Bernie


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## ome (Oct 8, 2013)

gmcken said:


> South Bend Lathe group has several good articles on removing stuck chucks.  Its better to read than to break a gear tooth.


ThAnks,
i better read more articles than damage a gear. I did not lube the spindle or inside chuck threads. 
Any spe ial lube,white lithium grease or black grease from a tube?

Jon


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## itsme_Bernie (Oct 8, 2013)

Just way oil or spindle oil- no grease.  


Bernie


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## genec (Oct 8, 2013)

I can't help you much at getting it off, but I may be able to help you from having it happen again.
  1. Cleanup  threads real good before you put the chuck on.
  2. When  you're reinstalling the chuck  turn it on by hand  do not spin it on and let its slam into the end of the threads.
  The voice of experience.


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## jererp (Oct 8, 2013)

I just bought a Loagan several months ago, and no idea how long the chuck had been on the spindle, but I got it off amazingly easy.  I just  made sure my spindle was free wheeling.....no back gearing engaged.....didn't want to shear off any teeth......and then I took a piece of oak and a hammer and rapped the chuck a couple of times on the chuck jaw groove, out at the largest diameter.    Spun off real nice.      Inertia and impact are wonderful and powerful things. 
I have gotten bolts loose using impact, when putting a larger lever arm on it would have surely sheared off the bolt.


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## Sharky (Oct 8, 2013)

itsme_Bernie said:


> Just way oil or spindle oil- no grease.
> 
> 
> Bernie



I use copper never-seize on everything that I want to remove at some point, it holds up to high heat, but you can clean off excess easy.  Any reason not to use it on a chuck or backplate?


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## ome (Oct 8, 2013)

itsme_Bernie said:


> Just way oil or spindle oil- no grease.
> 
> 
> Bernie


Thanks Bernie, i always have way oil. 
Thanks again,
Jon


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## Earl (Oct 9, 2013)

You may not believe this (I didn't when I was told to do it) but it does indeed work.    I have a SouthBend Heavy 10 with a 2 1/4 x 8 spindle.  I have several chucks - buck 3 jaw,  buck 6 jaw, skinner 4 jaw   they all seem to get stuck once in a while no matter what I do to prevent it.   (clean, oil, etc) 
A couple years back I had my chuck stuck really tight.  No amount of persuasion worked.  I finally made an aluminum wrench to hold the spindle and bolted a 5 ft square tube to it.   With a smile on my face and some wood blocks to prevent the chuck from turning, and some rosin on the spindle to keep the wrench from slipping,  I proceeded to bend the 5 ft square tube (2 inch)!   I was extremely disappointed and frustrated.   My engineering expertise is not in the mechanical field.  I called a buddy that is a registered PE and he laughed at me.   He told me to put a 3 or 4 ft bar in the chuck (sideways)  All I had was a giant screwdriver that I use as a pry bar.  (about 30 inches long).    He then asked if I had a 5 gallon bucket.   I did.   He had me hang the bucket on the end of the screwdriver  (back gear engaged) and told me to fill the bucket with scrap!    I had some paver bricks, a couple bags of lead shot (I load shotshells) and some other junk I put in the bucket.   I left the shop and went in the house to eat dinner.  About an hour later,  I hear this loud noise coming from the garage.   The bucket was on the floor, one of the pavers was broken, lead shot was everywhere, but the chuck was loose!   It turns out that slow, steady pressure trumps the grunting and groaning and pulling on the wrench!   My guess is that I had about 75 pounds (afraid to put any more in the Homer bucket), about 26 inches away from the lathe centerline.    I have done this twice since that time and have refined the process to add a rope off the screwdriver to have the bucket hang only 5 or 6 inches off the floor.  Works for me!


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## pestilence (Oct 9, 2013)

Earl said:


> You may not believe this (I didn't when I was told to do it) but it does indeed work.    I have a SouthBend Heavy 10 with a 2 1/4 x 8 spindle.  I have several chucks - buck 3 jaw,  buck 6 jaw, skinner 4 jaw   they all seem to get stuck once in a while no matter what I do to prevent it.   (clean, oil, etc)
> A couple years back I had my chuck stuck really tight.  No amount of persuasion worked.  I finally made an aluminum wrench to hold the spindle and bolted a 5 ft square tube to it.   With a smile on my face and some wood blocks to prevent the chuck from turning, and some rosin on the spindle to keep the wrench from slipping,  I proceeded to bend the 5 ft square tube (2 inch)!   I was extremely disappointed and frustrated.   My engineering expertise is not in the mechanical field.  I called a buddy that is a registered PE and he laughed at me.   He told me to put a 3 or 4 ft bar in the chuck (sideways)  All I had was a giant screwdriver that I use as a pry bar.  (about 30 inches long).    He then asked if I had a 5 gallon bucket.   I did.   He had me hang the bucket on the end of the screwdriver  (back gear engaged) and told me to fill the bucket with scrap!    I had some paver bricks, a couple bags of lead shot (I load shotshells) and some other junk I put in the bucket.   I left the shop and went in the house to eat dinner.  About an hour later,  I hear this loud noise coming from the garage.   The bucket was on the floor, one of the pavers was broken, lead shot was everywhere, but the chuck was loose!   It turns out that slow, steady pressure trumps the grunting and groaning and pulling on the wrench!   My guess is that I had about 75 pounds (afraid to put any more in the Homer bucket), about 26 inches away from the lathe centerline.    I have done this twice since that time and have refined the process to add a rope off the screwdriver to have the bucket hang only 5 or 6 inches off the floor.  Works for me!



This sounds like incredibly good advice.   No way you're going to break teeth and sounds like a sure fire method.  Thanks a ton for sharing!


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## ome (Oct 9, 2013)

Yes, thanks for sharing. 
Jon


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## atlas user (Oct 12, 2013)

I tried a couple times to take the chuck off my 618.  What finally worked was a small strap wrench and rubber mallet.  Little pressure and one tap and it spun.  I don't think I had anything locked up just had the belts tight. Dumb luck more than anything I think.


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