# Cleaning my chuck?



## Vince_O (Jan 20, 2014)

Guys I could use some help please. I have a hard spot in my chuck when tighting the jaws that developed after cutting some brass. Im just guessing that there is a chip in it. I looked at some other posts in general questions with the same problem. So this weekend I tried to take mine apart, couldn't. Could I get some help on this please. I took the jaws out then removed the 3 screws and couldn't get it apart. Heres some pics of the chuck. 
TIA Vince


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## Ray C (Jan 20, 2014)

Hi Vince, how you been?

It's not always necessary to take the entire unit apart -although you certainly can if you want to.  On my 3J, when something gets stuck, I usually remove the jaws and pick all the crud out of the rear teeth of the jaw.  Then, use the chuck key to turn the scroll and you can see the scroll grooves rotating.  Use a brush to clean the loose crud out of there and use a little dental pick to scrape-out any particles that got deeply embedded in the scroll.

As for loosening those screws, get a properly fitting screwdriver impact wrench.  That will get the screws loose.  You might need to pry the body apart with a proper leverage bar.  Make some witness marks so you can put it back together the same way.


Ray


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## Vince_O (Jan 20, 2014)

Hey Ray got that addition on the shop, got a line on a machine at a good price hope it works out. 

I took out the jaws but cant see anything. I was wondering if maybe something on the screw, for laymans terms, that move the jaws. Talked with the guys at work and they said that they thought that piece should come out to seperate the chuck. I thought too I could regrease it, as it has always been a little rough
to move. I took the lathe to work and cleaned everything real good. Lot quieter now when its running.

Im taking someones advice here and keeping the 6 inch. He said he had one and got rid of it and wished he still had it. Seeing I dont have much in it, Ill keep it set up.


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## Vince_O (Jan 21, 2014)

Ok Ray I got it apart this morning, and I see some problems, I think. Looks like good bit of wear up towards the center hole. Theres also some crud in that area. I guess from sitting so long and then me starting to use the machine again, its was bound to come lose. Ill clean everything up in the parts washer today and put it back togeather. When I put it back togeather do I need to use grease or oil?


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## Ray C (Jan 21, 2014)

Grease or oil... I wish I could answer that question with certainty.  I used a light coating of grease on mine but others swear that it attracts too much grit and swarf.  -Beats me...

I don't view chucks as sacred objects.   If they get jammed with stuff, I take e'm apart and clean e'm.  Sometimes you go for months before something really annoying gets caught in there; sometimes it happens 10 minutes after the first use.  The biggest mistake you can make is to ignore it and just "work it in".  All that's doing is wearing something out.  The best bet is to brush it out best as possible and if that doesn't work, take it apart and clean it.


Ray


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## wa5cab (Jan 21, 2014)

Unless you plan in the future to disassemble the chuck at least annually and clean and regrease it I would go with oil, or no more than thin smears of grease.  The problem with grease is that if there is very much there, over the decades it can harden and may form a barrier that later blocks oil from being able to get to some place that needs it.

Having said that, my Pratt Bernerd 6" chuck has a recessed Alemite fitting on which I do use a grease gun.  But that makes it a pressure rather than gravity feed situation.

Robert D.


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## gmcken (Jan 21, 2014)

I like to use some of the light weight synthetic grease on the inside.  If you put light weight oil inside the chuck, oil will be slung out as it is used messing up clothes.  Just my thought as you will need to clean chucks if they are used.


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## Cheeseking (Jan 21, 2014)

Well I'll go off the ranch on this.  My preferred method is clean and dry (on the scroll and Jaw/jaw slots.)  What!?  yes.  dry.   Why?   Well because the speed at which I revolve the chuck key is very slow.  The bits and cruds that do get in don't stick in the scroll and at slow speed tightening the lube is in my view a waste.  Seriously come see me when you wear out a chuck because of lack of lube!  Removing the jaws allows the chips to be cleared out with just a clean dry chip brush.   I believe Chucks with grease fittings usually are lubing the key pinion and gears behind the scroll.  There I can see using the grease.    Just my .02


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## xalky (Jan 21, 2014)

I like to use way oil on just about anything that slides or rubs slowly on something else. It's light enough to keep things moving freely, but not so heavy that it gums up over time. Supposedly, way oils don't attract or hold onto crap.


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## wa5cab (Jan 22, 2014)

Cheeseking,

Sorry, but turning the chuck key slowly, assuming that you turn it the same number of complete revolutions in both cases, causes the same amount of wear as turning it quickly.  This is rather easily proved experimentally with a sanding block, micrometer, two sacrificial test blocks and a few other bits.  The really bad thing about doing this is that you will wear out your chuck body and jaws much more quickly by running the jaws in the slots dry.  Not only will they wear more rapidly from moving them in and out but because there is no film of oil between the keys on the sides of the jaws and the slots in the chuck body that they run in, they will also wear while tightened onto a workpiece because everything is in metal to metal contact and any time you have the motor running there is relative movement, even if only in the microinch range.

Robert D.


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## Vince_O (Jan 22, 2014)

Id like to thank everyone for their input. I found 2 little burrs and ever so patiently, Im not good at being that, I filed them off. They were in the spiral piece that brings the jaws in and out. Everything turns so nice now. I guess when I got the lathe I should have torn it down, but knowing nothing about any type of lathe I was scared to do anything like that. 

:tiphat:


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## DAN_IN_MN (Jan 22, 2014)

Step by step!  Inch by inch!  We're learning!


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## Vince_O (Jan 24, 2014)

Yes sir Dan I am! Thats what I like about this site, so many willing to help people like me just starting out.


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