# How to remove back plate on Atlas chuck?



## Ed of all trades (Jun 11, 2014)

I am trying to free up and fix an old Craftsman 101,  618 lathe.  I have taken the whole thing apart and freed everything up but the chuck.  Is there a trick to getting the chuck key socket out so I can remove the back plate???  :whiteflag: 
                                                                                                      Thanks  Ed


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## Don B (Jun 11, 2014)

Ed of all trades said:


> I am trying to free up and fix an old Craftsman 101,  618 lathe.  I have taken the whole thing apart and freed everything up but the chuck.  Is there a trick to getting the chuck key socket out so I can remove the back plate???  :whiteflag:
> Thanks  Ed



If you could show a picture it would be good, I'm not familiar with this chuck but there's usually cap screws that hold the front to the back, but I'm assuming there's none because that would be obvious, any screws you can see?

Edit: If you remove the jaws is there any machine screws under there? Just a thought.:thinking:


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## Ed of all trades (Jun 11, 2014)

Our camera died so picks are out.  It has one screw that is on the face of the chuck lined up with the key socket and the plate on the rear has I think 6 holding it on.  The plate is loose but seems to be hanging up on the key socket that I can't get out.  There are also two threaded holes on the plate that I have no idea what they are for.  Thanks


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## tertiaryjim (Jun 11, 2014)

If those threaded holes in the back plate are 180 degrees apart and have solid steel below them, they may be for jack screws to jack the plate out.
I've seen a couple of chucks that were long past due for maintenance and found that they were stubborn to get apart.
A hard plastic faced hammer might help jar things loose.
Seems so many in the machinist trade don't know the basics of maintenance and don't wish to learn.


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## Don B (Jun 12, 2014)

tertiaryjim said:


> If those threaded holes in the back plate are 180 degrees apart and have solid steel below them, they may be for jack screws to jack the plate out.



Yes I agree probably for jack screws, but as stated a soft face hammer and go easy, if you try jack screws I'd go back and forth taking turns giving 1/4 turns each, if it gets cocked sid ways you may never get it apart, the screw by the key socket would probably be the retaining screw that runs in a grove in the key socket, are you able to move the screw by the key socket? If you can get that out the key socket should slide out.
There is the possibility depending on how the chuck is built that the key socket needs to be removed for some internal structure to slide past.
This is all just a big old guess though so go easy.:thinking:
Did you find a manual for your lathe? Maybe there's an exploded drawing of the chuck?

Edit: I tried a couple manuals and nothing, but does your chuck look like this

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/ORIG-ATLAS-C...LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338e850f8f&_uhb=1


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## Ed of all trades (Jun 13, 2014)

Yes Don that looks like it. I prayed about it wed night and woke up Thursday morning and knew how to do it.  The screw you can see in "Dons" photo holds a floating pin in place.  With all of the gunk in the way I could not tell what it was but Thursday morning I went out to the shop taped the pin with a punch and then smacked the face of the chuck with a soft face hammer and The pin moved enough to release the key socket and the back plate came right off!!!   THANK YOU for the help and effort   ED


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