# The first impression of Beall ER32 collet chuck



## Wxm88 (Feb 4, 2018)

I have a set ER32 collets that I picked up at eBay, and have been debating for the collet chuck. Finally decide to give a try of the Beall chuck. Installed the chuck today, and tried it out with a mini project (A hack to short Morse taper for lathe tailstock). I was pleasantly surprised that the runout of the chuck (with import collet) was less that 0.0001.


I am glad I went with the Beall. Now I would like to know the best way to remove the chuck. My jaw chuck was so stuck and I had to use impact wrench with a hex stock to remove it. I am afraid that this one would get stuck and I won’t even have the option of using the impact wrench to remove it. Suggestions are appreciated.


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## mikey (Feb 4, 2018)

The Beall chuck should have come with spanners that fit the body. You need to lock the spindle and use the spanner to get the chuck loose. If you just snugged it to the spindle when you installed it (that's all it takes), then it should come off easily.

My Beall chuck is just as accurate. Not bad for what it is.


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## brino (Feb 4, 2018)

This has been asked before......

This thread: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/strap-wrench.64228/#post-532714
recommends a Ridgid strap wrench that is long enough to wrap around your chuck.

Here's a few more threads:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-to-remove-a-3-jaw-chuck.48288/
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...on-the-heavy-10-pretty-worn.43392/post-374650
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/removing-chuck.41276/#post-354729

Also be sure to NOT use the back-gear to attempt to hold the spindle when loosening a stuck chuck. This can break teeth off the gears!

-brino


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## Chuck K (Feb 4, 2018)

I've always heard that you can break teeth off the backgear while breaking a chuck loose.  I don't doubt it's possible but I would be interested if anyone has actually had that happen.  Of all the lathes I've seen with missing teeth it's been multiple teeth that were missing.  The majority were Logans and I always thought that someone pulled the backgear knob while it was running.  I wouldn't try to break a severely stuck chuck that way, but I do it on a regular basis on machines that I use frequently.  Having said that...I don't own machines with zamac gears.


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## Wxm88 (Feb 4, 2018)

mikey said:


> The Beall chuck should have come with spanners that fit the body. You need to lock the spindle and use the spanner to get the chuck loose. If you just snugged it to the spindle when you installed it (that's all it takes), then it should come off easily.
> 
> My Beall chuck is just as accurate. Not bad for what it is.


Yeah. The question is really come down to how to lock the spindle. It apparently isn't easy on the Atlas/Craftsman lathe.


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## brino (Feb 5, 2018)

Wxm88 said:


> Yeah. The question is really come down to how to lock the spindle. It apparently isn't easy on the Atlas/Craftsman lathe.



The best solution I have seen is with an expanding "lock" placed inside the spindle from the out-board end.
They are usually made out of a cylinder with a diagonal cut. A threaded piece thru the cylinder then forces the two mating faces together and expands the cylinder in the hollow spindle.

It works much like these wood-workers bench clamps from Lee Valley:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=59756&cat=1,41637

I know there is a thread here somewhere with a great example......Ill _try_ to find it.......

The design stuck with me because I want to make one, not so much for locking the spindle, but to add a way to index it for use with my cross-drill fixture on the lathe toolpost.

-brino


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## Wxm88 (Feb 5, 2018)

brino said:


> Wxm88 said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah. The question is really come down to how to lock the spindle. It apparently isn't easy on the Atlas/Craftsman lathe.
> ...



That is a brilliant idea!


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## brino (Feb 9, 2018)

Hey!

Back in post #6 I said I'd try to find another thread about a hand-crank for the lathe spindle....
Well a new post with such a device showed up recently:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/spindle-crank-for-south-bend-10l-lathe.66531/#post-555123

...and here's a few other references:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/lathe-spindle-crank.19590/
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...d-you-do-in-your-shop-today.14637/post-336603
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/inverted-threading-tool-method.65251/post-543124
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/turned-my-first-threads-today.61239/post-505084

-brino


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## francist (Feb 9, 2018)

And one more....




The handle came off a scrapped espresso maker I think, and the expanding sleeve is a concrete anchor from HD. 1/2" spindle bore on a 618 lets you do things like that. 

-frank


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## T Bredehoft (Feb 9, 2018)

I made a similar crank for my MK2 618. for tapping.


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## Wxm88 (Feb 10, 2018)

Wow, so cool. Thanks for compiling the list. I love the hand cranks. Was going to build the diagonal wedge just like those bicycle quill. But now I am thinking the center split wedge might even better as it could be easily convert in9 a hand crank.


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## Wxm88 (Feb 16, 2018)

Just did my simplifies version of the clamp, not as good as the handle above, but worked very well.



Here are the details: another-lathe-spindle-clamp


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