# Chuck Removal Problem?



## pgmrdan (Sep 30, 2015)

I bought a lathe Saturday that has suffered one or more episodes of the chuck crashing into the top slide.  The chuck is jammed.

With the chuck stuck on the spindle I can't remove the spindle from the headstock to replace a damaged bull gear and do a good cleaning on things.  I'm at a stand still.

I've tried channel locks on the broken gear while using a lever in the chuck to remove it.  I tried gently warming up the chuck.  I slathered things with light oil to see if that would penetrate the threads.  Other than quickly heating up the chuck to a higher temperature than I did previously I can't really think of any other solution.  Should I just persist?

Other than sawing it off is there any safe way to remove the chuck?

It's a Craftsman 101.07301 with a Craftsman chuck (the original?) if this helps.


----------



## Kernbigo (Sep 30, 2015)

soak it in (kroil) penatrating oil


----------



## stupoty (Sep 30, 2015)

I was lucky with my stuck chuck as i could take the spindle out with it on , still hacksawing through the back plate with only about an inch of sawing space was quite booring.

After i got it off by cutting somone recomended using a co2 extinguisher to cool the spindle by blowing it through the boore and try to chill the spindle whilst heating the backplate.

I think my main problems with the heating was not having a hot enough torch and gass mixture.  I think it was spreading quicker than spot heating.

I also trien an impact wrench on some 1" hex stock held in the chuck. About 450Nm torque , didnt shift just battered the hex stock.

Loads of people sujested the lump of wood in the chuck and bang it into the ways but i was having the motor rewound at the time and also i was a bit scared the lathe might not lke it. (Also a bit limited for space i would have had to move it quite a lot to get a good speed up)

Good luck.

Stuart


----------



## middle.road (Sep 30, 2015)

When I first got my Logan I couldn't get the chuck off, I soaked it in penetrate for a few days then placed some dry ice into the spindle bore,
and heated the back plate with a Mapp gas torch, had the main gear wedge with a couple of pieces of hickory, clamped up some hex stock,
and using (while holding my breath) a breaker bar with a cheater it came loose.

*** Careful handling the dry ice...


----------



## mike837go (Sep 30, 2015)

From my experience with stuck engine parts:

Impacts (hammer blows) are most effective.

Absolute locking of the shaft is mandatory.

Put a torque load in the loosening direction with a breaker bar extended by a looooooong cheater bar. Strike the cheater bar at the end of the breaker bar's handle.

The chuck will be damaged. It needed replacing anyway?


----------



## Norman (Sep 30, 2015)

I had a S B 9 that the chuck would not come off  I followed 1 guy's suggestion ,the 2/4 chucked and strike sharply, all i did was break teeth off. I made a clamp to fit the shaft on the back used the 2\4 to hold chuck used a cheeter and got it loose.


----------



## hermetic (Sep 30, 2015)

Is the chuck on a backplate? If it is, take the chuck off and heat the backplate whilst cooling the spindle. If not you can use a large adjustable spanner on a chuck jaw. Try to hold the spindle rigid by any method you can think up that doesn't involve using the gear teeth. Use a long cheater bar with a weight on the end whilst heating rather than pull or hammer the bar,Heat the boss if you can see it, heating the chuck is going to take ages. Use a steel sheet to stop the headstock bearing and seals getting hot.


----------



## Bill C. (Sep 30, 2015)

One more suggestion with the lathe bolted down I have used a long two by four, as a lever, between two of the jaws and putting the lathe in back-gear try snapping the timber downward.  I've been there even if it didn't crash.  Some of the guys have bought trade-school machines that had seen all kinds of crashes who may have more ideas.  Good luck


----------



## 4GSR (Sep 30, 2015)

A 18" Crescent wrench wrapped around a jaw make great leverage on removing a stuck chuck on smaller lathes.


----------



## pgmrdan (Oct 1, 2015)

I got it!!!  I put a piece of hex shaped aluminum in the chuck, blocked the already damaged bull gear with a piece of wood, and put an impact wrench on the hex aluminum.  I let the impact wrench pound at it a little while and then it freed up.

Thanks all!

I tookthe spindle out of the head stock.  Things should be easier now.  I just have to do more disassembly, clean, evaluate parts, order some replacement parts, and re-assemble.


----------



## Reeltor (Oct 1, 2015)

Bill C. said:


> One more suggestion with the lathe bolted down I have used a long two by four, as a lever, between two of the jaws and putting the lathe in back-gear try snapping the timber downward.  I've been there even if it didn't crash.  Some of the guys have bought trade-school machines that had seen all kinds of crashes who may have more ideas.  Good luck



Along this same line but instead of "snapping the timber downward" get a 5 gallon bucket and put it on the end of the 2x lever that is held in the jaws.  Put it at and angle and lock the backgear then put water or other heavy objects in the bucket.  Soak the threads and leave it for a day or two.  I don't remember where I saw this but the poster who described it said that in the middle of the night he heard a crash in the shop.  It was the chuck loosening up and the bucket hitting the floor.


----------



## jjtgrinder (Oct 1, 2015)

There is a great product which never fails me for freeing rusted parts, it is called "Kano AeroKroil oil".  I have tried others like WD40 and such with no success.  I live and fish in the gulf of mexico. I had a pair of wire cutting pliers my son exposed to salt water and did not rinse/clean/oil them (imagine that).  I soaked them in a cup of PB-Blaster for a 24 hour period.   I then dried the pliers and tried to pull the handles apart, would not move - still stuck. I then put about 4 drops of the Aerokroil on the hinge of the pliers, waited about 10 minutes, pulled on the handles, they started to move and now I use those pliers , they work fine.


----------



## hermetic (Oct 1, 2015)

good show!


----------



## Billh50 (Oct 2, 2015)

For those who find Kroil hard to find. a mixture of 50/50 acetone and automatic transmission fluid works even better than Kroil. From published tests it takes almost half the force to loosen bolts. I have only had to use the mixture once when Kroil would not work and heat was out of the question and it did work.


----------



## mike837go (Oct 2, 2015)

Billh50 said:


> For those who find Kroil hard to find. a mixture of 50/50 acetone and automatic transmission fluid works even better than Kroil. From published tests it takes almost half the force to loosen bolts. I have only had to use the mixture once when Kroil would not work and heat was out of the question and it did work.



I switched from Kroil to ATF/acetone about a year ago when the gallon of Kroil my dad bought in the 1990's ran out. Which one is more effective? I can't say. But I will say that ATF/acetone is effective enough that I haven't bothered looking for more Kroil.


----------



## pgmrdan (Oct 2, 2015)

I have Liquid Wrench, Kroil, 3-in-1 Penetrating Oil, and a Blue Wrench.


----------



## mike837go (Oct 2, 2015)

pgmrdan said:


> I have Liquid Wrench, Kroil, 3-in-1 Penetrating Oil, and a Blue Wrench.



We tend to shy away from the Blue Wrench when precision bearings and irreplaceable seals are involved....


----------



## pgmrdan (Oct 2, 2015)

Good idea!  I gently warmed the chuck with a propane torch to see if that would help.  It didn't but the chuck is off now.

Looks like the topic of conversation switched to freeing up stuck things in general so I threw in the Blue Wrench.  I wouldn't want to use that on the chuck though.


----------



## mike837go (Oct 2, 2015)

pgmrdan said:


> Good idea!  I gently warmed the chuck with a propane torch to see if that would help.  It didn't but the chuck is off now.
> Looks like the topic of conversation switched to freeing up stuck things in general so I threw in the Blue Wrench.  I wouldn't want to use that on the chuck though.



My rule of thumb: The amount of force applied is inversely proportional to the desire to reuse the device.


----------

