# Can't remove chuck from flange (mini-lathe)



## The_Apprentice (Feb 7, 2018)

Boy, is my newbieness showing here or what?

My understanding was one only needs to unscrew the three nuts behind the flange on any chinese lathe, and then you can slide out the chuck to replace with another, 4-jaw or collet type.

Here is the problem, I undid the three screws, and the washers slide out easily too. Problem is, the chuck itself wont budge! It's like it's been locktited or welded down. No play whatsoever.

Maybe I am missing something here, or maybe things were out-of-tollerance during manufacturing so they just FORCE FITTED things together.

I tried unloosening the chuck jaws just in case there was some hidden safety-feature to prevent unleasing of the chuck accidentally. LOL.

My next solution is to try to use a soft hammer and hit the chuck loose or something, but I don't think this is safe for the lathe... Suggestions?


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## Wreck™Wreck (Feb 7, 2018)

This may be a stupid question but this chuck bolts to a face plate from the back?


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 7, 2018)

Here's a picture of what the current situation looks like. I've loosened all three nuts, and there is not even a mm of play on the chuck. Can't seem to get it to budge...


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 7, 2018)




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## Wreck™Wreck (Feb 7, 2018)

Is there a taper? If it is like an A , L or D spindle it may take a good whack with a soft mallet to unseat the taper.

I run a lathe with a D spindle nose, there are 6 chucks and a face plate that I use, half will come right off after the cams are loose and some take quite a whack to unseat, none of them will fall off.


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## markba633csi (Feb 7, 2018)

I think it's just a tight flange to the chuck, try a few whacks with a chunk of wood like a piece of 2x4, it should come loose. Keep the nuts in place but loose so the chuck doesn't fall off on to the ways and dent them. A piece of wood on the ways for protection is a good idea also. Chuck a piece of broomstick or large dowel and pull on it while you rap with your 2x4- use the two handed technique
You might also try prying with a screwdriver between the end of the studs and a piece of wood or aluminum placed against the headstock. Be gentle.
Mark S.
ps penetrating oil might help too, and perhaps a bit of heat from a hair dryer or lamp


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## Joncooey (Feb 7, 2018)

On my Atlas that backing plate mounts to the chuck with bolts and is itself threaded onto the spindle.  (Course it's a 1942, so...)  Anyway, you lock the spindle and unscrew the whole issue using a piece of wood or copper between the jaws.  May want to find a manual on line if you don't have one to find out how yours comes apart.


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## royesses (Feb 7, 2018)

The chuck fits on a 80mm inset. The only thing holding it is the 3 stud nuts. Leave the nuts loose and give it a whack with a compo-thane(dead blow) hammer or mallet.  An easy way to hold the chuck against the spindle is to use the carriage to prevent the chuck from falling forward as the nuts come loose. I've never seen one with washers under the nuts. If those are lock washers they may have upset the metal around the studs causing it to grip the studs. Don't use lock washers. Hardened washers would be ok, but an added pain for big fingers.

If you need a manual you can download it from harbor freight. All the 7x10/12s are the same.

Roy


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## markba633csi (Feb 7, 2018)

I agree, lose the lockwashers


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 8, 2018)

+1 on light whacking the chuck with the deadblow soft hammer, it will pop right off

you may wanna mark the chuck and the spindle flange to allow for easy reassembly into the same location


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## fitterman1 (Feb 8, 2018)

Are there any jacking bolt holes that are threaded for pushing it loose?
Try a bit of packing between headstock and studnut and a wedge to push apart


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 8, 2018)

Ok, I guess I wasn't stupid after all?

I tried hammering it... all over, repeatedly. No go... I hammered so hard that the manufacture's name-plate of the chuck came right off! Yet the chuck refuses to budge.

I even tried to place a sharp knife between the flange and the chuck and hammer that in... no luck.

There are some extra holes on the flange, so I put some metal rods through those holes so they are touching the back end of the chuck, then hammered the rods... STILL refuses to budge!

I don't dare smack this thing any harder or I"ll do warping/permanent damage.

I am so confused... is it ever this hard to remove a damn chuck off a flange?!

I am so desperate I am spraying WD-40 between the crease of the flange and chuck in the hopes of a miracle.

I wonder if some sick chinese employee used loctite as some sort of joke as a way of getting back at his over-worked & underpaid slave-job in that mud-filled hut of his overseas. LOL!

Anyone got yet ANOTHER idea here?


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## fitterman1 (Feb 8, 2018)

I just edited my post above. If jacking doesn't work get a hot air gun and try heating the chuck away from the flange whilst maintaining some tension on the studs so it pushes off.
There may be some softseal coating holding them together

apologies to Mark, he's already mentioned heat.


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 8, 2018)

*If those are lock washers they may have upset the metal around the studs causing it to grip the studs. Don't use lock washers.*

I took a closer look again, after some more failed hammering. It does indeed look like they used lock-washers. Curious to hear their side of the story for this...

Well, I'm off to waste my time with a hair-dryer for now... until something else comes along. LOL.


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 8, 2018)

Alright, we have a... PARTIAL SUCCESS.... and it only took till 3 am in the morning.

I now have a mm or more of play between the flange and the chuck. So if there was a seal, it is now broken. I had to use over a foot of leverage with a metal roundbar tightened into the chuck and put lots of pressure on it back and forth.

Though it's only a partial success.. I still can't get the damn chuck off! LMAO.

The bolts, even with the nuts off seem to be wedged in there so tight! I don't know how the hell they got the chuck into there... force-pressed? I don't know how I'll even manage to ever get the chuck back in if I need to after I'm done with my collets. This is just bizarre.

I'm just waiting for the heated metal to cool down now, and I'll try to pry around some more... my arm is a little over-worked and needs rest too. I must be getting old!


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## Moper361 (Feb 8, 2018)

Does your spindle have a hole all the way through if so clamp something in the chuck tight then slide a rod or brass drift all the way through to butt up against what ever you clamp into the the chuck then give the drift a whack .this will be a more central blow and will tend to drive the chuck of square .the way your doing it now could possible be cocking the chuck of one way causing issues with studs etc binding .


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 8, 2018)

I really like that suggestion Moper, but seems we can skip that. I was able to finally get the sucker off tonight. When I went back, I tried flexing the chuck one side to another grabbing the inserted round-bar, and after a breif moment, it suddenly POPPED off in a fraction of a second and fell on the ways. Luckily I had some wood laying there in advance.

So for now... 100% success. Who thought the simple act of changing a chuck would be such a learning experience. Ohh, I noticed some brownish staining between the flange where it was pressed against the chuck. Unless that was some interesting lubrication before hand... I'm going to guess iron-oxide.


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## Moper361 (Feb 8, 2018)

The_Apprentice said:


> I really like that suggestion Moper, but seems we can skip that. I was able to finally get the sucker off tonight. When I went back, I tried flexing the chuck one side to another grabbing the inserted round-bar, and after a breif moment, it suddenly POPPED off in a fraction of a second and fell on the ways. Luckily I had some wood laying there in advance.
> 
> So for now... 100% success. Who thought the simple act of changing a chuck would be such a learning experience. Ohh, I noticed some brownish staining between the flange where it was pressed against the chuck. Unless that was some interesting lubrication before hand... I'm going to guess iron-oxide.


Might be the preservation oil as that tends to stain.Anyway atleast its off


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## fitterman1 (Feb 8, 2018)

Well done, now I want to see it all go back together with a perfect fitup.


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## markba633csi (Feb 8, 2018)

Yay! Sweet success.  You might, before you go to remount the chuck again, want to measure the chuck and flange and possibly remove a tiny amount of material to make the chuck easier to re-install.  A little bit of polishing with emery cloth may be enough.  You still want a tight fit, just not a bonecrushingly tight one.
Mark


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