Chuck Key

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Hukshawn

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So, the chuck key to that new 6" 4 jaw chuck broke the other day. The square tip snapped right off... piece of crap...
So, that particular store is annoyingly far away and closes at 5pm. Thinking about just making another, cause... why not?
Is there a way I could harden the tip? Good evening project.
 
Leave it soft.
No reason to harden it.
If something has to be sacrificed it cheaper and easier to make a new key than purchase a new lathe chuck!
Certainly possible that there was a flaw in the key.
However, sorry-gotta ask, how tight were you trying to get her?

Daryl
MN
 
A tool usually breaks due to being too hard. Soft tools deform. It is possible that there was a defect in the key whuch caused the break. If that is the case, you can usually see evidence of an old fracture as a slightly different color.
 
Totally had to be defective. I was centring a piece of aluminum in the 4 jaw and did my final snug on the first of the two snugging jaws, and *clink*, just snapped off like nothing. Don't kid yourself, entirely cheap Chinese crap. The chuck is the same...
aaand, it'll give me a chance to try milling something on the lathe. Was thinking of putting it in my 5/8" boring bar qctp holder and just mill the square tip then lathe out the rest of the handle and just use a rounded off long bolt as the handle.
 
On closer inspection, it's cast...

IMAG0811.jpg
 
Sounds great!
As a temporary, can you use the existing T handle and mill a square end?
Just a little shorter.

Daryl
MN;
 
Nuts to that... this handle was brand new, it's ****** me off now. If I was humanly capable of throwing a piece of steel away, it would be a goner!
Already got a new one turned down. Tomorrow I'll set it up and mill the square.

Edit. This is a 5/16" handle for the 4 jaw. My 3 jaw is a 3/8". So for now I'm using the 3 jaw.

1483500273860-13415468.jpg
 
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what is the square size I have made them out of socket set extensions using a t handle just depends on the size otherwise make your own its easy. bill
 
As it is cast and there does not appear to be any old fractures from the picture it would be a waste of time machining a new square in the end of the existing shaft. From my experience any steel shaft would do.
Don't make the square end too close a fit and round off the corners so it slips on and off easily
 
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