Locking Chuck Key Idea

[ih8beingold]

My lathe has a chuck guard that gets in the way when setting up a four jaw. The solution is low profile chuck keys. I discovered that socket wrench extensions (3/8" in my case) fit and the little retainer ball KEEPS THEM FROM FALLING OUT when rotating the chuck. Probably not news to some but I didn't know. Picked up some cheap 3/8 x 6" extensions for a dollar and change. I imagine 1/4 would fit 1/4" square chuck adjusters as well. Cut to length and weld on a T handle made from the leftovers or maybe just knurl the ends on short one. Just be VERY careful. They could be easy to forget before you fire up the lathe. Hope this helps somebody out.

 

[hman]

I just got through making a set of low profile chuck keys for the 4-jaw chuck on my Grizzly 12x24 lathe. The original chuck key measured 10mm, so I bought some 10mm key stock. I'll bet your idea would have been even easier, as 3/8" is just under 10mm!

PS - that's not rust on the chuck. It's just old (oxidized?) Cosmolene. There's bright metal underneath it, I promise!

 

[jpfabricator]

The first rule in my shop is " If the chuck key is not in your hand its in the holder." Even if using a 4 jaw chuck, the key is never left in the chuck.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker

 

[ih8beingold]

The first rule in my shop is " If the chuck key is not in your hand its in the holder." Even if using a 4 jaw chuck, the key is never left in the chuck.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker

Excellent point but I want these to stay in the chuck when I rotate it. A necessary evil in this case. I promise to be careful. Perhaps a special holder to keep them in so one could quickly see if one was still in the chuck obscured from site. Like counting sponges after an operation.

 

[ogberi]

My two chuck keys live in a pair of screwdriver holders on the wall mounted pegboard behind the lathe. I have made myself get in the habit of looking to see they are both there before rotating the chuck by hand, and again before turning on the lathe. If I don't see them, I stop everything and find the offendingitem. put it in it's home, then start over by rotating the chuck by hand.

It's automatic habit now, I just drop the keys back into their holders.

 

[RJSakowski]

Perhaps a useful mod would be to make a chuck key holder with an interlock switch so the lathe can't be powered up unless the chuck key is stowed.

Bob

 

[chips&more]

The new chucks that I have bought recently came with a spring on the chuck key so you cannot leave it in the chuck. The spring makes sure of that. It’s also very annoying and the springs are now in my spring collection draw. Maybe they will serve some useful purpose somewhere else in the shop. As far as some shop rules that I can recall from back in the day. Wear your safety glasses and your steel toed shoes and never leave the chuck key in the chuck. Makes perfect sense when you think about the consequences of say getting hit in the mouth and losing a few teeth. The chuck key in my shop is in the storage hanger, in my hand or in the chuck with my hand on it and never left unattended in the chuck…Good Luck, Dave.

 

[GarageGuy]

The first rule in my shop is " If the chuck key is not in your hand its in the holder." Even if using a 4 jaw chuck, the key is never left in the chuck.

:+1: I agree 100%. The chuck key never leaves my hand when it is in the chuck. Not even for a moment.

Learning safe procedures and habits is the most important thing when working with machines. Then, don't deviate from those procedures.

GG

 

[Terrywerm]

Years ago I had a machine shop instructor that taught me a simple trick: After mounting something in the chuck, rotate the chuck by hand at least one full revolution. This ensures that the chuck key is removed and also that the jaws and the work piece will not contact anything else on the machine. I've done it that way ever since and never had any surprises.

 

[mike837go]

My new lathe's chuck key spring is in the drawer marked "Springs".

Leaving a key in lathe, mill or drill chuck is just WRONG in my mind. My hands come away from the chuck because the bit or workpiece is locked in. The key is in my hand. Period.

There was an article in Popular Mechanics back in the 1970's. How to build a chuck key holder with a switch so that the key had to be properly seated in the holder before the drill press could operate. Safe? YES. Annoying? You better believe it!

On my handheld electric drills, I used to tape the chuck keys to the cord near the plug, so I had to unplug the drill to change bits. Again safe (unless using an extension cord) and very annoying. My newest drill has the key in a holder just below the grip and keeps getting 'lost' during projects. My favorite is on a 6" rubber lanyard in the middle of the cord. Inherently, the least safe.