Almost killed by my drill chuck

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
J

jriechel

Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2011
Messages
13
Location
Snohomish WA
I decided to try branching out and give a bottle stopper a try. I put a blank on a stopper mandrel, put it into my drill chuck that I mounted in the headstock and secured (so I thought!) with a draw bar in the end of the taper. I didn't support the other end of the blank.

Well into the shaping, it started making a weird buzzing noise that quickly grew, ending in the blank/mandrel/chuck flying off (missing me, luckily). The taper was still in the headstock. The chuck came off the other end of the taper! I didn't know it was a friction fit on both ends.

After searching the forum, YouTube, retailers, it seems that everyone using a drill chuck for bottle stoppers is doing just what I did, but without the low-flying shrapnel and new shorts.

What are you folks doing to keep this from happening?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I'm glad that you didn't get hurt.

The bottle stopper chuck I have is threaded female,so it screws on just like a collet or scroll chuck.I think that's the best design.

After I drill & cut the 3/8 threads in the stopper,I soak it inside with thin ca,then recut the threads,so it does not strip out.I also use the tailstock for add'l support while doing the major square-to-round & shaping,then take it off to clean up that end & final shape & sand.

Steve
 
I use a collet chuck and I always use the tail stock to support the work until the last finishing cuts. Then I turn down the speed and use gentle cuts with very sharp tools to finish the piece. I also use a soft touch in my tailstock so that here are no marks to remove when finishing, which make it easier.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. All make good sense.

During my "post-mortem" research, I found that a collet chuck or a scroll chuck with a screw chuck would be a great solution. Oh, and PSI lists a drill chuck that mounts on the threads of the headstock. All these, however, exceed my allowance at the moment and I'm trying to use what I already own. That I've seen numerous references to using a drill chuck with a taper leads me to believe that turning a bottle stopper with one is possible.

Are all drill chucks friction fit on their tapers? Are people using some other type of drill chuck?
 

Are all drill chucks friction fit on their tapers? Are people using some other type of drill chuck?

All morse tapered drill chucks are friction fits. To get around that problem I put my taper in the freezer (when SWMBO was out for the day) (to shrink) and the chuck in the sun (to expand) on a hot day then assembling the 2 parts together.
When taking the drill bit out of a turning, hold onto the chuck as sometimes it will come out of the tail stock. DAMHIKT!!!!!!!
You might find someone who can turn a thread onto a morse taper for you, so that a screw on chuck will fit, but still hold onto the chuck on the way out.
Kryn
 
Last edited:
jriechel said:
Thanks for the suggestions. All make good sense.

During my "post-mortem" research, I found that a collet chuck or a scroll chuck with a screw chuck would be a great solution. Oh, and PSI lists a drill chuck that mounts on the threads of the headstock. All these, however, exceed my allowance at the moment and I'm trying to use what I already own. That I've seen numerous references to using a drill chuck with a taper leads me to believe that turning a bottle stopper with one is possible.

Are all drill chucks friction fit on their tapers? Are people using some other type of drill chuck?
Click to expand...

Drill chucks normally have a JT taper to them. It easiest thing to do is put a drop or so or Loctite on the taper. Spread it around the mating parts and seat it firmly. After joining the tapers, open the chuck jaws wide. Place the end of the MT taper down on a piece of wood with the chuck pointing up, and put a piece of 3/8 to 1/2 inch bar inside the chuck and strike the end of the bar with a soft mallet. If you ever need to take the chuck apart, that is another problem! :smile:
 
Some MT arbors do have threads on the chuck end. Most however do have a Jacobs Taper on the inside of the back side of the drill chuck, but there are a few that have threads instead. They are used on hand held drill motors and also on the old Burgmaster turret drills. Look on ebay, you might find something.
 
any time a drill chuck is use in need to be secured, on the Morse taper there should be a threaded hole take a threaded rod that matches mine was a 1/4 - 20. cut it long enough to exit the tail stock on the handle side and use a few washers and a nut to tighten it in.
 
I have a keyless chuck that I bought from WC. It has a set screw to hold the chuck on the Jacobs Taper. I always wondered why the taper had threads on the end. Now I know. Thanks pensbydesign.
 
PenMan1; yup that would work, but I have bottle stoppers with a 1/4" 20tpi attachment and that PSI unit has the larger 3/8" version.

randyrls; the locktite trick seems reasonable. Probably the red. Maybe CA will do the job as well.

KBs Pensnmore; the freezer technique also makes sense. Maybe combined with Loctite/CA it'd be good as welded!

This is interesting. I can't believe that I'm the first one with this issue, but there isn't a general consensus on how to secure the chuck on the taper. It's looking more and more as if this is a case of the wrong tool for the job. I'm leaning toward shelving the bottle stoppers until I save up for the proper tool. I'm thinking a collet chuck or a scroll chuck. Seems like the scroll chuck would be more versatile for me.

Thanks for the replies.

Jeff
 
I use the stopper mandrel that threads over the headstock, i think it's from Ruth Niles. Best one I have used and i doesn't fly off. I'm leary of using the drill chuck on the live side of the lathe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom