Broke my Beall collet chuck -- help please

[FGarbrecht]

I didn't think this was possible but my Beall collet chuck is frozen solid as a rock, as in the screw cap that holds in the collet won't move. I must have gotten some metal fragments or something in the threading and it is locked up tight. I squirted in some WD40 and have been banging on the wrenches for half an hour to loosen it with no progress. At this point the only thing I can think of is to take a torch to it to see if a little thermal expansion might help. Any ideas?

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Do you not have the wrench that came with the chuck? I insert a pry bar in the collet's shoulder hole and use the
collet wrench to loosen the screw cap.

 

[FGarbrecht]

Do you not have the wrench that came with the chuck? I insert a pry bar in the collet's shoulder hole and use the
collet wrench to loosen the screw cap.

I have the wrenches. Using all my strength I can't budge it. I even hammered on the wrench to no effect. This thing is fried.

 

[Dalecamino]

Heat it up.

 

[bmachin]

I would go heat first. Wouldn't think it would take too much; just apply it evenly around the circumference.

If that doest work I would get a couple of good size pipe wrenches. Keep the chuck mounted on the lathe so everything stays aligned and have at it. At worst you'll mar the chuck and ruin the nut. Whatever you do, don't lock the lathe spindle--if a wrench slips you'll bend/break the indexing pin on the lathe.

Good luck,

Bill

 

[Chippa]

Heat first. If it still feels too tight soak it in evaporust overnight and it should loosen up. Wd40 won't break down whatever junk is in the threads

 

[More4dan]

Is there a collet in the chuck? If not, maybe the rim that holds the collet is caught on the threads.

Clamp in a vise and a pipe wrench on the nut? If heat fails.

Replacement nuts are cheaper than chucks if you must cut/split the nut. Or turn it off in your metal lathe.


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[donstephan]

Check with the manufacturer?

 

[FGarbrecht]

Thanks all. Heat didn't help. I'll wade through the snow to get a pipe wrench out of the garage and try that tomorrow. I think the metal thing that holds the collet got displaced and is probably the culprit -- when I was tightening the nut it was a little more resistance than usual and I noticed that the face of the collet was not flush with the face of the nut, it was set back a fraction of a mm. Appreciate the suggestions. I've also emailed Beall for their suggestions.

 

[jttheclockman]

I would take a block of wood and tap on the collet to see if that loosens things up. You are probably right about the ring being displaced and is now cutting into the nut and the collet. You may want to try to tighten it before trying to loosen it. Also this is my go to for loosening those pain in the neck nuts and bolts and works well. Let it set overnight.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-13-2-oz-PB-Blaster-Penetrating-Catalyst-20-PB/303508138

 

[Dieseldoc]

Sounds like you stripped the threads. So to save what you got don't put pipe wrench on the nut. Use a something to cut the nut in two places [180 degrees apart. So you can split the nut. You most likely can get a replacement nut from vendor.

 

[FGarbrecht]

I emailed Beall and asked for suggestions, and they just offered to send me a new chuck. That is some unexpectedly good customer service

 

[duncsuss]

I emailed Beall and asked for suggestions, and they just offered to send me a new chuck. That is some unexpectedly good customer service

Thanks for posting this follow up (and your Vendor Cheer) -- I've added Jerry Beall to my list of vendors who give exemplary service.

I've been thinking of getting a second collet chuck for a while and this makes it easy to choose which one I'll be buying.

 

[DrD]

Good deal!

 

[monophoto]

Fred - Just curious how this happened. I gather that there was a collet in the chuck when it froze up. It would be helpful to know the cause so that the rest of us can avoid the problem.

I read somewhere that the correct way to set up a collet chuck is to first snap the collet into the cap, and then screw the cap onto the chuck body; I don't know what might happen if one attempted to screw the cap onto the body with the collet simply resting against the end of the chuck body.

 

[FGarbrecht]

Fred - Just curious how this happened. I gather that there was a collet in the chuck when it froze up. It would be helpful to know the cause so that the rest of us can avoid the problem.

I read somewhere that the correct way to set up a collet chuck is to first snap the collet into the cap, and then screw the cap onto the chuck body; I don't know what might happen if one attempted to screw the cap onto the body with the collet simply resting against the end of the chuck body.

Louie - not really sure; I snap the collet in routinely but may not have gotten this one snapped as I thought. I did notice that tightening up the nut required a little more force than usual, but I was able to do whatever turning I was involved in at the time. Then when I was going to remove the collet, it just wouldn't budge. Only other clue was that the collet face was a fraction of a mm below the face of the collet nut whereas it should be perfectly flush, so the lesson may be to always snap the collet in, AND make sure the faces of the collet and nut are coplanar.

 

[Charlie_W]

What about damaged threads and when trying to loosen, the threads jambed?
I had an issue with mine and it appeared to have broken off part of the thread. I cleaned it as good as possible and am careful not to over tighten the chuck.

 

[Woodchipper]

U. S Air Force- Don't force it! Use a bigger hammer!
Good luck. I find things like this to be frustrating.