chuck stuck on head stock

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watch_art

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my chuck is stuck.

the 4 jaw chuck i use to hold onto my blanks is on there but GOOD. I've bent one of those cheap pry bar things that came with it trying to screw it off.

What the heck????

Never had this problem and as far as I can tell haven't done anything different.

Any ideas?
I'm stuck...
 
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I've had my chuck get stuck a couple of times. I got it off with a pipe wrench. After that, I cut a 2.5 inch circle out of thick cardstock, cut a 1 inch circle in the middle, then cut a slit from the the outside to the inside circle so I could slip it onto my spindle behind the threads. It serves as a thing gasket between the metal of the chuck and the metal of the headstock. I know that some people do the same thing with delrin. Good luck!
 
Put the bent bar back in and hit it hard with a big hammer or small sledge. That should shock it loose and might straighten the bar too. ;)

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner because I can't reach my desktop!
 
Technically its not really stuck just over tight. If you open the jaws of the chuck and use a short length of solid bar (or wood), lock the spindle and you should have good leverage to unscrew it, depending of the length of bar used.
 
I have cut out some plastic washers from old tupperware and haven't had the problem . It stays on my head stock and I don't know it is there....... just in case it over tightens
 
keithkarl2007 said:
Technically its not really stuck just over tight. If you open the jaws of the chuck and use a short length of solid bar (or wood), lock the spindle and you should have good leverage to unscrew it, depending of the length of bar used.
Click to expand...


I thought about that but was worried the jaws would break off first.

I'll give it a go tonight.

Thanks for the washer advice, everybody!
 
watch_art said:
keithkarl2007 said:
Technically its not really stuck just over tight. If you open the jaws of the chuck and use a short length of solid bar (or wood), lock the spindle and you should have good leverage to unscrew it, depending of the length of bar used.
Click to expand...


I thought about that but was worried the jaws would break off first.

I'll give it a go tonight.

Thanks for the washer advice, everybody!
Click to expand...

If you tighten the jaws up to whatever you are going to use the jaws shouldn't break as they are taking the pressure evenly.
 
I know a lot will disagree on this but all of the professional turners I have spoken to or they have offered this info in a workshop will say never put anything between you chuck and head stock. It's just another place for run-out. I used to use the plastic washer but have since got rid of them. Now I just keep it clean and don't snap it on or start the lathe and let it spin on like Raffan does.

Lin.
 
Okay - had the index pin engaged, headstock "locked" - piece of long wood in the chuck jaws. Pushed down on it and snap. Index pin broke. Had to use pliers to pull pin out and turn to disengage index pin. So now what?
 
You have joined a long list of people you have discovered that the index system is not a spindle lock. Glad the pin broke rather than the casting. You may have damaged one hole though.

Most lathes have a place on the spindle for a wrench. I like the thin bicycle repair style wrenches personally, but there is generally one with the lathe when purchased.

Use the wrench to hold or lock the spindle.

To get the threads to release, use a block of hardwood -- about a 1 1/2 inch piece of maple turning stock between the jaws. One about 18 or 24 inches long will give leverage You want firm pressure as most all the force will be on 4 screws holding two jaws. Breaking them is more of ugly. Big heavy strap wrench around the chuck body works too.

Key is to change the behavior that causes over tightening of the chuck.
 
As for how to get it off ... lots of options.

Do you have a means to hold the headstock spindle from moving? Big enough handle/wheel hopefully?

Do you have a socket set and a breaker bar? Mount the socket in the chuck and put the breaker bar on it (a rachet should work just as well). A chucked piece of wood that you could put a pair of vise grips on would also work.

Hold the handle/wheel as tight as possible with the breaker bar pointing out, slightly above parallel take one solid hit on the end of the breaker bar with a hammer (ideally a rubber mallet). This should break it free ...
 
I will second the idea of tapping on the breaker bar. The idea is to hold a significant amount of torque on the bar WHILE tapping. Maybe try a few drops of penetrating oil on the area that is "stuck".
 
I was thinking about doing a second lathe - this might necessitate that. :/

I soaked it with liquid wrench this morning. Hopefully it'll come loose when I go out there in a minute to work on it.
 
I see the problem. The vacuum is just sitting there watching and not helping.... I had this same issue w/ a faceplate a while back. Took a couple of wrenches and a lot of patience not to tear it up. One thing you can try is to go in reverse and see if you can tighten it a bit more. This may be what you need to stretch the threads just a hair and get it to release.
 
You will have to excuse me, I suddenly realized that I need to go make something to put between my chuck and headstock........

Sorry about your misfortune Shawn.
 
What I do not see is a wrench on the flats of the spindle right next to the head stock.

You cannot unthread the chuck with the tommy bars and a block in the jaws. They are just working against each other. Spindle needs to turn and that is directly next to the headstock.
 
Shawn, I have the same cheap chuck and have had the problem once. Although, I was able to get it off with just the tommy bars, I have an idea for you.

Turn your lathe on in the forward speed on the highest speed it has. Get a good leather glove or something of the sort and one of those hand strengtheners to get your grip ready. Once it is up to speed, turn it off and right after you do grab the spindle wheel on the left side of your belt box as hard as you can (where the glove comes in handy). Just be careful, it is not a good technique, but it may work.

Also be aware that the chuck will come off quickly when it does, so protect the bed and the surroundings. I had this happen when I shut my lathe off once and the chuck flew off rather quickly and proceeded to denting our concrete floor. So be very careful, but let me know if this works for you. The centrifugal force can do a lot for you.
 
KenV said:
What I do not see is a wrench on the flats of the spindle right next to the head stock.

You cannot unthread the chuck with the tommy bars and a block in the jaws. They are just working against each other. Spindle needs to turn and that is directly next to the headstock.
Click to expand...

DOH!!
Why haven't I used the spanner wrench??!!

doh.jpg
 
Mapster said:
Shawn, I have the same cheap chuck and have had the problem once. Although, I was able to get it off with just the tommy bars, I have an idea for you.

Turn your lathe on in the forward speed on the highest speed it has. Get a good leather glove or something of the sort and one of those hand strengtheners to get your grip ready. Once it is up to speed, turn it off and right after you do grab the spindle wheel on the left side of your belt box as hard as you can (where the glove comes in handy). Just be careful, it is not a good technique, but it may work.

Also be aware that the chuck will come off quickly when it does, so protect the bed and the surroundings. I had this happen when I shut my lathe off once and the chuck flew off rather quickly and proceeded to denting our concrete floor. So be very careful, but let me know if this works for you. The centrifugal force can do a lot for you.
Click to expand...


Marshall, I'm afraid of this advice - too much potential for injuries. A 10 pound chuck flying around could cause a lot of damage.
 
thewishman said:
Marshall, I'm afraid of this advice - too much potential for injuries. A 10 pound chuck flying around could cause a lot of damage.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is potentially dangerous. It is a final option sort of thing, if nothing else works, then it may be worth a shot. With the proper safety precautions it would turn out alright. Trust me, I wouldn't recommend it in a normal situation, but this calls for drastic measures.

It is just an idea Shawn, if you don't feel comfortable with it then by no means should you do it, but it just might work
 
Shawn, does the headstock spindle have the holes on both sides? If so you could lock the piece of wood between two objects or in a vice or something of the sort and use two of the tommy bars, one in each hole. That would give you more power and make it less likely that you would bend the bars. I would imagine a jerky kind of motion would work better than steady pressure. You don't need to power through it, you just need to free it up slightly.
 
Mapster said:
Shawn, does the headstock spindle have the holes on both sides? If so you could lock the piece of wood between two objects or in a vice or something of the sort and use two of the tommy bars, one in each hole. That would give you more power and make it less likely that you would bend the bars. I would imagine a jerky kind of motion would work better than steady pressure. You don't need to power through it, you just need to free it up slightly.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea. I may just try this.
I'm pretty disgusted about the whole thing though. First night all week I'm feeling awake enough to stay up and work and I can't. :frown:

I could go draw or something huh. :biggrin:
 
I sometimes confuse left and right or try to turn things in the wrong direction. The chuck is turned down in front as it sits on the lathe.

Get two rubber strap wrenches. Wrap one rubber strap around the spindle shaft and one around the chuck in opposite directions. You can put quite a bit of torque on the two pieces. If you have the shaft off the lathe, you might need someone to steady the parts while you put the force on them.

If there are no plastic pieces, an alternative is to put the entire thing in the oven and heat it, then dip the shaft in cold water. Wear thick gloves. The shaft will shrink and may release the grip on the chuck threads.
 
Strap wrenches work well -- they come with both cloth (cotton or nylon, with cotton working better) or with heavy rubber bands. You want big thick bands. They become the "spanner".

Have not worked with that Delta -- the Jet and Stubby do have provision for the "spanner" and have needed it on occasion,
 
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