Help required please

[Davew]

Hi Everybody
I have at last started to turn some pens.
I have fitted a record SE4 chuck and a pair of pen turning jaws to my DML305-M33 lathe which has worked great and I have spent the past few days drilling and squaring the ends of the pen bodies.
I am now to the point of turning my first pen body but I have a problem, I want to use my m2 taper mandrill but I cannot get my chuck off the lathe.
When I fitted it to the lathe it went on great very smooth no binding. I tightened it up hand tight. When I have been using the lathe there has not been any problems that might lock the chuck up a bit more. I have tried all sorts to move it. I am at a lost, could anyone suggest any way I could remove it.
Thanks Lot

 

[Chriscb]

Afternoon Dave,

Been there - got the T-shirt etc etc.

Not familiar with your lathe but one solution is to lock the headstock, and taking the longest chuck key that fits your chuck, apply a sharp tap down (anti-clockwise looking at the headstock).

Other variations are laying a large spanner in the jaw of the chuck, close down tight, lock the spindle and tap again. But this may knacker your jaws.

I know this may grate but the solution is preventing rather than curing. Aways brush the threads prior to attaching the chuck. Never screw the chuck on tightly. Just a little flick of the wrist on the last thread is fine. The turning momentum of the lathe will do the rest.

Good luck.

Chriscb

 

[Phil Dart]

You are not the first and you won't be the last to come across this problem. Just to add to Chris's suggestions, rather than putting a spanner across the jaws, which as he points out may do them harm, put a length af wood in, as you would if you were going to turn it beween centres, then grip the wood with molegrips. That will not endanger the jaws.

If you have no method of locking the spindle - I don't know your model, so I have no idea - you may have no other way but to put molegrips on that too, but protect the spindle with a cloth between it and the grips.

But first choice, as Chris has already said, is to lock the spindle if you can, then insert your chuck key which you then tap down on gently with a wooden (or preferably rubber) mallet.

The widely accepted solution for preventing it from happening again in the future, is put a nylon or hdpe washer between the spindle register and the back plate of the chuck.

Good luck - I feel your pain.

 

[Gregory Hardy]

Nylon washer, eh? Who'd a'thunk it. I may turn one of those this morning - God forbid I spend the thirty-eight cents. ("Many wees make a muckle!")

 

[wm460]

 

[Penpal]

Been there done these two things,had a lock up chuck,use washers that overcome the evil.

Peter.

 

[Davew]

Thanks every body. The chuck is now off and I can now turn my first pen.

 

[fortress]

We’ll look forward to seeing no.1 David, good luck.

 

[Bill Mooney]

Glad it’s off now. Just cut a washer out of the side of an empty plastic milk carton & put on your spindle.

 

[Lons]

Just as an aside for anyone in future, a good way of removing a stuck chuck is with a strap wrench as used to remove car oil filters. I had an ancient one and used it years ago but they're only a few quid and useful for other jobs as well.