Thread: Stuck chuck ....

Originally Posted by morrisman

Phil from Uk . Reading through the Hobrook manuals , there is not any reference to any lock for the spindle . Apparently most if not all of the lathe manufacturers of yesteryear , did not provide any method for locking the spindle , I wish they had . My Hendey has no spindle lock either .

That’s disappointing, my Boley does and I believe Myford, Hardinge, Monarch and Atlas, to name but a few, also have a locking arrangement. It was worth asking the question I think.

Phil

Hi Guys,

I've found the picture of my Myford lathe spindle locking pin. Its just to the left of the spindle.

Hi Mike,
I did wonder if that was you on the Holbrook Yahoo group.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Holbrook ownership.....
Cheers,
Ewan

Mike the C10 has a shortened version of the MT4, i made an adapter by cutting down an MT4 socket. My machine is far later than yours though at 1947. I've forgotten what age Nick said yours was likely to be.

Originally Posted by Ueee

Mike the C10 has a shortened version of the MT4, i made an adapter by cutting down an MT4 socket. My machine is far later than yours though at 1947. I've forgotten what age Nick said yours was likely to be.

yes Ewan, its me on that group ...... no secrets anymore ! OK your MT4 adapter for your C10 worked out , good idea . This 1938 Holbrook of mine is a weird taper in the spindle . It does have the nice single tooth clutch system for threading up to a shoulder . The bed has suffered from inept users near the headstock, but is still good enough. Anyway plan A has not worked, the taper plug I made to hold the spindle is slipping I might try something more brutal, a lump of wood jammed into a gear . Wood is more forgiving , hopefully, no broken teeth will result . I will win this war by being patient and its a battle of attrition as they say . Mike

Plan B : I have used this method to hold a spindle before , its a little brutal but it works, a jaw from a chuck is positioned to hold a gear .

The weighted basket can be moved along the bar to increase the leverage , I have added more weight . I will heat up the back plate each day , let it cool down .. see how it goes , it may take a few weeks to come free .

Well, no luck so far , the back plate is still firmly stuck . I have heated / cooled the back plate repeatedly and added more weight to the lever .

Next idea is to buy some dry ice and shove it up the spindle , around the register . The nearest supplier is BOC Dandenong so I wont be doing the ice thing til next week maybe .

There is another possible option. The design of this headstock allows easy removal of the whole spindle , the spindle sits in large plain bearings with bolt on caps , like a car crankshaft . If I remove the spindle with the back plate still firmly attached . What next ? Mike

Hi Mike,
I've been there on a much smaller scale though. To get it to move you reallyneed shock loads, rather than a steady torque of the weight on the lever. Could you give the leaver a good whack with a sledge hammer about where you have the weight hanging? Maybe immediately after heating up the backing plate to give yourself a fighting chance

A way out there idea would be to find someone with an 1 1/2" drive rattle gun... Machine up a 1 1/2" square and somehow affix it to the backplate.. Get the big rattle gun and rattle it loose...

Hi there RC,
That big rattlegun sounds like an interesting idea. Even my 1" brute will move damn near anythig I put it to. Big advantage is that you don"t have to lock bolts or shafts firmly, the impact does the job. Just walk it past a stuck nut and it surrenders. Should be possible to find a u/s 1" or even 3/4" socket with an adaptor, and weld it to centre of a plate bolted across the backplate. Need an unrestricted 19 or 25mm air line to deliver the grunt. I have a fairly small engine powered compressor only good for 110 PSI but with about 3m of 19mm hose direct from tank, results are impressive. Worth a try if it can be esily arranged.
Combustor.

Originally Posted by Combustor

Hi there RC,
That big rattlegun sounds like an interesting idea. Even my 1" brute will move damn near anythig I put it to. Big advantage is that you don"t have to lock bolts or shafts firmly, the impact does the job. Just walk it past a stuck nut and it surrenders. Should be possible to find a u/s 1" or even 3/4" socket with an adaptor, and weld it to centre of a plate bolted across the backplate. Need an unrestricted 19 or 25mm air line to deliver the grunt. I have a fairly small engine powered compressor only good for 110 PSI but with about 3m of 19mm hose direct from tank, results are impressive. Worth a try if it can be esily arranged.
Combustor.

Yes The rattle gun may do the job, I do have a 3/4"drive rattle gun. As you say, the larger air hose will help provide more air volume , ive only got the small hose ATM Thanks for your ideas, I think it will work .

Well it is off

Plan Z worked

Some water ice mixed with salt, shoved up the spindle and left for a while to cool down the inside around the taper .

Then using two BBQ gas torches together , heat was applied around the back plate for 30 minutes .

I had the long lever and the cage full of heavy weight attached while heating .

It was a final heave on the lever that ended with a CRACK sound . It came free .

Congratulations - a struggle crowned with success!
I hope you downed an ale afterwards to celebrate.
Bill

Originally Posted by WCD

Congratulations - a struggle crowned with success!
I hope you downed an ale afterwards to celebrate.
Bill

To be honest, I was wandering around in a daze for a while. I could not believe it actually came free . Just goes to show that patience and persistence will win at the end of the day