Chuck Storage

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Wall racking for storing lathe chucks

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Originally I used wood dowels knocked into 4×3" timber to hold my chucks but upon inspection I found one had split meaning there was a risk of it breaking and falling off. Not good. So I removed all the wood dowels (with the exception of the one for a small 4" 4-jaw which weighs little) and replaced them with Delrin rods screwed into alloy flanges. The other advantage of doing this was each mount could be re-positioned if required as my collection of chucks changed. The Delrin rods are screwed into the flanges with an nice fat thread (0.75" x 18tpi) so no chance of them working loose or falling off

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Chris

Well all that equipment makes me feel quite inadequate!

I too store my ( comparatively measely !) collection of chucks etc. on a board – but in my case the boardis  on a shelf above a bench. The fact that the board slopes helps to keep the chucks on their pegs. Various MT items ( chucks,die holder etc) are mounted through holes in a similar board.

Rgds

Norman

Edited By NJH on 10/06/2013 17:36:29

[StephenSParticipant @stephens]

Hi Norman,

Just asking for clarification as I am very much a learner here.

I was taught that chucks should always be stored the other way up for 2 reasons:-

First, to prevent swarf and other muck falling into the scrolls / slots the jaws slide in

Second, so that the chucks do not rest on the back of the register (I think that is the correct way to describe it) so that nothing sticks to it or marks it.

Please, what is the collective wisdom of other more experienced people here ?

Thanks, Stephen S.

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

You raise a couple of fair points Stephen, but I don't think it is the actual storage method used that is of concern – materials like alloy/wood/Delrin are not going to damage the register even if it does rest on it. Swarf and muck will work its way into the scrolls mainly whilst in use on the lathe machining stuff (and opening and closing the jaws drags it into the scroll), but not when it is sitting in a rack in storage. Personally, I always clean my chucks after use with a vacuum hose which removes any loose material, and wipe out the register with a rag before it's mounted onto the lathe. Maybe once a year I will strip and clean the chucks depending on the amount of use each has.

However that raises another point – lubricating chucks. I note even Pratt-Burnerd specify a ceramic grease for their chucks, but I wouldn't put any sort grease on a lathe chuck. Grease attracts and holds particles of swarf so it won't fall out and you can't suck it out either so a full strip down is needed to clean it. Machining cast iron would be quite destructive with a grease-filled chuck. I use a light oil instead (and only just enough to do the job). Yes, it tends to spray out when the chuck is turning at high speed but that is a minor irritation.

Chris

Edited By Chris Heapy on 11/06/2013 00:39:50

[StephenSParticipant @stephens]

Many thanks for your reply, Chris. Gives me plenty more to think about.

Do you just use an ordinary domestic type of vacuum cleaner for the chucks? And/or do you have/can you foresee any problems with that?

I do have a spare Tellus, the older style with the bags that can be emptied, that has been allocated to the garage/workshop and could make up a smaller nozzle for that specifically sized for the chuck slots.

Thanks, Stephen.

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

interesting collection but do you not think as the wood gathers moisture the chuck faces will rust…..

Bob

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Stephen

You had me rushing out to the workshop for a close inspection of my chucks …… and I can confirm there is no rust on them — phew!

I do go to some lengths to avoid rust in the workshop and, at the start., I concluded that the thing to avoid was rapid changes in temperature. If the temperature changes quickly and the dewpoint is crossed then there will be condensation. My workshop is half of a double garage and, when I set it up, I went to great lengths to insulate it so that changes in temperature occur more slowly. In the winter I provide some background heat by means of a thermostatically controlled oil filled radiator.

The register is not the back face of the chuck but the precicely bored section at the rear of the backplate which mates closely with the precision ground part of the mandrel behind the screw thread and it is this interface that provides the precise alignment. The register diameter is greater than the hole through the centre of the chuck so the register is never in contact with the wooden peg. I do try to clean the rubbish out of the chucks before storing them.

Bob

Does wood gather moisture? Well yes I guess it does but as you will see above I try to keep moisture as low as possible. The boards are of marine ply and have been painted. The chucks have been there for over 10 years with no sign of rust …..so far…..!

Regards

Norman

 

Edited By NJH on 11/06/2013 11:28:19

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

I do use an ordinary domestic vacuum cleaner, an old Electrolux that was replaced for use in the house. I didn't expect it to last but it has performed well for 10 years sucking up swarf from the the lathe and mill (and workshop floor generally). It wasn't made for the job for sure but I thought I may as well use it until it expired. You can buy industrial cleaners designed for the job of course but they are expensive. It uses replaceable paper bags which is a better idea because the bags sometimes get saturated in cutting oil.

Bob: I haven't seen any rust in my workshop and some of those chucks have been there for 30 years, so I figure it isn't a serious issue to be concerned about. Added to which, I now use (in the last 5 years or so) a product called ACF50 and a wipe over with a rag impregnated with that and you could spray them with saltwater and they won't rust.

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

I keep mine on a very low shelf with a bit of scrap ply to keep rubbish out. Any slip with oily hands could be bad news for the chuck and worse for the toes!

SteveW

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Agreed Steve, hanging high on a wall is not the best idea ever but limited space restricts my options. However a bit of 'risk management' and realisation as to what could happen if mistakes are made ensures accident avoidence If you're an accident-prone sort of person best stay out of the workshop!

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I have two brackets made of 1 1/2" x 1/4" angle iron, flang down , and a bit of hose split along its length over the edge where the chucks lie. The bracket is at lathe bed hight, and in line with the tail stock end of the lathe, and are moved back and forth with my over head hoist. Hoist made from a garage door opener motor, and the rails made of two lengths of angle iron, welded back to back. Ian S C

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Wood & rusting tools depends on the wood.

Do not use Oak, as it will cause rust. I was either told of, or read about this.

All of my 60+ drawers are made from common or garden pine, with little or no form of protective coating to bright bare metal.

Six + years and no new rust has appeared, other than what was already present on the tools, and that was given a rub over with the usual oily rag.

This in a fully insulated single garage, where previous to this, rust was a problem.

I even bought a dehumidifier, but have never used it, or felt the need to either.

Geoff – TeNS on my thumb.

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Yes Oak contains a lot of Tannic acid (Oak Apples being an excellent source and an extract was used in the past for tanning leather). That is the reason you should not use steel screws in oak. I use Pine with a few coatings of acrylic varnish to seal it (mainly to stop it warping). My single garage doesn't have a constant heat source so in winter it can get very cold in there, although condensation has not been a serious problem over the years.

Chris

[speelwerkParticipant @speelwerk]

Yes, wood atracts moisture but the ones I have in use are now so soaked with oil ,after about 30 years, that you have to wipe it of if you pick tools up. Niko.

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