A place to put the chuck key - and find it!

[PeterE]

I have always had the habit of placing the chuck key on top of the headstock. The lathes I learned turning on were quite large machines with a headstock tray included in the casting, but now  my little C3 does not have one.

So just getting on with it. Some sketching and cutting some 1 mm steel sheet to make a shallow tray.


Figure 1: The tray

The corners were secured/smoothened with a couple of epoxy glue dabs. More user-friendly then, and after painting in shop color, I fit it with  two strips of double-stick tape (preferably the carpet type, or even better, some sections of those double-stick foamy pads).


Figure 2: Tape in place

Then just stick it in place and as can be seen, it uses the whole area available on top of the headstock.


Figure 3: Ready for use


Time to fill with suitable parts like the chuck key There is actually room for the additional set och jaws, some oddities and the chuck key.


Figure 4: In use

Not much to talk about really, but ever so useful as it is much easier to find the chuck key

[SPiN Racing]

Great idea!
I have been dealing with the ket in the swarf, or carefully on top of the headstock but nervous of it falling off etc ever since starting.

Thats a excellent idea.. gonna make one this weekend!

[Stilldrillin]

Peter.
Around 8 years ago, I cut a piece from a rubber car mat. To protect the paint on my new mini lathe, and stop the chuck key sliding about. 

It's time I progressed! 

Thanks for showing..... 

David D

[PeterE]

Thanks for nice comments!  Just glad to show something I found very useful.

BR

/Peter

[m_kilde]

Pete

Thanks for this idea, will make something like this soon

[Troutsqueezer]

I just bought one of those cute little metal brakes from H.F. You know, the benchtop model about 18" long. This will be a good little project to try it out on.

[jamoni]

I just tie mine to a string and dangle it off the side of the bench with the drill chuck key, swarf brush, and other crap I get sick of losing.

[Brass_Machine]

I stack so much junk on top of my lathe... This is a great idea. Will do ASAP...

[-steves-]

The amount of tripe I try and store on my lathe I think this is a brill idea  For all my stuff it looks like I need to design a multi story version with about 20 trays in it, lol 

[BK]

I built a shelf on the window sill behind the lathe, works well for all that "stuff".

[John Hill]

My Chinese lathe has a switch lever on the carriage and I have often looked at that thinking if I unscrewed the handle and put a socket in there I could use the chuck key as the switch handle.  That should prevent a dufus like me ever starting the lathe with the key in the chuck!

[mklotz]

I built a shelf on the window sill behind the lathe, works well for all that "stuff".

A shelf like that behind the lathe is a good idea if and only if you use it to store things that are  never used while the lathe is turning.  For instance, storing your lathe files there and reaching across the spinning chuck to pick one up could be a recipe for disaster.  Similar for cutting oils, lathe adjustment wrenches, etc..

Please be careful.

[Baldrocker]

Nice one PeterE
Got to agree with Marv on this one, thinking about
reaching across a spinning chuck makes parts of my
anatomy clench very tightly. 

br

[BK]

You are both right about reaching over a spinning chuck, but there's nothing kept there that I need once the lathe is running, you seem a bit over the top on this.
I don't wear loose clothing or wear gloves, if I have a long sleeve shirt on I roll the left sleeve up.
Personally I cannot see anything wrong with my shelf and find it works well, thought others might like to see it. 

[-steves-]

I like your shelf and I too keep some of my tools in a similar place above and behind the lathe, and as you say, its just a case of making you you don't lean over a spinning chuck (which would be rather silly to do). I guess some complacency could creep in at some point, but certainly for now unless I am working on the lathe directly, its not spinning at all, so all is safe. I do think others were probably just pointing out the potential element of safety involved.

[Stilldrillin]

That is the area where most of my lathe tooling is stored. A long shelf, on the wall behind the lathe.

The chuck is very rarely spinning, when I reach for tooling. I reach with my right arm. The chuck is to my left.

I think most of us are very aware, not to reach over spinning machinery........

David D

[Davo J]

David I agree,
I have a full length shelf behind my 12 x 36 lathe as well, but mine starts at the splash back and goes back from their so it doesn't hang over forward.
The way I have it set up, is at the headstock end I have holes drilled for all the chuck and D1-4 keys along with the rubber hammer and then store tool holders etc further down. I can reach across to grab a tool holder or oil bottle etc without being near the chuck, and when I am reaching across to get a chuck key, the chuck is stopped as that is what I want it for.

I am right handed as well so even if I was to reach for a chuck key when the lathe was running, from where I usually stand I would not be crossing the chuck anyway. To reach across the chuck I would have to be standing directly in front of the headstock, which would be an unusual place to stand when machining. I don't even stand their to change gears as I use my left hand.

For new guys to all of this they do need to be aware of the dangers, as even a mini mill or lathe could put you in hospital. As long as you show respect for the machine and don't be careless you should be safe.

Dave

[Rob.Wilson]

I built a shelf on the window sill behind the lathe, works well for all that "stuff".

Looks good to me 


Rob

[jamesemery728]

Here's my version.

[jatt]

a good idea.  cause i will never get around to actually doing anything similiar for the mill, its the magnetic tray 4 me.

turned upside down its good 4 picking sml ferrous items (screws) that somehow fall down on the floor.