How do I get my chucks off?

[vtsteam]

Ahem. Now that I have your attention....... 

I was given 3 Jacobs chucks a couple years ago, and I'd dearly like to get one mounted on my mill drill -- at least one is a "Superchuck" and they're all stuck on collet adapters -- I think for CNC tool changers. I tried using a drift to pop them off. No go.

Then I took them down to Lester. He owns a local machine shop that ought to be a museum. Flat belt overhead drives to dust covered lathes and machines, tools everywhere, ancient motors, giant press, etc. His father owned the shop before him. Lester always works alone. I buy my steel and welding supplies from him -- it always takes an hour to get something -- you have to tell stories and hear some good ones too before getting down to business.

Anyway, I brought the chucks to Lester one rainy morning when I knew things would be slow -- and together we tried to get the chucks loose. The press was pushed as far as he felt comfortable without wrecking the chucks. Still no go.

So, suggestions on what to do?

I'm thinking that if the Jacobs taper part isn't hardened that I might try drilling it out with a drill a little under the smallest diameter of the taper.

EDIT: added photo:

[DavidF]

I'll take a look at mine tomorrow and see if I can figure it out. I know my one chuck is threaded and a couple others are jt.  Have you tried heating it a bit?  Or putting a wrench on the tang and giving it a little twist?

[vtsteam]

Thanks Dave, these are taper chucks -- they are marked with the taper type. Don't have them in front of me now, but will post photos tomorrow.

I don't want to heat it.

Funny I was just surfing through the "Ooops" section on the forum, laughing at other people's mistakes, just amazing how other people do these things  thank goodness I've never done anything like, well, for instance contacting the the chassis with a wrench while weraing a ring while tightening a positive battery terminal in my old pickup tr...I mean a friend of mine did that, not me. Burned a nice circle on his ring finger, and he threw the ring into a field trying to get it off. What a maroon!

Anyway just reading up on these foibles, and then suddenly happened across a long thread on removing a stuck collet chuck from a mill. Coincidence? The thing that finally did it in that thread was a pair of U shaped wedges driven together by some bars with bolts through them. I think that might be a good bet for me.

See here:

http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,6881.75.html

[RussellT]

Jacobs sell wedges for that purpose.

http://www.jacobschuck.com/drill-chuck-install.asp

Russell

[vtsteam]

  Ah, excellent page of info. Thanks so much RussellT!

[David Jupp]

I had a Jacobs chuck stuck fast on a 1MT shank - that's so small that there is nothing for wedges to push against.

I almost gave up and drilled/tapped a hole through rear of the chuck to use a screw to push things apart.  Before resorting to that I put the chuck in the freezer for a few hours, then returned to workshop.  Quickly gripped end tang of 1MT shank in vice jaws, applied flame from a very small gas torch to back face of chuck (just to warm it up a bit) - one sharp tap with a hammer and drift separated the chuck from the shank.

The temperature differential just loosened things enough that removal was simple.

[vtsteam]

Well one thing is for sure David, I won't have to resort to a refrigerator to cool the chuck -- my shed was at 18F this morning. 

[Jasonb]

I had a Jacobs chuck stuck fast on a 1MT shank - that's so small that there is nothing for wedges to push against..

The wedges come in various sizes to suit the taper/chuck, I expect you wedges were for a larger size.

J

[David Jupp]

Jason - with the combination I had the JT was larger than the MT where they met - there was no shoulder to get wedges behind.

[vtsteam]

WooHoo!!!!

 

 


 



Thank you, thank you!  I now have a chuck for my mill.


Info:

Wedges made from angle iron. One leg cut off to 1/2".
There was a big score near the mouth of the chuck, the rest of the taper looks okay internally, the MT4 adapter also shows the score mark
The reason it couldn't be pressed out? There is no through hole axially. Lester was pushing the drift against solid metal base! 
The other 2 chucks? Haven't done them yet, I need to thin the wedges more so they will fit in the gap       -- this one had a wider gap, and it is the main one I wanted to rescue for my mill. I have an R8 to JT33 adapter to fit it and it has a 1/2" capacity.

Psyched!

 

[dsquire]

VT

I love it when the MadModder forum members can collectively help plan B come together. That's what it's all about.

Cheers 

Don

[RussellT]

I'm always amazed by how easy some jobs become when you have the right tools.

Well done.

Russell

[PekkaNF]

Soooo....you didn't chuck it!

Pekka

[vtsteam]

I'm always amazed by how easy some jobs become when you have the right tools.
Russell

Ain't it the truth, Russell?

The hard part sometimes is just finding out what the right tool is.

The great thing about a  forum like this is that somebody else, somewhere in this wide world, knows. 

[flutedchamber]

I know this is a bit late in the game, but I found a foolproof way to remove chucks from their Jacobs tapers. 

Mount the Morse taper end in a vise with the chuck vertical.  Slide a clamshell bearing puller between the rear of the chuck and the front of the Morse taper.  Insert the two bolts and tighten them evenly.  The chuck will pop right off. 

If the clamshell puller is too large, just slide a flat washer under two opposing sides of the chuck, on top of the clamshell puller and tighten the bolts as described.  The washers will take up the extra room

[krv3000]

well this is haw i do it get the chuch and open the jaws right open and drill in the botom of the chuck say m6 then put the chuck in the vice with the botom of the chuck siting on two bits of all put a 6 mil punch thruw the hole and giv it a hit with a bidg hammer the taper will pop of all of the chucks i have i have opend the botom of them for removing them

[chipenter]

Iff they are threaded for a draw bar a piece of tube , and some studding with washers and a nut pops them off with just a click .