Any ideas besides aliens?

[Robert McGowen]

I have a Jet 1642-2HP. I had just completed a large vase and decided to do the first coats of the finish while the vase was still on the lathe. I applied the finish and left the vase turning at 50 rpm's and went inside the house. I went back out to the shop a few minutes later and the lathe was still slowing spinning, but the vase was laying on it's side between the ways. Fortunately, it had not fallen on the floor. The vase had two dents in the side from hitting the ways, so I know that it fell from the spindle. The chuck was still attached.

So....... How would a chuck spin off of the lathe?

The obvious answers to the obvious questions:

The lathe was not in reverse. It was the first thing I checked. I almost never use reverse, had not used it at all on the vase, the switch was in the forward position, and the spindle was still turning forward.

I was the only one home, so no wife or kids to interrogate!

I live in the country behind some fences, so no neighbors snooping around.

I am guessing that it had to be some sort of electrical malfunction, but don't have any idea what it could be.

So I am back to aliens unless someone has a better idea. :confused:

[John Keeton]

Robert, I have a couple of occasions where I slowed the speed down quickly on a piece, and the inertia of the turning mass and chuck started spinning the chuck loose (obviously not seated well!), and I can only imagine you had a similar event in slow motion - just enough time for you to get out the door.

Or......aliens!

[Bob Bergstrom]

It has to be punishment from the Vortex gods for not paying homage to them. Bigger lathe, more tools and wood will please them. You must do this or the gods will perform other magical tricks on you. Go now buy and enjoy.:D:D:D

[Gary Max]

Or your lathe just got lonely and wanted to teach you a lesson.

Never leave your tools running unattended

maybe it was that alien thing

[Bill Bulloch]

Aliens??? Who ever heard. It was the Taliban,

[David DeCristoforo]

Nope... it's aliens. Probably illegal....

[charlie knighton]

they say the spirit of Germino lives in mesquite, the Hopi in.....

[Robert McGowen]

and it all began with a simple little question......... :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Robert.......You should know they are dizzy as a result of the spin of the vortex......:rolleyes:

[Tim Thiebaut]

Reminds me of the old cartoon the family circus....everytime the little kids would get in trouble they would say "Idontknow..."...and in the cartoon panel was this little ghost like character named....."Idontknow"....once they started that every thing got blamed on "Idontknow"...ok I know this is a little off topic but it just reminded me of that for some reason....ok...Aliens!

[Sparky Paessler]

It was probably Gremlins not Aliens! :)

[Jeff Welch]

Earthquake!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

If it wasn't "I don't know", then it must have been "not me!".

I vote for the slowing too fast and inertia. Do you seat your chuck? I've had that happen, although I caught it before it actually fell off. Then I started seating the chuck.

[Paulo Marin]

I slowed the speed down quickly on a piece, and the inertia of the turning mass and chuck started spinning the chuck loose (obviously not seated well!)

Add to what John Keeton says plus slow speed vibration..

Paulo Marin

[Curt Fuller]

Better go look in the mirror and see if there are any strange marks on the back of you neck. I've never known aliens to just come in and mess with a vase and not implant something in the maker.

[David E Keller]

Better go look in the mirror and see if there are any strange marks on the back of you neck. I've never known aliens to just come in and mess with a vase and not implant something in the maker.

There's one other place you ought to look for signs of 'probing'!

[curtis rosche]

vibrations caused it to come loose. air drag caused by a large spinning object made it spin slower and slide off

[Harry Robinette]

I'm with Jeff W. This East Coast Earthquake is being blamed for everything else. BUT really I had the same thing as John K. happed on my lathe and didn't catch it till the piece hit the floor. I now wrench the chuck on no more hand tightening.

[Rick Markham]

Mine has a little set screw to keep that from happening... unless the aliens (illegal or otherwise) come equipped with allen wrenches I'm safe :)

I'm with Paulo, sounds like low speed vibration... Or it's that turning God's thing, and you really need to just buy a whole new setup, and sacrifice the old one (anyone know of a good volcano with easy lathe access?)

[Norm Zax]

Add a thin plastic ring (like one obatined from cutting a plastic folder) before you thread the chuck. May prevent such things and also prevents chuck from locking to steel. Aliens is a code word for kids. Anyone with access to the room and a soul for pranks?

[Steve Kubien]

You walked away from a running machine?

[Cathy Schaewe]

There's one other place you ought to look for signs of 'probing'!
Ouch! why did you have to go there????? (as it were....)

[Tony De Masi]

If I were you I would check for recent parolee's from your past.:D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

if i were you i would check for recent parolee's from your past.:d

roflol!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jack Davis 2]

One time I was working on a large piece. Probably 30 lbs. I was turning on a Powermatic with VS. I reached over to turn the speed down and cause the chuck to break loose slightly. It then started to vibrate making the heavy turning start "moonwalking" off of the spindle because it was trying to turn at a faster speed than the spindle. The harmonics of the vibration just backed it off and it was too heavy to grab so it hit the floor. It happened another time and I was able to grab the piece with just some hand pressure to the outside and it pulled itself back onto the spindle tight. This had a lot to do with the weight of the piece and the inertia or reverse torque created by slowing the lathe too quickly. The first episode took a few seconds to happen and didn't start coming off until the vibration picked up. That may be why you were able to leave the room before it occurred.

[Tom Hamilton]

Robert, probably one of those folks from north of the Red River, down on a mission of mischief and mayhem. But more likely John pegged it with his observation.

All the best, Tom