Stronghold chucks and keys

[Mike Cruz]

Just an FYI for anyone with a used Stronghold chuck, or maybe multiple Stronghold chucks:

I purchased a used Stronghold off Ebay a little while back. I was very "choppy" and not "smooth" at all. I took it apart, and one of the parts that rides in and out of the chuck body (the part that the jaws screw to) was very tight. So, I worked that a bit (wet sanded with oil) and got that to work perfectly. I took the insert out, the snap ring off, and cleaned off the gear. Added oil, put it all back together, and while it was a bit smoother, it was still "choppy". On a shot-in-the-dark hunch, I tried the key that CAME with the used chuck instead of the key I was using on my other two Strongholds... PERFECTLY SMOOTH!!!!

So, not all keys work perfectly with all chucks! That could be an age and revamping on Oneway's part, or something else. But, I just wanted to give ya'll the head's up that you may not be able to use one key for multiple Stronghold chucks...

BTW, if your chuck doesn't work VERY smoothly (as it really should!), I highly recommend taking the snap ring off, cleaning and oiling the gears; taking the jaws and sliding guides off, and out and cleaning and oiling them. The chuck will work a LOT smoother.

[Jon McElwain]

I was having the same problem a while back - the key worked, but it was not smooth. Turns out I had grabbed the talon chuck key instead of the stronghold chuck key. Different animal. Sort of wish they were keyed alike. They are color coded though, and the stronghold key is much longer than the talon key. Aside from my misuse of keys, I have been really happy with the chucks.

[Rick Markham]

Funny the same T handle allen wrench that came with my nova chucks works with all of them... even the titan :p:p:p:D

[Jack Mincey]

I have a friend who sent back and old stronghold chuck to have a new key made for it since he had worn the old key out over a long period of time. He was told that the key on the new strongholds are somewhat different and will not work with old strongholds so they had to refit the gear in the chuck to use the newer key in it. The price was very fair for the work they did on a old Chuck.
Jack

[Michael Mills]

Just an FYI for anyone with a used Stronghold chuck, or maybe multiple Stronghold chucks:

BTW, if your chuck doesn't work VERY smoothly (as it really should!), I highly recommend taking the snap ring off, cleaning and oiling the gears; taking the jaws and sliding guides off, and out and cleaning and oiling them. The chuck will work a LOT smoother.

Instead of oil or grease which attracts and hold dust/dirt, a couple of coats of areosol graphite slicks them up for a long long time. It only takes about a minute for the carrier to evaporate leaving a coating of graphite almost like paint. A quick hit the the air gun keeps them clean.

[Mike Cruz]

Good suggestion, Michael. I don't have any of that on hand (maybe I ought to...). 3-in-1 oil is all I had.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I have two strongholds, one with the short key and the other with the longer key. Neither works well in the other chuck. They are just different enough that they won't turn as smoothly as they do in the correct chuck. Go figure. Other than that, great chucks.