Drill chuck head comes loose from headstock

[Nathan Craver]

I am a new wood turner. So far I have turned a few bowls and some bottle stoppers. Today I was turning a bottle stopper from a piece of bacote and I had a slight catch. The drill chuck (#2 MT holding a mandrel with the blank on it) came loose from the headstock and I was able to stop the lathe before it completely flew out and off the lathe. I put the chuck back in and twisted while pushing in to help ensure a more positive lock. This did not help as it happened two more times.

Keep in mind that I had already done all of the major turning and was cleaning up the end where the tail stock's live center was supporting the other end. Is there a better option than having a drill chuck in the headstock? It seems that the slightest chatter/vibration will send this thing flying. I do have a Oneway Talon with various jaws, including the smooth spigot jaws. Would it be a bad idea to use a 1/2" steel mandrel in the Oneway, or is there a better drill chuck solution for the headstock?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Both of my drill chucks have holes drilled and tapped in the morse tenons. I used a draw bar to prevent exactly what you experienced.

I also use a draw bar with my buffing wheels to prevent them from launching.

With that said, I use threaded stainless steel bottle stoppers and a mandrel that taps the drilled hole in the blank. Then I turn the bottle stopper using the mandrel and a draw bar.

[Paul Williams]

There are several possibilities that you might try. Does the taper on your drill chuck have a threaded hole on the small end? If so use a long bolt or threaded rod through the spindle and a knob or nut and washer on the hand wheel side to secure the taper. Ruth Niles sells a MT with a threaded end for bottle stoppers. I have one and use it to hole lots of items including bottle stoppers. Pen State sells an item that threads on to your head stock. The other end is threaded for bottle stoppers. It is inexpensive and words well. There are MT collects available. They are inexpensive and available in many sizes. Buy a 3/8 collect. Cut the head off a bolt. Screw it into your blank and hold it in the collect. The unit Ruth Niles sells and the MT collect both require a threaded rod connection between the MT and the hand wheel side of the spindle.

You might also check for dirt or nicks inside the tapered end of your spindle. I frequently use my MT attachments without the through bolt and have never had one come loose. I don't think twisting is a good idea when mounting the MT as if you do have a nick or some dirt it might scratch the inside of your spindle taper making the problem worse.

Good luck. Let us know how you come out and post some photos of your stoppers.

[James Combs]

I am a new wood turner. So far I have turned a few bowls and some bottle stoppers. Today I was turning a bottle stopper from a piece of bacote and I had a slight catch. The drill chuck (#2 MT holding a mandrel with the blank on it) came loose from the headstock and I was able to stop the lathe before it completely flew out and off the lathe. I put the chuck back in and twisted while pushing in to help ensure a more positive lock. This did not help as it happened two more times.

Keep in mind that I had already done all of the major turning and was cleaning up the end where the tail stock's live center was supporting the other end. Is there a better option than having a drill chuck in the headstock? It seems that the slightest chatter/vibration will send this thing flying. I do have a Oneway Talon with various jaws, including the smooth spigot jaws. Would it be a bad idea to use a 1/2" steel mandrel in the Oneway, or is there a better drill chuck solution for the headstock?
I chuck up my drive center on a regular basis in the spigot jaws of my Nova G3 without any major problems. The only minor problem I have run into is that the jaws on the chuck do did not turn true when I first tried it but after truing up the jaws with a carbide tool and large drill bit, I don't have that problem anymore. BTW some chucks including my Novas come with drive centers or woodworm screws which are held in the jaws when being used.

[Jack Mincey]

I turned hundreds of crow calls using a drill chuck in the head stock of my lathe to hold a homemade mandrel without the use of a draw bar. To best seat the taper into the head stock use a dead blow hammer or chunk of wood and tap it in firmly. This worked until I bought a mandrel for turning my crow calls which came with a hardened taper. The hardened taper just would not hold in the hardened spindle of my One Way Lathe. Not sure if your drill chuck has a hardened taper or your lathe has a hardened spindle, it makes a difference on how well the taper holds. I use a draw bar on my crow call mandrel and my Ruth Niles stopper mandrel so there is zero problem with either one. I still use the drill chuck without a draw bar but it has a softer steel taper and holds well when tapped in. If you are using a smaller lathe with a tiny little knock out bar it may be hard to get the chuck out unless you can come up with a knock out bar with a little more weight to it. In my school shop I sometimes use the PM's knock out bar to remove the tapered chucks or drive centers out of the two Delta midi lathes. The extra weight makes it much easier.
Jack

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I am a new wood turner. So far I have turned a few bowls and some bottle stoppers. Today I was turning a bottle stopper from a piece of bacote and I had a slight catch. The drill chuck (#2 MT holding a mandrel with the blank on it) came loose from the headstock and I was able to stop the lathe before it completely flew out and off the lathe. I put the chuck back in and twisted while pushing in to help ensure a more positive lock. This did not help as it happened two more times.

Keep in mind that I had already done all of the major turning and was cleaning up the end where the tail stock's live center was supporting the other end. Is there a better option than having a drill chuck in the headstock? It seems that the slightest chatter/vibration will send this thing flying. I do have a Oneway Talon with various jaws, including the smooth spigot jaws. Would it be a bad idea to use a 1/2" steel mandrel in the Oneway, or is there a better drill chuck solution for the headstock?

You need a draw bar to hold the MT in your lathe,the MT on your drill chuck should have tread in the end to screw a rod into end, on the other end of the rod you use a washer and nut to tighten the MT into your lathes headstock spindle.

A taper isn’t held securely or properly in a chuck, there are drillchuck tapers exactly to hold the MT in the spindle

Get a threaded mandrel with the JT that fits your chuck, and make sure you don’t damage your lathe spindle MT if the chuck spins in your spindle, E’bay has them for about $12.--

I tried to give you some site to find help but it was all denied

[Thom Sturgill]

Use a collet chuck instead of a jacobs chuck. The CSUSA apprentice screws on the end of the spindle instead of using a taper. Also if you do not have one, get a 'green weenie' to clean the taper.
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/images/prod/275/tap_mor_tap_cle-2.jpg
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You may already have galled the taper in which case it will need honing.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I turned hundreds of crow calls using a drill chuck in the head stock of my lathe to hold a homemade mandrel without the use of a draw bar. To best seat the taper into the head stock use a dead blow hammer or chunk of wood and tap it in firmly. This worked until I bought a mandrel for turning my crow calls which came with a hardened taper. The hardened taper just would not hold in the hardened spindle of my One Way Lathe. Not sure if your drill chuck has a hardened taper or your lathe has a hardened spindle, it makes a difference on how well the taper holds. I use a draw bar on my crow call mandrel and my Ruth Niles stopper mandrel so there is zero problem with either one. I still use the drill chuck without a draw bar but it has a softer steel taper and holds well when tapped in. If you are using a smaller lathe with a tiny little knock out bar it may be hard to get the chuck out unless you can come up with a knock out bar with a little more weight to it. In my school shop I sometimes use the PM's knock out bar to remove the tapered chucks or drive centers out of the two Delta midi lathes. The extra weight makes it much easier.
Jack

Bad advice Jack, a MT is seated with a flick of the wrist, never with a hammer or mallet.

Only with some pressure from either pushing the MT into the spindle or a drawbar to pull it in is a taper safe to be used.

[Nathan Craver]

Thank you all for the helpful replies. I had not noticed that the MT for the chuck is not only threaded, but has the thread size etched on the taper. I'm off to Lowes to get a threaded rod, some nuts, and some big washers. This should solve my problem. I will post some pictures of the bottle stoppers I have made in the near future.