Vicmarc Chuck adapter won’t come off

[Fadi Zeidan]

Ok here we go again... I was turning a bowl, nothing special. When I tried to take the chuck off the lathe, the vicmarc Chuck itself came off but it’s adapter won’t unscrew. I tried WD40, I used the bar handle that came with it and one came with Nova and both bent trying to loosen it but nothing.

any ideas, specialty tools I can try ?

 

[George Rousis]

I would try heat applied with a propane torch followed by taps with a brass hammer

 

[JeffSmith]

did you try a little PB Blaster? Try heating up the adapter a little? If you bent the spanners it sounds serious. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but I’d do both then replace the chuck and chuck up about a two foot piece of whatever’s handy to use for leverage and tap with a deadblow...

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

Ok here we go again... I was turning a bowl, nothing special. When I tried to take the chuck off the lathe, the vicmarc Chuck itself came off but it’s adapter won’t unscrew. I tried WD40, I used the bar handle that came with it and one came with Nova and both bent trying to loosen it but nothing.

any ideas, specialty tools I can try ?

Are there any set-screws holding the adapter on to the spindle?

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

No set screws, i think it just jammed up. I will try to heat it up with a torch and will get pb blaster to try it out.

 

[Richard Coers]

If there is just a hole in the insert to remove it, I'd buy a spanner pin wrench. Just guessing though since I'm not familiar with the chuck. Also a shock load is better than a steady force. Put one of those bars back in, put a block of wood at the intersection of the bar and insert, then rap it with a hammer. Pop it hard, don't use an index pin as an arbor lock. I'm no fan of heat that close to the bearings. You'll overheat the grease and then be posting about how to replace bearings.

 

[RichColvin]

Which model is the chuck?

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

If there is just a hole in the insert to remove it, I'd buy a spanner pin wrench. Just guessing though since I'm not familiar with the chuck. Also a shock load is better than a steady force. Put one of those bars back in, put a block of wood at the intersection of the bar and insert, then rap it with a hammer. Pop it hard, don't use an index pin as an arbor lock. I'm no fan of heat that close to the bearings. You'll overheat the grease and then be posting about how to replace bearings.

the Spanner pin wrench may do it, I will look for one.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

Which model is the chuck?

this is for vicmarc Chuck adapter.

 

[hockenbery]

this is for vicmarc Chuck adapter.
]

i remove my vicmark using the bar that comes with the ONEWAY faceplates, vacuum adapters etc...
It fits the hole and a pull releases it.

I always tighten the Chuck when I put it in with a firm push .( usually with the chuck key)
This insures that I can remove it with a firm pull on the ONEWAY bar.

 

[Timothy White]

If your chuck has a set screw to keep the adapter in the chuck, reinstall the church tighten the set screw, put a knockout bar in the chuck jaws and remove it.

 

[hockenbery]

If your chuck has a set screw to keep the adapter in the chuck, reinstall the church tighten the set screw, put a knockout bar in the chuck jaws and remove it.

That what I thought the first time my vicmarc unscrewed form the adaptor.

Mine has a set screw and I have never been able to tighten it enough to let me unscrew the Chuck from the spindle by using anything on the Chuck body.
I use the hole in the adapter to unscrew it.

 

[john lucas]

I use a spanner pin wrench and a dead blow hammer to get the adaptors out of my chuck. It will work the same way to remove the adaptor from.the lathe. The tip of putting the bar in the hole and the place a piece of wood against that joint and hit it with a hammer should work.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I cut a washer out of the side of a plastic milk container. Have never had a problem getting anything off. Have never had anything unwind.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Impacts usually work better in cases like this, rather that just pulling on a wrench, pipe wrench and a swift hammer hit or two will probably loosen it up, heat I would only use as a last resort.

Also the small propane heaters will only slowly heat and the spindle will probably get heated as much as the adaptor, making the heating a null to the effect.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

I use a spanner pin wrench and a dead blow hammer to get the adaptors out of my chuck. It will work the same way to remove the adaptor from.the lathe. The tip of putting the bar in the hole and the place a piece of wood against that joint and hit it with a hammer should work.

Where does one find the appropriate spanner pin wrench?

 

[Clifton C]

McMaster-Carr comes thru again...
https://www.mcmaster.com/spanner-wrenches
I'm sure there are other places, but I usually try here first...

It's interesting that for this one, https://www.mcmaster.com/5475a14
that fits a 1 3/4 collar, has a pin diameter of 15/64" and length 7/32".
That seems very specific, I'm wondering if there is an "industry standard"
But something to keep in mind before ordering.

 

[Donna Banfield]

This may not be an option if you need to use that chuck on different spindle sizes, but...

All my chucks are Vicmarc. The VM120s for my full size lathe (Oneway) and VM100s for my smaller/travel lathe (Delta). Not long after I purchased my first VM100, I was teaching a class at Rockler Woodworking. I bring my own chucks when teaching/demonstrating when possible. Class finished, I packed everything up and returned home. A couple days later, I picked up that chuck to use on the smaller lathe, and saw the insert was missing. When I removed the chuck, the insert unthreaded from the chuck. Fortunately, the insert was still on the classroom lathe when I called the store. After that episode, I used Loctite to permanently fix all my inserts to the chucks.

I have a Oneway adapter (M33.5 to 1x8) that allows me to use the VM100 on the big lathe. Oneway adapters have a set screw, a hole to use a bar for removal, and two flat surfaces for a wrench if needed. Oh, and because Vicmarc chucks didn't have set screws, I had a friend drill and tap all my Vicmarcs for a threaded set screw.

 

[odie]

Don't have much to add here, but wondering what method is used to lock the spindle from rotation while using pressure or a strike on the chuck insert.....?

Is the insert still stuck?

-----odie-----

 

[Mike Johnson]

As Leo mentioned above, a solid sharp blow of a hammer on a wrench handle will break the threaded bushing loose. There may have been some debris on the threads that are holding the threads in a locked condition. As Paul mentioned above a thin Polymer washer between the spindle and bushing provides just enough cushion to loosen the locked threads when needed.

 

[hockenbery]

have a Oneway adapter (M33.5 to 1x8) that allows me to use the VM100 on the big lathe.

I have a ONEWAY 1x8 to 33 x3.5 adapter that lets me use my vicmarc 120 on a 1” spindle.
It is almost like another insert so it only puts the chuck out about 1/2”.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

I just got my pin wrench from Amazon. Placed it on the insert and gave it few soft to medium hits with a wooden mallet until it came off.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

Where does one find the appropriate spanner pin wrench?

this is the one I got

Vmotor Chrome Vanadium Adjustable C Spanner Hook Wrench Tool - 1 1/4-3"(32-76mm)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLHZ7G7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_g1sAEbG8GRH2X

 

[odie]

this is the one I got

Vmotor Chrome Vanadium Adjustable C Spanner Hook Wrench Tool - 1 1/4-3"(32-76mm)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLHZ7G7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_g1sAEbG8GRH2X

Thank you Fadi......I just ordered one of these for myself!

-----odie-----

 

[GRJensen]

Thank you Fadi......I just ordered one of these for myself!

-----odie-----

Me too!