Keeping the chuck key in sight!

[John Torchick]

A while back, I was getting ready to drill a piece on the lathe. Reaching for the switch, I noticed the key was still in the Jacobs chuck in the headstock. The key is black with Delta blue plastic coating- hard to notice. I realized even at the low speed, it could result in a nasty injury. My wife donated a piece of yellow ribbon, tied it to the key and stuck it on the lathe with a magnetic hook from Harbor Freight. Photo shows the location where it can't be missed.

 

[Mark Wollschlager]

Keyless chucks are nice to have too. I rarely need to crank down on a drill bit, so they work well for me.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I use my drill chuck in the tail-stock which eliminates any issues of the key being in the chuck or not. A stationary drill bit is safer to work around while having the work piece turn in the headstock.

 

[John Torchick]

Can't remember what the situation was for the chuck in the HS but I learn quick!

 

[John Torchick]

I use my drill chuck in the tail-stock which eliminates any issues of the key being in the chuck or not. A stationary drill bit is safer to work around while having the work piece turn in the headstock.

I was in the shop and my thread kept going through my mind with your post. If I recall, difficult at my age, I was shaping a fishing rod grip. The Jacobs chuck goes in the HS. The mandrel goes into the chuck and one end is inletted to 60 degrees to go on the live center. I believe that is why the key was at the HS. Drilling as you say with the JC in the TS.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Whenever I watch a video with a turner using a drill chuck in the headstock and holding the work piece in their hand drilling a hole, I see the potential slip of the hand as the work piece skips off the tip of the drill bit and the hand gets shoved onto the turning drill bit.

 

[John Torchick]

I agree, Mike. Plus, the chuck will drift out unless you have a whatchamacallit in the HS.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

The Jacobs chuck should never be used in the HS without a drawbar. The #2 Morse taper chuck arbor will typically have a 3/8-16 female thread so a drawbar can be made from all thread, but if the arbor dose not have the thread don't use it in the HS.

 

[John Torchick]

The Jacobs chuck should never be used in the HS without a drawbar. The #2 Morse taper chuck arbor will typically have a 3/8-16 female thread so a drawbar can be made from all thread, but if the arbor dose not have the thread don't use it in the HS.

Refer to post #5 clarifying this thread. I wouldn't use the JC without something in the tailstock to hold it in place. My JC doesn't have threads for a drawbar. Wish it did, though. I put piece of bronze tubing in the JC in the headstock and the 60 degree live center in the TS to turn grips.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Refer to post #5 clarifying this thread. I wouldn't use the JC without something in the tailstock to hold it in place. My JC doesn't have threads for a drawbar. Wish it did, though. I put piece of bronze tubing in the JC in the headstock and the 60 degree live center in the TS to turn grips.

OK that would be an exception but I believe some one had mentioned drilling with the JC in the HS, but now that I think about it why would anybody want to do that.

 

[Robert D Evans]

There may be a situation where you want to use the Jacobs Chuck to hold something small in the headstock. For example, if you wanted to put a point on a short wooden dowel. I wouldn't want to use it without a draw bar. A Jacobs chuck coming out at 1500 rpm is gonna dent something.

 

[John Torchick]

If I needed a point on a wooden dowel, I would use the old-fashioned pencil sharpener. My JC doesn't have threads for a drawbar.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

There may be a situation where you want to use the Jacobs Chuck to hold something small in the headstock. For example, if you wanted to put a point on a short wooden dowel. I wouldn't want to use it without a draw bar. A Jacobs chuck coming out at 1500 rpm is gonna dent something.

If you want to hold small round dowels or such it is better to invest in a collet chuck. I have a cheap collet chuck that goes from 1/8th" to 5/8" by 8ths and it mounts with a 2 Morse taper that has the 3/8'-16 female thread. The type that screw onto the HS spindle are probably a better choice and I think they use industry standard ER collets so it would be possible to purchase additional in between sizes.

 

[Robert D Evans]

If you want to hold small round dowels or such it is better to invest in a collet chuck. I have a cheap collet chuck that goes from 1/8th" to 5/8" by 8ths and it mounts with a 2 Morse taper that has the 3/8'-16 female thread. The type that screw onto the HS spindle are probably a better choice and I think they use industry standard ER collets so it would be possible to purchase additional in between sizes.

Absolutely a collet chuck would be better. I don't have any collet chucks so if I need to turn something small, I either make a jam chuck or use the keyless Jacobs chuck with a draw bar. I wouldn't trust the Jacobs chuck to turn anything over a few inches in length. It's only holding by 3 points of contact. I don't do a lot of small turnings so I haven't invested in collet chucks yet. Most of my focus lately has been learning segmented turning.

 

[hockenbery]

Hard to beat a collect chuck.. I have the collet jaw set for my strong hold - the come in handy for some jobs.

You can make a wooden collet substitute accurate enough for most woodturning applications.
Turn a disc with a tenon on it to fit your 4 jaw chuck.
Put it in the chuck and drill a hole the size of what you want to grip.
Take it out of the chuck and cut to the center with a bandsaw.
Align the kerf between two jaws when the chuck is closed the kerf will close making the hole clamp.

 

[John Torchick]

Hard to beat a collect chuck.. I have the collet jaw set for my strong hold - the come in handy for some jobs.

You can make a wooden collet substitute accurate enough for most woodturning applications.
Turn a disc with a tenon on it to fit your 4 jaw chuck.
Put it in the chuck and drill a hole the size of what you want to grip.
Take it out of the chuck and cut to the center with a bandsaw.
Align the kerf between two jaws when the chuck is closed the kerf will close making the hole clamp.

Hard to beat a collect chuck.. I have the collet jaw set for my strong hold - the come in handy for some jobs.

You can make a wooden collet substitute accurate enough for most woodturning applications.
Turn a disc with a tenon on it to fit your 4 jaw chuck.
Put it in the chuck and drill a hole the size of what you want to grip.
Take it out of the chuck and cut to the center with a bandsaw.
Align the kerf between two jaws when the chuck is closed the kerf will close making the hole clamp.

I have seen this on YT and it's a great idea. Got some projects in mind that could use this idea.