The Chuck Key

[rake60]

We have a recent post about great prices on drive belts for the 9 X 20 import lathes.

I broke two of them myself.
The way I broke one of them was by being wreckless.
A stupid move that came back to bite.

We all know you NEVER take your hand off a chuck key when it is in the chuck.
You never leave a chuck key in the chuck for any reason!!!

I was just flipping a part around in the 3 jaw to do the second side machining.
It was only going to take a second or two, so I didn't turn the machine off.
I just pulled the lever forward to disengage the drive.

The lever was not completely forward and while the key was in the chuck it flipped back
engaging the drive. It ripped the key out of my hand and slammed it against the ways.
The drive belt snapped and that event came to a quick end without any personal injury.

I got lucky that time.
Don't depend on luck always being with you!
Turn that motor OFF before sticking the key in a chuck.

Rick

 

[BobWarfield]

I'm imagine a similar incident on a 5HP lathe and turning pale, even for me (a redhead).

Somehow this is a religion I've gotten successfully ingrained thank goodness.

Cheers,

BW

 

[Don Huseman]

on my 12" lathe I have a holder for the chuck wrench that give you satisfaction when I put it in the holder. That is the key to not leaving it in the chuck. You want that tactile satisfaction when you put the wrench in the holder.

 

[BobWarfield]

Don, I know what you're talking about with "tactile satisfaction."

I like to use welder's "arrow" magnets to hold chuck keys on various machines. All my machines have an arrow for chuck keys. The magnet sticks to the machine, and the chuck key sticks to the magnet. There is a very memorable "tactile" sensation when you stick something to a magnet, and I think you're right that it helps you to remember.

You can see the key magnet up on top of my mill here:

There's one on the drill press, and one on the lathe too.

Cheers,

BW

 

[Don Huseman]

I have used a magnet to hold my cat food can with cutting oil on the side of a mill vise. It worked great. It was a 2" rare earth magnet that had so much power that it would pick up my acid brush with a steel handle of the mill table 3 " away. As I was struggling to remove my cat can with the cutting oil, high sulphur, the magnet pulled the can out of my hands and shot the can to the mill table. Well there is a reason you wear safety glasses in the machine shop, It keeps the high sulphur out of your eyes .

 

[BobWarfield]

I have used a magnet to hold my cat food can with cutting oil on the side of a mill vise. It worked great. It was a 2" rare earth magnet that had so much power that it would pick up my acid brush with a steel handle of the mill table 3 " away. As I was struggling to remove my cat can with the cutting oil, high sulphur, the magnet pulled the can out of my hands and shot the can to the mill table. Well there is a reason you wear safety glasses in the machine shop, It keeps the high sulphur out of your eyes .

Or worse, what if that darned magnet got attacted to a big ole whirling boring head or some such? :fan:

Hate to think of it!

BTW, hot glue a little tiny rare earth magnet in the handle of your wooden chip brush. Now you can slap that brush up against the side of the machine and it'll be there when you need it. I prefer using smaller magnets. Hard to clean the darned chips off the bigger ones!

BW

 

[Circlip]

Put the big magnet in a thin cloth bag, when you take the magnet out, cloth is non magnetic. To clean the magnet down try modeling clay, then bag the mag. Ian.

 

[ronm]

That was the biggest no-no in the world to my old machine shop instructor...quickest way to a butt-chewin'. Somebody told me once of another shop teacher who would grab a key out of the chuck if he saw it & throw it all the way down the floor the length of the shop. Didn't take too many trips to retrieve it w/everybody watching to make an impression...

 

[rake60]

I bought a new chuck one time that came with a self ejecting key.
It's a great idea! A spring pin in the end of the key will push it out of the chuck
unless there is pressure against it to keep it engaged.
It's idiot proof!

The second time THIS idiot ended up cutting knuckles because the chuck key
slipped when there wasn't quite enough pressure excreted to keep
it engaged the key took to flight and was never quite the same after that.

Some safety features are a hazard at best.

Never take you hand off the chuck key unless the machine is determined to keep it.
In that case in can have it!
Keys, belts and gears are easy to replace.
Fingers, hands and arms are not so easily repaired...

Rick

 

[alan2525]

It's not a bad idea to paint various tools with yellow enamel paint, chuck keys, small tools that you loose as soon as you put them down and stuff that rolls off the bench is much easier to find otherwise. It helps if you can see the chuck key in the chuck from 20 feet or so.

 

[BobWarfield]

Alan, I like that idea!

Dayglo orange or safety yellow on the stupid bits like Chuck keys.

Cheers,

BW