# Interesting lathe accessory



## b.lindsey (Dec 22, 2008)

Here's a youtube link I was sent by a friend. Looks like it could be a very useful little tool for assisting in centering workpeices in the lathe chuck. There are a couple of safety considerations for sure but with reasonable care the idea (probably not new, but new to me anyway) is clever.

[ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7A9PqNftY[/ame]

Bill


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## kvom (Dec 22, 2008)

I watched this from another site.

Main comment I took from the discussion was to rotate the spindle by hand rather than under power.


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## compound driver 2 (Dec 22, 2008)

Rotating by hand is the lest of it! The CHUCK KEY was left in the CHUCK!


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## ChooChooMike (Dec 22, 2008)

Hmmmm, interesting technique. It looks like the chuck key was in the chuck, but I doubt there's enough clearance between the chuck and the bed for the chuck to turn. Besides it'd be flung out as soon as he turned the spindle on.

Regardless, yeah, I too agree, turn the spindle by hand.

*** SAFETY FIRST ***

Mike


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## compound driver 2 (Dec 22, 2008)

The first cardinal rule of working a lathe is 

NEVER LEAVE THE CHUCK KEY IN THE CHUCK.

It dosnt matter if theres not enough clearance or if the key will drop out Turn teh switch with 1800rpm selected on the gearbox and the key will fly a long way, or if your unlucky trap your hand/arm between it and the bed.

No if ands or buts its the single big NO NO. hand on key or key in box.


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## bentprop (Dec 22, 2008)

An old machinist actually showed me that trick,but he used the side of the toolpost .
with the chuck rolled around by hand,you'll never be able to see if the part is no longer wobbling,so i would still start it up.Agreed ,the chuck key should be pulled.


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## BobWarfield (Dec 22, 2008)

I like it!

BW


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## artrans (Dec 22, 2008)

Thats the first thing and I got in trouble for leave the chuck key in the chuck. The second was useing a good vise and heating something in it to cherry red another no no unless it not your vise :big: :big:


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## kf2qd (Dec 22, 2008)

Taught machine tool practice for a few years a while back... First rule of running a lathe was - If your hand isn't holding the chuck key - the chuck key isn't in the chuck. Only had one student get caught that way - the chuck hit the wall of the shop - but only because I threw it there to make a point. He thought i was a jerk, but I never caught him with the key in the chuck without his hand on the key.


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## rake60 (Dec 22, 2008)

That's a _*lazy*_ method of indicating...

I'll be building one of those! 

Rick


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## John S (Dec 22, 2008)

Run the roller and the clock at the same time by hand, speed things up a lot.

I have one to straighten disks up when they have been welded to shafts for rollers.

John_S.


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## baldrocker (Dec 22, 2008)

Good good good.
BUT
Another tool to make. :'(
BR


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## joeby (Dec 22, 2008)

Good idea. It would get you purt-near in short order, probably close enough for a lot of work.

 The chuck key in the chuck is a pet-peeve of mine. A large shop I used to work in had several South Bend lathes. One near the aisle was the launch pad for fun and games on night shift. The shop was over 300' from wall to wall with this particular 10" SB situated about the middle. A few guys had the habit of putting the chuck key in the chuck and pulling it around to the back of the bed so the rear ways would hold it in place, then they'd reach around and hit the start switch thereby launching the key down through the shop making a heck of a racket and scaring the crap out of anyone on that end of the shop. The fun ended when one guy tried it and the key refused to come free of the chuck. The key hit the front way and lifted the spindle out of the headstock taking both bearing caps along. Fun over!

Kevin


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## Kludge (Dec 22, 2008)

compound driver 2  said:
			
		

> Rotating by hand is the lest of it! The CHUCK KEY was left in the CHUCK!



Only once and that was when he went for the cylindrical piece. The rest of the time it was in his hand or out of the chuck. (I watched the video four times to be sure.) On the other hand, that once was not the best thing he could have done either, especially for an experienced machinist.

That said, I like this. And, yes, BR, another tool to make. Ain't it cool? 

Joeby, is it safe to assume the gentleman responsible for destroying the lathe was made to suffer in inglorious ways before being terminated with prejudice?

Best regards,

Kludge


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## joeby (Dec 22, 2008)

Kludge,

 Unfortunately, he was never punished for the untimely death of a South Bend; but it is safe to assume that he lost a great deal of respect from others over the incident. Accidents happen; but if the lathe was that unimportant they could have just mentioned it to me and I would have properly culled it from the herd! 

Kevin


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## BobWarfield (Dec 23, 2008)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> Run the roller and the clock at the same time by hand, speed things up a lot.
> 
> I have one to straighten disks up when they have been welded to shafts for rollers.
> 
> John_S.



BTW, I have seen a very similar implement used to do metal spinning on a lathe. I have to try that some time.

Best,

BW


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## Kludge (Dec 23, 2008)

joeby  said:
			
		

> Unfortunately, he was never punished for the untimely death of a South Bend; but it is safe to assume that he lost a great deal of respect from others over the incident.



It's a wonder they let him back in the shop to do anything more than sweeping the deck. I would likely have ensured he would never have offspring.



> Accidents happen; but if the lathe was that unimportant they could have just mentioned it to me and I would have properly culled it from the herd!



That wasn't an accident, it was stupidity and what cops like to call reckless endangerment. 

As to culling the herd ... that would have been the proper way to clear the deck. Too bad it became parts.

BEst regards,

Kludge


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## Cedge (Dec 23, 2008)

Someone on this board shared a similar design, long ago, that used simple turned discs in place of the bearing. I've been using one ever since and love the little fellow dearly. It was one of the " handy" tools that I shared with George Seal and Kvom when they visited. The ball bearing idea will soon be added for a bit more stability. Thanks for sharing it.

The other neat trick in the video was the two pieces of round stock used to make the quick change holder. That one earned a bit of attention as well...

Steve


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## tel (Dec 25, 2008)

The chuck key was bad enough, but all y'all seem to have missed the other big no-no. The bloke was wearing a ring! Strictly verboten in any machine shop I've ever been in.


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## compound driver 2 (Dec 25, 2008)

Good point Tel! mind you with the chuck key stuck in his forehead I doubt having his finger ripped off would make much odds.


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## Maryak (Dec 25, 2008)

48 years on and I still have a hole in my back where the guy behind me left a parallel strip in the chuck behind the workpiece.   Had my lathe been running at the time I doubt I would be writing this. :'( If this little gizmo had been around it probably would not have happened. 

Best Regards
Bob


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## Cliff (Dec 26, 2008)

Back in the early 70's when I first was learning how to run a lathe I left the chuck key in the chuck and it came out and hit me in the shoulder I thought I had broke something but being a eighteen year old kid I was scared to tell my boss but it taught me a lesson not to let go of the chuck key until it is out of the chuck. Also it is very hard on the insides of a Dial Indicator if you run the lathe with them touching and it wears them out prematurely or worse. Cliff.


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## popnrattle (Jan 2, 2009)

Thanks for the kind remarks and hope it makes your machining more fun! *Safety irony:* the more loose the part is chucked the better, but if 2 loose the bearing will "walk" it from the jaws because the closer the part is to being "indicated" the looser it gets!! So, get ready to duck!!  Yea! and back the bearing off as slowly as you can before the part starts "walking". Pay attention to this detail and practice on parts you are willing to scrap. :'( You will eventually get the "feel" for it. Of course your chuck should always be indicated with a "standard" ground pin for best results. ;D BTW the bearing used is 8mm ID 22mm OD. (perfect for a 5/16 SHCS) same brg.as used in those rubber/plastic wheels on a "Razor" push scooter.


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## tel (Jan 9, 2009)

Interesting - that's the same sized bearing I pulled out of the drawer to make mine - I like it already!


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