# Chuck removal



## Weldsol (Jun 15, 2021)

Hi I have just read a couple of threads re chuck removal and it reminded me of what I had to do last year when I downsized from a Bridgeport (R8 ) and bought a second hand Chester 626 (M3) it came with the Chester collet chuck already fitted.
The first time I came to remove the chuck it was rock solid.
So you sit and have a think maybe a cup of tea & a smoke then you realise why it became so tight.
The reason was the Chester chuck did not have spanner flats on the main body, so the only way to stop it from rotating when pulling up a collet was to put a spanner on the drawbar nut, so the more you tightened the collet the more you pulled up the M3 taper.
I am never happy with using a hammer on the drawbar to break the taper as a lot of shock loading will go through the bearings.
So I drew up some wedges (see PDF) and made them and using two hammers a couple of light blows ejected the chuck.
I have since got an ER32 collet chuck with spanner flats and now I have the wedges I will never have to use a hammer on the drawbar.

Paul


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