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old peoples way to change chucks

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dgehricke:
I don't know if anyone else has posted this idea or not but if you are changing lathe chuck from 4 jaw to 3 jaw or vise versa get a 10-12 length of 1⅛ 0r 11/4 dowel stock insert it into the chuck about 3" deep tighten chuck jaws now when your on the last turn of the chuck thread you can hold the dowel and prevent the chuck from falling on your ways.
give it a try.

Regards
dgehricke

Art K:
Presumably this assumes you're using a threaded spindle? My lathe uses cam lock and if you tap the chuck it then hangs at a funny angle and I can (still) lift it off and swap chucks. Although usually when I pull off the 3 jaw I'm putting in the collet I don't use the 4 jaw much. This sounds like a great idea for a threaded one where you would need to take great care when it comes off. I must admit being somewhat spoiled, the guy I bought my lathe from made this nice mahogany piece that sits on the ways under the chuck and if you do drop it it falls on the (wood) brown stuff.
Art

Neil-Lickfold:
Yes a dowel or bar, that has some clearance on the spindle bore, makes putting on  and taking chucks off very easy in deed. And they are nicer to handle with a little bar each side as well. Especially the heavier 8 inch or so chucks. I have some 5/8 ali bar for the Myford chucks, and some 25mm ali bar for the import lathe.
 It greatly reduces the chance of dropping or having a chuck slip as well.
The best part is that the threads for the Myford are already quite close to alignment when putting the chuck on. I feel that long term it looks after the spindle threads and has to help  the chuck/backplate threads as well.
Neil

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