On Friday, October 19, 2018 at 3:15:08 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 10:42:20 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Hi All,

What is the correct way to lock up the spindle on a 10" Logan/Wards lathe so as to remove a chuck, or put one on?

It seems to me that the only way do do this is to engage the back gears without pulling the lock pin on the bull gear. It occurs to me that the danger in doing this when I spin the chuck on, or give it a little rap to remove it, is that I am putting that same force on the teeth of the bull gear or the back gears.

This is an old lathe, and I've already lost two teeth on the bull gear over the years, so I would like to find a better way to lock the spindle.. Are there any accessories or hardware solutions that are "bolt on" options for the Logan lathe?

Thanks,

Dan

Thanks all!

I guess I'll just have to be careful. For the record, I never spin the chucks on under power. Usually I thread them carefully, then give it a quick spin by hand for the last 1/4 turn or so. Maybe I'll just seat it gently by hand.

As for removal, I usually put the key wrench in the side and pull. I've never had to bang hard on them, but if the chuck doesn't come off easily, I'll do as suggested and use a crescent wrench in some hex stock.

I do wish there were a relatively easy way to lock up the spindle without putting force on the teeth. One thing that could possibly work is a wood piece that fits in above the bull gear and wedges between the front and back of the head-stock casting. There would be a semi-circle of wood covering the top half of the bull gear. But I would use some epoxy to case "teeth" into that part that mate with the bull gear and hold it fast. That way, the force would be distributed over many teeth. I don't know if it's worth the effort though, or if it will work, but it would have the advantage that I could "index" my spindle by pulling out the block and rotating it by one or more teeth.

Thanks again for the advice.
Dan

Interesting idea, but probably unnecessary, as its the shock that breaks teeth, not (usually) a steady load. Scott Logan suggested (for very stuck chucks) placing a longish length of 2x4 between jaws and steadily pulling on the end of the 2x4. The danger here is having too much leverage and tipping the lathe over. In extreme cases, you'll need to secure the lathe.