Operating Instructions for a Lathe Chuck
- 1
Side view of a chuck showing the insertion port for a chuck key.lathe image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
Insert the chuck key into one of the ports on the outer surfaces of the chuck jaws until the opening is large enough to accept your work piece. With a manual chuck, this can be done by opening one jaw at a time, or just one jaw. - 2
A typical chuck key shown to the right of the drill bit.drill bit, chuck key image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
Begin to tighten the jaws with the chuck key until the chuck lightly grabs your item so it does not fall. - 3). Insert the chuck key in one of the insertion points on the outside of the jaws and tighten slightly. Remove the key and insert it in the next jaw. Rotate the chuck by hand, tightening each jaw alternately until the work piece is held firmly. (With a scroll chuck this is not necessary as all the jaws are connected internally and will close or open uniformly using a single insertion point for the chuck key.)
- 4). Rotate the chuck by hand around a full 360 degrees, checking for the wobble of the work. If the item wobbles, your cuts will not be true. Loosen the jaws, and reposition the piece until it is properly centered in the chuck. Use caution to ensure clearance all around the work, especially if the piece is irregularly shaped
