Anti-Seize on chuck jaw bolts?

petertha

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I had to reverse the jaws on my 6" Bison 3-jaw chuck. I knew the socket cap screws were darn tight as I attempted this once before with a T-handle hex & they wouldn't budge. I ended up finding a workaround at the time so delayed dealing with it. Anyway it today it had to be done & it required a good tug with about 12" extension on the hex key. The threads looked good, no galling or sign of thread retainer glue. I'm the original owner so my conclusion is either they gronk them at the factory or maybe they tighten up over time? I'd like to switch them more frequently & make some soft jaws. So my question is: should I use anti-seize compound or maybe smear of grease or? OTOH I don't want them to loosen either, so wondering what the best treatment is.
 
You're overthinking it. If you switch back and forth from soft to hard jaws, the bolts won't be in place long enough to seize.
 
I use mine dry and never had an issue with them. The factory probably used an impact gun to install the bolts.
 
I had to use a impact wrench to break loose the bolts on the new chuck I bought for Christmas. Got a chance to test out our (sons) new Dewalt 20 volt 1/2" impact wrench on them. Broke them loose and out like it was nothing. Nice! Works great for lug nuts on his truck, too.
Yeah, no need for using anti-seigh, unless you just want to sling the stuff all over the place. I usually make them up with a long arm allen wrench and maybe bump it a couple of times with a one pound chunk of brass I use to bump things when indicating stuff in on the chuck.
 
I have my jaw bolts out quite often. I only have one 3 jaw (8") on my bigger lathe and I frequently have to pull the bolts to flip the jaws or to use the soft jaws. I lube the thread / head face every few times - just using whatever lube is handy. Nothing slings off - it is down in the jaws.

Now we could talk about lube in the chuck scroll or pinions - that's a whole 'nother topic.
 
I had to use a impact wrench to break loose the bolts on the new chuck I bought for Christmas. Got a chance to test out our (sons) new Dewalt 20 volt 1/2" impact wrench on them. Broke them loose and out like it was nothing. Nice! Works great for lug nuts on his truck, too.
Yeah, no need for using anti-seize, unless you just want to sling the stuff all over the place. I usually make them up with a long arm allen wrench and maybe bump it a couple of times with a one pound chunk of brass I use to bump things when indicating stuff in on the chuck.
That is much the same as I have done it for nearly 60 years, never saw one galled, I use a long allen wrench and give them a whack with a lead hammer to loosen them and tighten them
 
I have my jaw bolts out quite often. I only have one 3 jaw (8") on my bigger lathe and I frequently have to pull the bolts to flip the jaws or to use the soft jaws. I lube the thread / head face every few times - just using whatever lube is handy. Nothing slings off - it is down in the jaws.

Now we could talk about lube in the chuck scroll or pinions - that's a whole 'nother topic.
It may indeed be another topic, but I just wait until the chuck needs service, take it all apart clean everything, and pack the back end with soft grease, and reassemble. So far as the scroll is concerned, a light smear of grease is all I do; best to be sparing with the grease or you get a dark stripe that is radial to the chuck across your shop. On some chucks that I have had, I drilled and tapped, and recessed 1/8" PT in the face of the chuck and drilled a hole to connect with the bearing of the scroll ring and cut a narrow groove around the bearing surface to channel the grease.
 
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