Can't remove chuck from flange (mini-lathe)

Are there any jacking bolt holes that are threaded for pushing it loose?
Try a bit of packing between headstock and studnut and a wedge to push apart
 
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Ok, I guess I wasn't stupid after all?

I tried hammering it... all over, repeatedly. No go... I hammered so hard that the manufacture's name-plate of the chuck came right off! Yet the chuck refuses to budge.

I even tried to place a sharp knife between the flange and the chuck and hammer that in... no luck.

There are some extra holes on the flange, so I put some metal rods through those holes so they are touching the back end of the chuck, then hammered the rods... STILL refuses to budge!

I don't dare smack this thing any harder or I"ll do warping/permanent damage.

I am so confused... is it ever this hard to remove a damn chuck off a flange?!

I am so desperate I am spraying WD-40 between the crease of the flange and chuck in the hopes of a miracle.

I wonder if some sick chinese employee used loctite as some sort of joke as a way of getting back at his over-worked & underpaid slave-job in that mud-filled hut of his overseas. LOL!

Anyone got yet ANOTHER idea here?
 
I just edited my post above. If jacking doesn't work get a hot air gun and try heating the chuck away from the flange whilst maintaining some tension on the studs so it pushes off.
There may be some softseal coating holding them together

apologies to Mark, he's already mentioned heat.
 
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If those are lock washers they may have upset the metal around the studs causing it to grip the studs. Don't use lock washers.

I took a closer look again, after some more failed hammering. It does indeed look like they used lock-washers. Curious to hear their side of the story for this...

Well, I'm off to waste my time with a hair-dryer for now... until something else comes along. LOL.
 
Alright, we have a... PARTIAL SUCCESS.... and it only took till 3 am in the morning.

I now have a mm or more of play between the flange and the chuck. So if there was a seal, it is now broken. I had to use over a foot of leverage with a metal roundbar tightened into the chuck and put lots of pressure on it back and forth.

Though it's only a partial success.. I still can't get the damn chuck off! LMAO.

The bolts, even with the nuts off seem to be wedged in there so tight! I don't know how the hell they got the chuck into there... force-pressed? I don't know how I'll even manage to ever get the chuck back in if I need to after I'm done with my collets. This is just bizarre.

I'm just waiting for the heated metal to cool down now, and I'll try to pry around some more... my arm is a little over-worked and needs rest too. I must be getting old!
 
Does your spindle have a hole all the way through if so clamp something in the chuck tight then slide a rod or brass drift all the way through to butt up against what ever you clamp into the the chuck then give the drift a whack .this will be a more central blow and will tend to drive the chuck of square .the way your doing it now could possible be cocking the chuck of one way causing issues with studs etc binding .
 
I really like that suggestion Moper, but seems we can skip that. I was able to finally get the sucker off tonight. When I went back, I tried flexing the chuck one side to another grabbing the inserted round-bar, and after a breif moment, it suddenly POPPED off in a fraction of a second and fell on the ways. Luckily I had some wood laying there in advance.

So for now... 100% success. Who thought the simple act of changing a chuck would be such a learning experience. Ohh, I noticed some brownish staining between the flange where it was pressed against the chuck. Unless that was some interesting lubrication before hand... I'm going to guess iron-oxide.
 
The_Apprentice said:
I really like that suggestion Moper, but seems we can skip that. I was able to finally get the sucker off tonight. When I went back, I tried flexing the chuck one side to another grabbing the inserted round-bar, and after a breif moment, it suddenly POPPED off in a fraction of a second and fell on the ways. Luckily I had some wood laying there in advance.

So for now... 100% success. Who thought the simple act of changing a chuck would be such a learning experience. Ohh, I noticed some brownish staining between the flange where it was pressed against the chuck. Unless that was some interesting lubrication before hand... I'm going to guess iron-oxide.
Click to expand...
Might be the preservation oil as that tends to stain.Anyway atleast its off
 
Well done, now I want to see it all go back together with a perfect fitup.
 
Yay! Sweet success. You might, before you go to remount the chuck again, want to measure the chuck and flange and possibly remove a tiny amount of material to make the chuck easier to re-install. A little bit of polishing with emery cloth may be enough. You still want a tight fit, just not a bonecrushingly tight one.
Mark
 
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