Do I wash(er) or not?

[Eric Gourieux]

I vaguely recall a discussion on this topic in the remote past, but I'll give it a go (again). I have been using a nylon washer on the spindle to keep my chucks from binding and getting stuck on the spindle. When I try to turn without the washer, I have to use a spanner wrench to remove the chuck. Well, my spanner wrench broke, so I'm revisiting the possibility of going washer-less. I'm not torquing the chuck onto the spindle, but it gets stuck while turning. Long ago, the proximal end of the spindle threads (closest to the headstock) was damaged by the set screw on a chuck. I probably tried removing the chuck without loosening the set screws. Who knows? Anyway, does anybody have a suggestion to keep the chucks from binding on the spindle? Or, should I continue to use the nylon washer and forget about it? My chucks seem to run true, so I don't appreciate any down side to using the washer. What are your thoughts?

[Aric Krueger]

If you want to go washer-less:
1) make sure the lathe is off
2) remove the turned piece from the chuck
3) tighten the the chuck jaws onto a board, such as a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" (2x2) piece about 8" long (or an old hammer handle)
4) lock the spindle (if your lathe is so equipped) or hold the spindle with a wrench
5) use the leverage of the handle grasped by the chuck jaws to remove the chuck

[Michelle Rich]

I have cut plywood "washers" and used for years..works fine

[charlie knighton]

when I first turned I used a washer, I do not now, I use a t-handle thingy in the set screw to remove the chuck

[Thom Sturgill]

IF you use a plastic/nylon washer be sure to examine it regularly to insure that it did not deform. I have seen washer induced 'wobble' where the washer had caught on the shoulder of the spindle and held the chuck off the end.

[John M. Smith]

I never use the washers. Causes wobble in chuck or faceplate.

[Eric Gourieux]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like I'm not alone.

Tom, that is a good point. I think it's time to replace my current washer - or make one.

Aric, that works fine IF you are ready to remove the piece from the chuck. When I run into difficulty is when I want to remove the chuck with the turned piece still chucked.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

IMO the washer could cause alignment problems in some applications, and lots of chatter, especially when I core. I don't use one amymore. One class I took, I asked about the washer, and his response is to tighten down the chuck on the spindle. Any of the methods above works. The problem with NOT tightening down the chuck, is the chuck can get hammered onto the spindle, and that hammering from being too loose causes the chuck to jam onto the spindle. Ever since I started torqueing the chuck onto the spindle, I've had only 1 time the chuck got stuck onto the spindle where I had to hit it with a mallet to get it off. Normally a quick hit with my hand will get it loose.

Visit garage sales and find one of those vintage thin "monkey wrenches". The pipe-wrench looking ones with smooth jaws. They open up big enough to grab the adapter nut, and at the same time they are short enough to be handy. That is what I use.

[Wally Dickerman]

I don't recommend using a washer. Lathes are designed to give best results with steel to steel. A washer will give not quite so solid a cut with the tool

The reason people have problems with stuck faceplates or chuck is that they don't tighten them securely enough. When the lathe is turned on the weight of the blank and the chuck snaps the chuck against the headstock....resulting in a stuck chuck or faceplate.

[Scott Hackler]

No washer for me either. I will apply a little oil (with my finger) on the mating surfaces ever once in a while. I haven't had a stuck chuck in a while.

[Frank Drew]

This is reassuring... I thought it was just me with washer induced runout.

[Thom Sturgill]

I don't use a washer either. I tighten and loosen by hand rotating the mounted piece and hitting the spindle lock button on my Jet 1642. The mechanism is solid enough at low speed not to be a problem and I've done this for years. Of course I generally turn smaller pieces, but the momentum has generally been enough to break the chuck loose. I've only had to use a wrench to remove a chuck two or three times, and at least one of those times I had sanding dust in the threads from prior work between centers. I now keep a small, stiff brush handy and check and clean the threads more often.

[John M. Smith]

Wally sid it much better than I. Totally agree with him.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

get a great big crescent wrench from Harbor Freight for $20 or so - use it on the flats of your chuck adapter, then lock the spindle. All it takes is a small amount of force to to remove the chuck with a big wrench.

[john taliaferro]

While sanding in reverse my chuck worked loose so i had the brilliant idea to switch in in to foward . I had to use Aric's board idea to unscrew it . Don't hammer on the chuck screw it will bend and bind the chuck [ 25.00 $] .