My crown drive got stuck in the spindle

[Andy's Shed]

What a bl**dy pain in the rear that was. I was working on a bowl (which has since bust) and I went to take the crown drive out of the spindle, the knockout bar didn't want to budge it, so I tapped it with a small hammer, still not having it.

I took the plastic end off the knockout bar and threaded on a couple of nuts to protect the thread, walloped it with my mallet and it still wouldn't budge. Next were the mole grips and although I could slightly spin the crown drive, I just couldn't remove it.

Ok, I was beginning to get worried, a new lathe with MT2 and an MT2 drive firmly stuck. The next step was the girt big hammer It worked thank goodness!

I now have a messed up Charnwood crown drive that I have no confidence in using again, even if it wasn't all chewed up by the mole grips.

I think it's time to get a drive that fits into my chuck.

 

[Andy's Shed]

This seems quite reasonable Model Engineering and engineering tools online from RDG Tools Ltd Home Page (Engineering Tools) Tel 01422 885069 /884605

 

[niall Y]

That RDG one doesn't seem to have a Morse taper on it. Though you could grip it in a chuck, if you have one.
Some centres, such as those sold by Axminster, have a central section of the Morse taper recessed. This I assume is to reduce the area in contact in the socket of the lathe, and hence make it a bit easier to remove.

 

[Stigmorgan]

I think many have had the same issue including me, this is why I now put my drive centre in the chuck, I almost never take my chuck off the lathe.

 

[Andy's Shed]

I've just searched through the forum and read a comment it suggested a morse taper drive could be held in a chuck. I've just tried my crown drive and it does seem to fit OK. I won't know for sure how well it grips in the chuck until I try turning something.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That RDG one doesn't seem to have a Morse taper on it. Though you could grip it in a chuck, if you have one.

The OP did say he wanted one to fit his chuck.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The Steb has an area in front of the taper that is cylindrical so will fit between jaws.

 

[Andy's Shed]

I've just ordered one from RDG, using a loyalty code that Phil posted a while back in another thread. Cheers Phil

 

[Robbo3]

All the mating parts of a Morse taper should be clean & dry.
I obviously failed to clean mine thoroughly when I got a new lathe & had to revert to a 4lb lump hammer after a 2 1/2lb lump hammer failed to shift it.
Yes you can hold a drive centre in your chuck. I do it regularly out of laziness but the Pro's do it for speed (quick change from drive to chuck).

 

[cally60]

The RDG crown drives are available with morse tapers

 

[Andy's Shed]

All the mating parts of a Morse taper should be clean & dry.
I obviously failed to clean mine thoroughly when I got a new lathe & had to revert to a 4lb lump hammer after a 2 1/2lb lump hammer failed to shift it.
Yes you can hold a drive centre in your chuck. I do it regularly out of laziness but the Pro's do it for speed (quick change from drive to chuck).

I tried spraying some WD40 into the morse taper yesterday, I'll go and check and make sure it's clean and dry shortly.

As I was turning a bowl yesterday, I needed to adjust the tailstock live centre a few times as the wood was slipping and at the time I presumed this was because the live centre was digging further into the green(ish) wood. I suspect that what actually happened was that the crown drive was moving further into the morse taper in the spindle.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's not usual to you centre drives when turning bowls, you should be using a chuck or a faceplate.
Once an MT is dead in the spindle it won't go any deeper.

 

[Andy's Shed]

I thought I'd be OK Phil, it was only a small bowl, but perhaps I'd have been better off using a worm screw in the chuck.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Get yourself a copy of -
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/woodturning-a-foundation-course/author/rowley-keith/newer editions have a DVD, loads available second hand.

 

[clogs]

Andy, thats still useable just not so pretty......

it's not unusual to get a taper moving with a brass drift and a heavy ended stick.....
it's the nature of the beast.....just a bit scary the first couple of times.....
one of my metal lathes has a No5 morse taper.....and they really get stuck......hahaha.....
and no I never use anything on the shaft, to work well they need to be dry....

but for ordinary folk, the best is a chuck and straight drive....

I often have to hold a smaller chuck in my big'un, 16", when I want to do smaller work.....looks weired but it works...
on big machines with morse taper's, it's quite normal to use a long bolt to crank up the pressure on the taper.....

 

[Andy's Shed]

Get yourself a copy of -
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/woodturning-a-foundation-course/author/rowley-keith/newer editions have a DVD, loads available second hand.

Ordered, thanks Phil.

Andy, thats still useable just not so pretty......

it's not unusual to get a taper moving with a brass drift and a heavy ended stick.....
it's the nature of the beast.....just a bit scary the first couple of times.....
one of my metal lathes has a No5 morse taper.....and they really get stuck......hahaha.....
and no I never use anything on the shaft, to work well they need to be dry....

but for ordinary folk, the best is a chuck and straight drive....

I often have to hold a smaller chuck in my big'un, 16", when I want to do smaller work.....looks weired but it works...
on big machines with morse taper's, it's quite normal to use a long bolt to crank up the pressure on the taper.....

Thanks Clogs.

 

[Robbo3]

I tried spraying some WD40 into the morse taper yesterday, I'll go and check and make sure it's clean and dry shortly.

As I was turning a bowl yesterday, I needed to adjust the tailstock live centre a few times as the wood was slipping and at the time I presumed this was because the live centre was digging further into the green(ish) wood. I suspect that what actually happened was that the crown drive was moving further into the morse taper in the spindle.

Good for making sure the Morse tapers, both male & female, are clean & dry.
I agree that the tailstock centre needs tightening for the drive centre to maintain its drive. The softer & punkier the wood the more often you have to check.
Despite what Phil says, I nearly always start a bowl or hollow form blank between centres, roughing it down & turning a tenon before transferring to a chuck.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That you do it doesn't make it usual.