MACH 118: Lathe & Mill 1

Lathe Workholding
OBJECTIVES tab
After completing this unit, you should be able to…

 Explain the uses and care of independent and

universal chucks.
 Explain the limitations and advantages of collets
and describe a collet setup.
 Explain the use of a face driver or drive center.
 Explain the uses and differences of drive plates
and face plates.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Lathe Spindle Nose
 The lathe spindle nose is the carrier for a variety of work-holding
devices, fastened to it in several ways.
 The spindle is hollow and has an internal Morse taper at the nose end,
which makes possible the use of taper shank drills or drill chucks.
 This internal taper is also used to hold live centers, drive centers, or collet
assemblies.

Fig. I-107 Section view of the spindle.

LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Lathe Spindle Nose
 The outside of the spindle nose can have either a
threaded nose (Fig. I-108), a long taper with key drive
(Fig. I-109), or a camlock (Fig. I-110).
 Threaded spindle noses are used mostly on older lathes.
 The chuck or face plate is screwed on a coarse
right-hand thread until it is tight.
 The tapered key drive spindle nose relies on the
principle that a tapered fit will always repeat its original
position.
 The key gives additional driving power.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Lathe Spindle Nose
Fig. I-109 Long taper with key
drive spindle nose.

Fig. I-108 Threaded spindle nose. Fig. I-110

Camlock spindle nose.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Lathe Spindle Nose
 Two disadvantages of the threaded spindle nose:
 The spindle cannot be rotated in reverse against a load.

 It is sometimes difficult to remove a chuck or face plate.

Fig. I-111
The chuck can be removed by using a large monkey
wrench on one of the chuck jaws while the spindle is
locked in a low gear.

A long steel bar may also be used between the jaws. The
knockout bar should never be used to remove a chuck, as
it is too light and will bend.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Lathe Spindle Nose

 All spindle noses and their mating parts must

be carefully cleaned before assembly.
 Small chips or grit will cause a work-holding
device to run out of true and be damaged.
 A spring cleaner is used on mating threads for
threaded spindles.

Fig. I-112 A spring cleaner is

used for cleaning internal
threads on chucks.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Independent Chucks
 Independent four-jaw & universal three-jaw chucks
are mounted on the spindle nose of engine lathes.
 Each of the four jaws moves independently of the others,
which makes it possible to set up oddly shaped pieces.

Fig. I-113 Four-jaw independent chuck

holding an offset rectangular part.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Independent Chucks

 Concentric rings on the chuck

face help set the work true.
 Each jaw of the chuck can
be removed & reversed to
accommodate irregular
shapes.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Independent Chucks
 Some types are fitted with top jaws that can be
reversed when bolts on the jaw are removed, to grip
larger-diameter workpieces.
 The independent chuck will hold
work more securely for heavy
cutting than the three-jaw
universal chuck.

Fig. I-114 Four-jaw chuck in reverse position

holding a large-diameter workpiece.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks
 Universal chucks usually have three jaws, but some are
made with two jaws, or six jaws.
 All the jaws are moved in or out equally in their slides by means
of a scroll plate located in back of the jaws.

Fig. I-115 Two-jaw universal chuck. Fig. I-116 Six-jaw universal chuck.
(Courtesy of Hardinge Inc.) (Courtesy of Buck Chuck Company)
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks
 The scroll plate has a bevel gear on its reverse side
that is driven by a pinion gear.
 Universal chucks provide quick and
simple chucking and centering of
round stock.
 Uneven or irregularly shaped
material will damage them.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks

 The jaws of universal chucks will not reverse, so a

separate set of reverse jaws is used to hold larger
diameter pieces.
 The chuck & each of its
jaws are stamped with
identification numbers.

Fig. I-118 Universal three-jaw chuck (Adjust-tru)

with a set of outside jaws (Courtesy of Buck Chuck
Company).
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks

Removing & Replacing Jaws

LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks

 A universal chuck with top

jaws is reversed by removing
the bolts in the top jaws &
reversing them.
 They must be carefully
cleaned when this is done.
 Soft top jaws are frequently
used when special gripping
problems arise.
Fig. I-119 Universal chuck with top jaws.
(Courtesy of Haas Automation, Inc.)
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Universal Chucks
(machinable or soft jaws)
 Because the jaws are machined to fit the shape of the
part they can grip it securely for heavy cuts.
 A disadvantage is loss of
accuracy when the scroll
& jaws wear.
 Normally there is no
compensation for wear
other than re-machining
the jaws.

Fig. I-120 Machining soft jaws to fit an oddly

shaped workpiece on a jaw turning fixture.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Independent And Universal Chucks

 The three-jaw adjustable chuck

shown here has a compensating
adjustment for wear or misalignment.

Fig. I-121 Universal chuck (Adjust-tru) with special adjustment feature (G)
makes it possible to compensate for wear (Courtesy of Buck Chuck Company).
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab

Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 Drive plates are used together with lathe dogs
to drive work mounted between centers.
 The live center fits into
the spindle taper and
turns with the spindle.
 A sleeve is sometimes
used if the spindle taper
is too large in diameter
to fit the center. Fig. I-123 Drive plate for turning between centers.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab

Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 To machine the entire length of work mounted between
centers without the interference of a lathe dog, special
drive centers or face drivers can also be used to machine
a part without interference.
 Quite heavy cuts are possible
with these drivers, especially
for manufacturing purposes.

Fig. I-125 Face driver is mounted in headstock spindle, and work

is driven by the drive pins that surround the dead center.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 Unlike drive plates that have only slots, face plates

have T slots and are more heavily built.
 Face plates are made
of cast iron & so must
be operated at relatively
slow speeds.
 If the speed is too high,
the face plate could fly
apart.

Fig. I-126 T-slot face plate. Workpieces are clamped

on the plate with T-bolts and strap clamps.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 Collet chucks are accurate work-holding device, used in

producing small high-precision parts.
 Steel spring collets are available for holding & turning
hexagonal, square, and round workpieces.
 They are made in specific sizes with a range of only
a few thousandths of an inch.

Fig. I-127 Side and end views of a

spring collet for round work.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 An adapter called a collet

sleeve is fitted into the
spindle taper & a draw
bar inserted in the spindle
at the opposite end. Fig. I-128 Cross section of spindle showing
construction of draw-in collet chuck attachment.

 The collet is placed in the adapter and

the draw bar is rotated, which threads
the collet into the taper and closes it.
– Never tighten a collet without a
workpiece in its jaws, as this will
damage it.
LATHE SPINDLE TOOLING tab
Other Chucks And Chuck Components

 The rubber flex collet has a set of tapered steel bars

mounted in rubber.
 It has a much wider range than
the spring collet, each collet
having a range of about 1/8 in.

Fig. I-129 Rubber flex

collet.
Review
 Describe the purpose and advantages of:
 3 jaw chuck
 4-jaw chuck
 Collet chuck
 What is a face plate and how is it used?
 What three types of spindle noses are found on lathes?
 Which type of spindle nose is not suited for reverse turning?
 Which type of spindle nose is most common?
 What type of taper is found on the common lathe spring collet?
 Which type of chuck has the most holding power relative to the others?
Internet Resources tab

Information on lathe spindle tooling:

http://www.workholding.com
http://www.buckchuckusa.com
http://www.royalprod.com