stuck keyless chuck

[Del ZimmerParticipant @delzimmer56288]

[Del ZimmerParticipant @delzimmer56288]

I have a 3/8 (10 mm) keyless chuck acquired at a yard sale a couple years ago. It is a LEO HJORT (c/w the jumping reindeer) made in DENMARK. Nice looking, nicely finished, not a mark or a spot of rust on it. If it has been used its been very little. And it is Jammed open. So whenever I was feeling too optimistic about things in general I would try to unjam it. Thus far this is what I have tried (some more than once): holding it in the vise by the mt2 arbor tang (masking tape) and seizing with both hands. No luck and I'm no weakling. A couple layers of masking tape, a piece of rad hose and big water pump pliers, I stopped before twisting the tang.I filled it with acetone/auto trans fluid mix and left it for a couple weeks, again with the rad hose and pump pliers. Still nothing, it shouldn't be this tight. So I heated it with a small propane torch – not enough to discolor it but it did make my homemade penetrating oil boil and still not a whisker of movement. I am a little leery of pressing it apart with the jaws open to the max. I always thought a chuck should be pretty much closed before introducing it to the press. So having used all my wits and most of my optimism and before resorting to brutal methods or metal surgery I thought I would ask for advice on how to unjam it. Where are these chucks on the quality ladder? I Googled the name and though it does come up there is precious little on it. So far it is still jammed open and I am humble. Del.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Do you know for sure if the hood is right or left hand thread ? I guess you have tried both ways.

Emgee

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Have a look on PracticalMachinist here:- **LINK**

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

Does it have a separate shank? I locked up a keyless chuck by pressing the shank into the chuck. It expanded the chuck body enough to lock it.

[Allan BParticipant @allanb]

Have you tried a product called “plusgas” it is great for us sticking just about anything, as penitrating fluid goes its not the cheapest, but from experience it’s the best one I have ever used.

Just for information I tend to refurbish old motorbikes for come across lots of stuck bolts and spindles.

Allan

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Colloidal graphite might do it

It's weird stuff and seems to "migrate" along metal, I thin mine out with 75% car engine oil and have used it on quite a few "knackered" jobs with 100% success so far

Give it a few days with tougher jobs, so it can penetrate properly

A well known site sells it in 3/4 litre jugs

Edited By Ady1 on 07/02/2017 11:24:51

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

locked up chuck,perhaps thats why someone put it in the yard sale!!!, plus gas is good for penetrating but may not be available everywhere,so put some diesel in a glass or plastic container and soak the chuck in the diesel fuel for a long time i.e. several weeks. don't use a tin with seams diesel will find it way through a seam.

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Del,

I have sent you a PM please check your messages The INBOX button on the green strip at the top should be flashing.

Eric

[Del ZimmerParticipant @delzimmer56288]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll respond in the order they were posted. I have tried turning it both ways-stuck solid. Looked at the Practical Machinist link. Good solution but this LEO HJORT is not like an Albrecht, not on the outside. The hood is one solid piece, no snap rings or retaining rings or I would have had them off. Looking inside with a light and mag glass I can see no way in, which tells me it has to be pressed apart and I am leery to do that with the jaws in the fully open position. It has a separate shank. That will be my next move. Make up a couple split wedges and remove the shank. I am in BC, Canada. Can't get "plusgas here. I have tried my fav. penetrating spray which is called Inox, no result. Straight diesel I have not tried yet, I have lots of that stuff. Colloidal graphite I have not tried yet, I think molyslip at the auto parts store has that ingredient, worth a try. I think this is a mechanical type jammup,ie not from corrosion. This chuck is as clean as a whistle, looks like new. I would like to find an agent for LEO HJORT and maybe find out the secret to disassembly. There must be one it went together once. Still jammed and still humble, Del.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

So going to the "Brute Force and Ignorance" stage, how about this? It can be argued that so far you haven't got much to lose.

lay the chuck on a hard surface, and then start tapping with a mallet as the chuck body is rotated.

(Presumably, towards the arbor end, since that is where most chucks have the thread that drives the jaws).

If after one session of tapping and rotation, the chuck is still stuck, repeat using a little more force.

This is not advocating a 2 lb hammer swung with maximum force!

The idea is to slightly distort the body temporarily, which may free it off (ie break any rust or other bond between the jaws and the adjusting thread. Lets hope that no one has lubricated with anything like Loctite).

Hopefully, this will free things off enough that it can be moved. Once moved it can be oiled and the oil worked in by opening and closing, to free it off properly.

Howard

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Del,

These instructions are for Jacobs, not LEO HJORT … but they may be of interest: **LINK**

http://www.jacobschuck.com/keyless-precision-chuck-repair-guide

Unfortunately; I note that the first instruction is:

"Turn Jaws to fully close position."

MichaelG.

[Del ZimmerParticipant @delzimmer56288]

Further to my adventure with this stuck chuck 06/02/17. Eric sent me a link and pictures of the old style Albrect chuck which is a dead ringer to my Leo Hjort. I had not seen an older style Albrect before or a new one either for that matter. So I followed the instructions (aluminum split clamps) and took it apart.Once I started to dissasemble I was able to close it. I think it was a lubrication issue coupled with being opened all the way under power. So now it works good and still looks like new. Thanks for all the suggestions. Still humble but no longer stuck. Del.

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