Great series Howie. I'm an old retired machinist and hobby out of my garage these days but you are doing the young a big favor. i also pass my info on to others as one day i will be gone to the rust yard ! Keep up the great work .
I have to disagree that leaving the chuck key in the chuck is ok if the machine is off and/or the machine is in neutral. Leaving the key in the chuck is AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! Why take the chance when it’s only a second to stow that key in a safe place. I like what Abom79 has on the lathes in his home shop. I think he said his dad welded a section of tubing of the appropriate size to the top cover of the headstocks. Use the key, remove it from chuck, drop into storage tube. Quick, easy, and you know where to reach for the key the next time you need it - if it’s not there, 😂you know you messed up. Don’t turn anything on until you find that chuck key. I’ve left the chuck key in my drill press chuck more than once. Then I started to use the hole in the table clamp thoughtfully provided by King Seely (I’m old!) in the top table clamp. I got myself into the habit of looking at the chuck key hole and verifying the chuck key is home BEFORE turning on the power. I really am enjoying your series on working machine tools. Especially appreciated your recent tips on polishing and filing on lathe workpieces. I’m a retired mechanical engineer and worked designing parts that were made in our very very large machine shop. The machine shop management didn’t want the engineers in the shop until the shop needed the engineer. One of the leader’s motto was, “If you can draw it, we can make it.” That was generally true - until it wasn’t. Then you better get your butt into that shop like 10 minutes ago. What got me on the right side of that particular shop leader was the time he called me to the shop on my first all-by-myself job. Like most young engineers, my design was over-dimensioned with too-tight tolerances for the conditions the part would be used for. Don went thru the concerns he had with my design, ending with, “Well Steve, what have you got to say for yourself?” My reply made him a friend in the machine shop for the rest of my time in that job. “I f***ed up…” You should have seen the look on his face. I was the first young engineer who admitted I was wrong. Don put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Come into my office and let’s go over this job. Tell me how you plan to use the part, I’ll you what tolerances we can hold & where we need some relief. We’ll get this knocked out for you in good time. After that, I would sit down with the shop guys and go over my design while it was still in the planning stage. I also got the best service out of the shop of any of the engineers having work done there. There were plenty of engineers who got into fights with the shop on every job because their designs were perfect and the shop must have been. full of dummies.
I'm an engineer in Lithography, mechanical, electrical, heavy rigging, travel the world and my family has been in the industry for over 100 years. (Not as engineers, but as shop owners.) I've recently had to setup my own machine shop, because I also design machinery and we need it for part modifications, and things that come in we have no time to wait for the parts to be made. What I appreciate about your video here, I'M NOT FROM, your industry. But I am NOW, in a small way, running my own machine shop. I don't know these things! Yes, I have a brain, i do very dangerous work, but such videos are invaluable services to mankind. You want to hear about arms getting ripped off in my industry..... well, I unfortunately know too many. Not but a few years back, a young Guatemalan running a large Heidelberg Press, (which subsequently was 5 times smaller than the 1 I was putting in, but still HUGE) pulled the kids arm off at the shoulder. Didn't cut it off, YANKED it, right off his body. I got a call from the fire department once, because a high school kid was up to his shoulder in a large Heidelberg. Right between to massive cylinders that were bearer to bearer. They said, "we have the jaws of life." if it weren't so serious, we would have laughed. Told them they could just go put those right back where they got em. They aren't spreading apart sheet metal. For that one, they brought the surgeon in to remove his arm right on the shop floor. He gave them a certain number of minutes or he was going to start. That is when we instructed how to release the machine, and roll him back out the way he came. (Which is NOT something you would normally want to do, I'm not a doctor, but I understand that causes many times more injury than going in the first time.) He lost his arm from above the Elbow. After which, every Lithography program in the state of Ohio shut down, never to be again. (At least with equipment.) And the equipment that we ran at the turn of the century, much is still used for some things, and there are NO GUARDS on that stuff. I will NOT add, ANY safety equipment to machinery that already exists, electrically or mechanically. Because the 2nd I make the 1st change, all liability now becomes mine. Which is sad to be honest. But thats the litigating society in which we live. I have always had long hair, more than half way down my back. These factories try and tell me how to wear it. I tell them, "YOU invited me, I did not ask to come, I do NOT fall under you employee handbook or safety requirements and will NOT argue your safety procedures either. But I WILL decide how, and where, and when, to put my hair in a ponytail, a braid, or let it hang, or tuck it under a hat. Because YOUR POLICY could get somebody killed. You think my hair in a ponytail is good? That would snap my neck, smash my brains out, or descalp me and kill me. You are MUCH better off to tuck it away, or be careful and let it hang, worse case, you loose a CLUMP. Then I get the dumb look. I've not been injured yet, well, at least not worse than it took 3 guys and a mop 2 hours to clean up all the blood.
Had to replace motor on my lathe. Used a 3 phase programmable drive. It's only 1 HP small lathe drive controller inverter $99. Motor 3 phase was $259. The point is I have it programmed to roll slowly at start then go on to full speed. A key left in Chuck just falls into chip tray. Can run 3 Hz to 72 Hz.
Never leave the key in the Chuck. Put a safety spring on the key to push it out of the chuck if you tend to forget. It will surely fly off on a bad day and the hit will be strong enough to break your skull.
I work on a large machine in Lithography. The Crank handle for various things, has an inner steel ball, with a heavy spring behind it. This way you ahve to push to engage it into the roll pin to turn the machine. Well..... I can't be pushing on that handle all day doing engineering. It is for operators mostly. But let me tell you, I have a few times forgot it was engaged, and luckily it didn't get me. Because it would come right around and snap your leg clean in 2 pieces. That motor, gearing and steel castings wouldn't know it but had hit a fly.
The machine shop at our local community College has a 1/2 hole in the metal decking 15 ft up where allegedly someone turned on the lathe with the key in. The first instruction which was given to us when we were beening introduced to lathe machining was to not leave the key in the chuck
I bought a new chuck and it came with a key. The key has a spring on the shaft which is just strong enough to push the key out of its hole. Bit of a bugger but I realised it’s safety potential. I am a newly!
Just found your channel....worked at Carrier in syracuse for 15 yrs till they moved out....ran all kinds of lathes,drills, grinders,etc....was 24 yrs old....we were stupid and fearless....the things you can do with an old turret lathe..lol
I have enjoyed much of your content. There is one reason to leave the key in the chuck. The chuck is uninstalled and you clamp the key in it to keep it from getting lost.
My professor made us provide coffee for everyone who left the key inside the chuck for any reason. Even if you were setting up your dials for centering the 4 jaw.
I'll always remember the story of a guy working on his lathe late at night on a remote Scottish Island. His long hair got caught in the lathe, and he said he braced himself with all his might as his hair was ripped from his scalp..........finshed by saying , " he always cringes when he hears velcro" Tiredness, loose hair, loose clothing, deadlines and more stand in the way of common sense and patience. Stay safe...
I always put the machine in neutral before doing any unclamp/ clamp. I mostly run CNC now so have a different set of safety concerns but on a manual lathe for sure,
Leaving the chuck wrench in the lathe? Pray to God that someone else does not come in and start the machine. The headstock is not for tool storage. I had the chuck wrench slide off the headstock, bounce off the quick-change box cover and land on the start/stop lever and start the machine. Like the wrench in the chuck, it only has to happen once to kill you.
Thank you for this and a great reminder on safety. The lathe scares me but i respect it and there are some handy tips to add to my tool box on safety in the workshop environment.
rule number 1 no long sleeves or ties when working on the lathe learned that at boys tech in Milwaukee ( two blocks long machine shop in the mach shop capital of the world in 1962 )
One of the more important things, I think, is to have a simple routine and always respect the force, speed and workings limits of the machines. That means being a little scared is ok ! I'm an electrician, but these things hold for a great many trades...
Yep I admit I have left the key in the chuck and turned the machine on. I was incredibly lucky the key didn't jam or hit anybody when it flung out, gave me a hell of a fright, felt like a complete idiot, never did it again and I tell everybody not to try it themselves. You are equally right about checking the speed, I've not been bitten but its easy to be x10 out. Mine is only a medium size lathe hobby lathe and that's scary enough.
The one made in 1996 will turn on with the clutch engaged, the 2016 has a safety switch, that requires neutral. Most lathes I have been around do not have such a switch.
While in college I was a ta for a machine shop and there was dumb a that on 5 different occasions left the chuck key in the chuck while turning on the lathe. Didn't hurt anyone and more or less just dropped but still, 5 times
The sleeves aren't a big deal,, not every shop is climate controlled. Just be mindful about it and roll them up when you need to get intimate with the machine/part. Same goes for gloves.
@@onedeep6460okay you can work in an unheated shop if you want but do not spread bad practices that could lead to people getting hurt. Never wear gloves except for disposable vinyl type. Any loose clothing at all is unacceptable shopkoats get wrapped up in lead screws and long sleeves but only if you run a CNC with functioning interlocks ha!
Lathes are not created equal. Some control the motor with the clutch lever, some don’t have clutch levers, I have also ran a Cincinnati hydraulically driven lathe and it might of been a Warner & Swasey turret hydraulic driven lathe. Because of so many different controls and possibilities; festering a bad habit like leaving a key in a chuck is a common denominator for an accident. Your friend that smashed his hand…had the key in the chuck… if you had taught him to not do that he woulda avoided that. What about the apprentice that is hung over or the apprentice in a rush in the afternoon to finish the job so he can go meet up with buddies or a pretty lady? When a chuck is off a lathe then the key can sit in there so you don’t loose it, but that’s because there is no machine to spin it to make it dangerous…
I think there was a doofus that debunked the "chuck-key" in the chuck myth. Wandel or something? The key will just fell out and drop to the floor. But don't take MY word for it. I personally don't see a need to try it - I'm just saying what the guy said (and showed). But is long sleeves like wearing a bath-robe (like this guy is doing) really according to "best practice"?
Yes, Matthias Wandel also made video about chuck-key leaving in. He ran his lathe and it was safe to run lathe with chuck key in the chuck 😂 ua-cam.com/video/n-YAWpAmioQ/v-deo.html
Only true for traditional chuck keys. My Forkardt 3F+ 3-jaw has a long ass key that goes into a pocket with a hex shaft inside it to turn it. It wouldn't spit the key out if i ever forgot it before turning the spindle on, it would just smash into the gap piece
Watching you in loose long sleeves made me cringe. Sticking a chuck key in the chuck and leaving it was also kinda cringe because that can become a flying projectile ...
The sleeves aren't a problem, not every shop is climate controlled. Just be mindful about it and roll them up when you need to get intimate with the machine/part. Same with gloves. I agree about leaving the chuck key in the chuck. Didn't make sense no matter how much he tried to justify.
Great series Howie. I'm an old retired machinist and hobby out of my garage these days but you are doing the young a big favor. i also pass my info on to others as one day i will be gone to the rust yard ! Keep up the great work .
I have to disagree that leaving the chuck key in the chuck is ok if the machine is off and/or the machine is in neutral.
Leaving the key in the chuck is AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! Why take the chance when it’s only a second to stow that key in a safe place. I like what Abom79 has on the lathes in his home shop. I think he said his dad welded a section of tubing of the appropriate size to the top cover of the headstocks. Use the key, remove it from chuck, drop into storage tube. Quick, easy, and you know where to reach for the key the next time you need it - if it’s not there, 😂you know you messed up. Don’t turn anything on until you find that chuck key.
I’ve left the chuck key in my drill press chuck more than once. Then I started to use the hole in the table clamp thoughtfully provided by King Seely (I’m old!) in the top table clamp. I got myself into the habit of looking at the chuck key hole and verifying the chuck key is home BEFORE turning on the power.
I really am enjoying your series on working machine tools. Especially appreciated your recent tips on polishing and filing on lathe workpieces.
I’m a retired mechanical engineer and worked designing parts that were made in our very very large machine shop. The machine shop management didn’t want the engineers in the shop until the shop needed the engineer. One of the leader’s motto was, “If you can draw it, we can make it.” That was generally true - until it wasn’t. Then you better get your butt into that shop like 10 minutes ago. What got me on the right side of that particular shop leader was the time he called me to the shop on my first all-by-myself job. Like most young engineers, my design was over-dimensioned with too-tight tolerances for the conditions the part would be used for.
Don went thru the concerns he had with my design, ending with, “Well Steve, what have you got to say for yourself?”
My reply made him a friend in the machine shop for the rest of my time in that job. “I f***ed up…”
You should have seen the look on his face. I was the first young engineer who admitted I was wrong.
Don put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Come into my office and let’s go over this job. Tell me how you plan to use the part, I’ll you what tolerances we can hold & where we need some relief. We’ll get this knocked out for you in good time.
After that, I would sit down with the shop guys and go over my design while it was still in the planning stage. I also got the best service out of the shop of any of the engineers having work done there. There were plenty of engineers who got into fights with the shop on every job because their designs were perfect and the shop must have been. full of dummies.
I’m getting my first lathe very soon a 1946 southbend
Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
I'm an engineer in Lithography, mechanical, electrical, heavy rigging, travel the world and my family has been in the industry for over 100 years. (Not as engineers, but as shop owners.) I've recently had to setup my own machine shop, because I also design machinery and we need it for part modifications, and things that come in we have no time to wait for the parts to be made. What I appreciate about your video here, I'M NOT FROM, your industry. But I am NOW, in a small way, running my own machine shop. I don't know these things! Yes, I have a brain, i do very dangerous work, but such videos are invaluable services to mankind. You want to hear about arms getting ripped off in my industry..... well, I unfortunately know too many. Not but a few years back, a young Guatemalan running a large Heidelberg Press, (which subsequently was 5 times smaller than the 1 I was putting in, but still HUGE) pulled the kids arm off at the shoulder. Didn't cut it off, YANKED it, right off his body. I got a call from the fire department once, because a high school kid was up to his shoulder in a large Heidelberg. Right between to massive cylinders that were bearer to bearer. They said, "we have the jaws of life." if it weren't so serious, we would have laughed. Told them they could just go put those right back where they got em. They aren't spreading apart sheet metal. For that one, they brought the surgeon in to remove his arm right on the shop floor. He gave them a certain number of minutes or he was going to start. That is when we instructed how to release the machine, and roll him back out the way he came. (Which is NOT something you would normally want to do, I'm not a doctor, but I understand that causes many times more injury than going in the first time.) He lost his arm from above the Elbow. After which, every Lithography program in the state of Ohio shut down, never to be again. (At least with equipment.) And the equipment that we ran at the turn of the century, much is still used for some things, and there are NO GUARDS on that stuff. I will NOT add, ANY safety equipment to machinery that already exists, electrically or mechanically. Because the 2nd I make the 1st change, all liability now becomes mine. Which is sad to be honest. But thats the litigating society in which we live. I have always had long hair, more than half way down my back. These factories try and tell me how to wear it. I tell them, "YOU invited me, I did not ask to come, I do NOT fall under you employee handbook or safety requirements and will NOT argue your safety procedures either. But I WILL decide how, and where, and when, to put my hair in a ponytail, a braid, or let it hang, or tuck it under a hat. Because YOUR POLICY could get somebody killed. You think my hair in a ponytail is good? That would snap my neck, smash my brains out, or descalp me and kill me. You are MUCH better off to tuck it away, or be careful and let it hang, worse case, you loose a CLUMP. Then I get the dumb look. I've not been injured yet, well, at least not worse than it took 3 guys and a mop 2 hours to clean up all the blood.
Fuck yeah
Had to replace motor on my lathe. Used a 3 phase programmable drive. It's only 1 HP small lathe drive controller inverter $99. Motor 3 phase was $259. The point is I have it programmed to roll slowly at start then go on to full speed. A key left in Chuck just falls into chip tray. Can run 3 Hz to 72 Hz.
Never leave the key in the Chuck. Put a safety spring on the key to push it out of the chuck if you tend to forget. It will surely fly off on a bad day and the hit will be strong enough to break your skull.
I work on a large machine in Lithography. The Crank handle for various things, has an inner steel ball, with a heavy spring behind it. This way you ahve to push to engage it into the roll pin to turn the machine. Well..... I can't be pushing on that handle all day doing engineering. It is for operators mostly. But let me tell you, I have a few times forgot it was engaged,
and luckily it didn't get me. Because it would come right around and snap your leg clean in 2 pieces. That motor, gearing and steel castings wouldn't know it but had hit a fly.
Thank you for the video....Love the well rig in the background!
Hell yea that thing looks sick. 73-80 Chevy cab on a 6x6 chassis????
The machine shop at our local community College has a 1/2 hole in the metal decking 15 ft up where allegedly someone turned on the lathe with the key in.
The first instruction which was given to us when we were beening introduced to lathe machining was to not leave the key in the chuck
We have almost the same in the secondary School I did, the first thing in the lathe area what you get introduced to is the key stuck in the ceiling 😅
I bought a new chuck and it came with a key. The key has a spring on the shaft which is just strong enough to push the key out of its hole. Bit of a bugger but I realised it’s safety potential. I am a newly!
Just found your channel....worked at Carrier in syracuse for 15 yrs till they moved out....ran all kinds of lathes,drills, grinders,etc....was 24 yrs old....we were stupid and fearless....the things you can do with an old turret lathe..lol
Nicely done John, I run my own shop with common sense, and decades of experience from myself and helpful guys like you 👍
always great information John, thank you for your dedication to your viewers, Paul in Florida
I like the churn drill in the parking lot.
I have enjoyed much of your content.
There is one reason to leave the key in the chuck.
The chuck is uninstalled and you clamp the key in it to keep it from getting lost.
"Everything"?? First thing I was taught was never put a flourescent light over a lathe. Stroboscopif effect can make the lathe look stopped.
My professor made us provide coffee for everyone who left the key inside the chuck for any reason. Even if you were setting up your dials for centering the 4 jaw.
I'll always remember the story of a guy working on his lathe late at night on a remote Scottish Island.
His long hair got caught in the lathe, and he said he braced himself with all his might as his hair was ripped from his scalp..........finshed by saying , " he always cringes when he hears velcro"
Tiredness, loose hair, loose clothing, deadlines and more stand in the way of common sense and patience.
Stay safe...
I always put the machine in neutral before doing any unclamp/ clamp. I mostly run CNC now so have a different set of safety concerns but on a manual lathe for sure,
Ty for the safety video. Im starting school january to become a machinist.
Leaving the chuck wrench in the lathe? Pray to God that someone else does not come in and start the machine.
The headstock is not for tool storage. I had the chuck wrench slide off the headstock, bounce off the quick-change box cover and land on the start/stop lever and start the machine. Like the wrench in the chuck, it only has to happen once to kill you.
Thank you for this and a great reminder on safety. The lathe scares me but i respect it and there are some handy tips to add to my tool box on safety in the workshop environment.
Good tips. How about teaching some safety on a surface grinder? I'm assuming you have one.
Yes please.
rule number 1 no long sleeves or ties when working on the lathe learned that at boys tech in Milwaukee ( two blocks long machine shop in the mach shop capital of the world in 1962 )
Love the safety stuff, Safety auditor MI.
One of the more important things, I think, is to have a simple routine and always respect the force, speed and workings limits of the machines. That means being a little scared is ok ! I'm an electrician, but these things hold for a great many trades...
How about a walk around on that drill rig. That thing looks like a unit!
Now you're telling people you leave the chuck key in chuck to remind yourself? Are you out of your mind?
And firearms should be stored loaded to remind people they shoot bullets too.
Yep I admit I have left the key in the chuck and turned the machine on. I was incredibly lucky the key didn't jam or hit anybody when it flung out, gave me a hell of a fright, felt like a complete idiot, never did it again and I tell everybody not to try it themselves. You are equally right about checking the speed, I've not been bitten but its easy to be x10 out. Mine is only a medium size lathe hobby lathe and that's scary enough.
Nice video could you do a video on that red 6 x6 that was in the background
Shouldn't start up with the clutch engaged there is normally a safety switch which is a good idea ( maybe you don't have those I don't know )
The one made in 1996 will turn on with the clutch engaged, the 2016 has a safety switch, that requires neutral. Most lathes I have been around do not have such a switch.
Thank you so much!
While in college I was a ta for a machine shop and there was dumb a that on 5 different occasions left the chuck key in the chuck while turning on the lathe. Didn't hurt anyone and more or less just dropped but still, 5 times
Just an excuse NEVER leave a chuck key in the chuck,it will kill you a part coming out of the chuck will not
You could simply roll up your sleeves but this does seem to be an improvement
The sleeves aren't a big deal,, not every shop is climate controlled. Just be mindful about it and roll them up when you need to get intimate with the machine/part. Same goes for gloves.
@@onedeep6460okay you can work in an unheated shop if you want but do not spread bad practices that could lead to people getting hurt. Never wear gloves except for disposable vinyl type. Any loose clothing at all is unacceptable shopkoats get wrapped up in lead screws and long sleeves but only if you run a CNC with functioning interlocks ha!
Is the story about some very little guy who they found wrapped around the chuck, in shreds. Wouild be a horrible way to go.
Lathes are not created equal. Some control the motor with the clutch lever, some don’t have clutch levers, I have also ran a Cincinnati hydraulically driven lathe and it might of been a Warner & Swasey turret hydraulic driven lathe. Because of so many different controls and possibilities; festering a bad habit like leaving a key in a chuck is a common denominator for an accident. Your friend that smashed his hand…had the key in the chuck… if you had taught him to not do that he woulda avoided that. What about the apprentice that is hung over or the apprentice in a rush in the afternoon to finish the job so he can go meet up with buddies or a pretty lady?
When a chuck is off a lathe then the key can sit in there so you don’t loose it, but that’s because there is no machine to spin it to make it dangerous…
I think there was a doofus that debunked the "chuck-key" in the chuck myth. Wandel or something? The key will just fell out and drop to the floor. But don't take MY word for it. I personally don't see a need to try it - I'm just saying what the guy said (and showed). But is long sleeves like wearing a bath-robe (like this guy is doing) really according to "best practice"?
We've also given it a go. It was rather unimpressive. ua-cam.com/video/uWN3YLcXt0I/v-deo.html
-Cameraman
Yes, Matthias Wandel also made video about chuck-key leaving in. He ran his lathe and it was safe to run lathe with chuck key in the chuck 😂 ua-cam.com/video/n-YAWpAmioQ/v-deo.html
Only true for traditional chuck keys. My Forkardt 3F+ 3-jaw has a long ass key that goes into a pocket with a hex shaft inside it to turn it. It wouldn't spit the key out if i ever forgot it before turning the spindle on, it would just smash into the gap piece
Ah, no. You may get lucky, but I once saw a chuck key fly across the room.
@@melgross must've been Gross incompetence ... :)
Watching you in loose long sleeves made me cringe. Sticking a chuck key in the chuck and leaving it was also kinda cringe because that can become a flying projectile ...
The sleeves aren't a problem, not every shop is climate controlled. Just be mindful about it and roll them up when you need to get intimate with the machine/part. Same with gloves.
I agree about leaving the chuck key in the chuck. Didn't make sense no matter how much he tried to justify.
And guns should always be loaded, for safety sake.
So dumb