New to me Yuasa RT and Adjust-tru Buck Chuck ...

[wquiles]

Thanks to Barry's recommendation, I picked up this ultra smooth Yuasa RT for my new-to-me knew mill. This thing is so smooth, it is simply unreal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=200312136375

It is missing one of the lock blocks, so that will be one of my first projects on the knee-mill:

I also needed a chuck for it, and after a month or two looking on Ebay, I bought this one, not knowing for sure that it was:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=360136755935

I was expecting/hoping the chuck to be a good name brand, even a Buck Chuck, but I was not sure. Well, I got it today, and to my surprise, I really got lucky: This is in fact a genuine, heavy duty, old-school Adjust-Tru Buck Chuck !!!.

In fact, one of the links I found tonight, had the cross reference parts for the older chucks vs. the new ones, and it stated that the newer/current 6-jaw chucks from Buck Chuck are in fact cost reduced units, and that these older ones were the heavy duty models!. I never owned a Buck Chuck before, but besides the traditional 4 screws for the "set true" feature, there is only ONE hole for the scroll, unlike my Bison that has 3 of them. The face and jaws show very little wear - not too bad for an "used" chuck.

So I unpack the chuck, and of course find there is no key - I sent the seller an email about it, so I hope to have the original key some time soon. After finding another key that fits "good enough", I found that it is completely tight - I mean the jaws won't move, in or out. I simply can't get nothing to move at all. Of course I am now a little bit scared! Was this thing cheap because it was shot?

I apply a "lot" of liquid wrench and went to do exercise in our treadmill, and when I came back about an hour later, it was still too tight. I first remove the 6 screws that hold the chuck to the mounting plate - but it would not separate - looks as it was welded in place. I hit it will a soft mallet, but nothing. I then tried to remove the set-tru screws, but those were also there tight, and I noticed some rust in those holes - THAT was the key. This thing must have been sitting somewhere un-used for a LONG time. Before selling it, they just cleaned the outside, but inside it was not cleaned.

With WD-40, and lots of patience, going in then out, back in, back out, I finally was able to remove one of the set-tru screws. I then spray LOTS of WD-40 on that hole, and then keep working on the other ones. By the time I got to the 3rd one, guess what? the mounting plate finally fell of on its own!. Looks like the WD-40 finally got things "wet" enough to move against each other to get things loose.

I then put the "temporary" key, try to turn it, but it was still tight. I decided to give it a light "tap", and bam!, it started to move. Just like I suspected, a tiny bit of rust and lack of lubrication was simply keeping everything "glued" together. I then removed the 6 jaws (they come pre-numbered from the factory) - no side-to-side play that I could feel. Basically, besides the dirt and light rust, this chuck is simply tight, and in very good shape. I now have to figure out how to get the two parts of the chuck to separate so that I can really clean and grease the internal parts, before putting everything back together.

Here are some pictures from tonight - still dirty here:

I still have lots of work ahead of me, but to me that chuck is a diamond in the rough (literally!) :thumbsup:

Will

 

[G1K]

Let me be the first to tell you "You Suck"

That's a nice score.

R

 

[Mirage_Man]

Nice grab Will. Don't be afraid to completely disassemble it and clean it. I took mine completely apart at re-lubed it after getting some chips jammed inside the scroll. I was surprised how simple the innards really are. Just make sure you put everything back in the same spots.

BTW that rotary table is horizontal only, right?

 

[precisionworks]

Let me be the first to tell you "You Suck"

+1

That's as nice a 6-jaw as you can buy, and a new one costs $1566. Pretty decent buy, at 89% off new price. Serious suckage

The Yuasa table looks sweet. After WWII, the USA helped Japan reestablish their industrial base, and within 20 years, the Japanese started making really nice machine tools. In 1968, a new Japanese company, Mori Seiki, produced their first lathe. It copied the very best features found in USA machines (like American Pacemaker & Monarch) and added a number of refinements. I knew a stubborn old machinist who hated Mori Seiki, called it Jap crap, but everyone else who touched a Mori loved the machine - smooth as silk, quiet, accurate, etc. Today, a used Mori sells for more than it did new.

Nice score on both the RT & the chuck

 

[s4biturbo]

nice score!! I just picked up a 5 inch Bison off ebay which was listed as a drehbankfutter, not Bison. But i could see the bison logo and took a chance. Got it home and sure enough a 3285 three jaw for 90 bucks! Thing doesn't even look like its been used, just probably sat on a shelf still covered in cosmoline. Well now to make a backplate for it!! :tinfoil:

 

[StrikerDown]

Over the past several weeks searching for a RT I almost bought that one, I saw it minutes after it popped up on ebay, it was so clean compared to the others I had been seeing that I came real close to grabbing it. The only thing that stopped me was it wasn't a horiz/vert model! Great choice Will, And nice find on the chuck also... Hey, that chuck has all of it's jaws intact!

 

[precisionworks]

it wasn't a horiz/vert model

Before H/V tables became readily available, it was common practice to bolt a horizontal "only" table to a large angle plate. Used to do that often in the shop where I worked.

Not as quick as bolting down a H/V table, but the support of a large angle plate is many times more substantial.

 

[wquiles]

BTW that rotary table is horizontal only, right?

Yes. But I am doing what Barry stated above and use a 90deg support for an even better setup

Will

 

[wquiles]

Thank you guys. Every dog has a lucky day

I will post pictures once it is nice and clean

Question: What is the correct type of grease/lubrication to use in a chuck such as this one?

Will

 

[65535]

Bearing greases work well. As you probably know go light, chips will LOVE to get down in the base plate where the teeth slide. Don't need extra help with extra grease to stick them down.

 

[StrikerDown]

Will,

I wish everyone on ebay could take pictures at least half as good as you and Barry.

 

[wquiles]

Will,

I wish everyone on ebay could take pictures at least half as good as you and Barry.

Thank you, but the camera does the hard work

My Fuji has a reasonably good macro mode, which I use in 90%+ of the pictures I post. The rest is trying to get semi-decent lighting to hit the object

Will

 

[wquiles]

OK, so after much work, I got the Buck Chuck back to full operating condition.

This is how it looked "before":

This is now it looks now (still need to clean up the excess grease):

Of course, these are photos of the work in between - now I know how folks feel when they do a small restoration project

Got the chuck open:

This is what I found:

After much cleaning and many scotch pads:

In fact, parts are so shinny now that this photo came under-exposed:

Some closeups came up a little bit better:

Now, somebody at Buck Chuck had a sense of humor. One of the jaws had this stamped:

When I put the two chuck half's together, since it is a press-fit, it did not quite lined up perfectly - rotating the key was not completely smooth. But after a gentle "wack" to turn the top part slightly, it lined up perfectly - now it is butter smooth:

I used Bison Chuck Grease:

Did I mention this is now buttery smooth

Will

 

[wquiles]

I also completed the cleanup of the Yuasa RT


RT in pieces:

The side oiling port, gets oil to that groove, which is not in a circle, to keep the two parts oiled:

The inner oil port also feeds an inner groove:

I used Teflon grease:

Now, with the RT re-assembled, you can see a light oil film (I used WAY OIL) from the side, although hard to capture in photos:

During cleanup I found some small Al debris, and after cleaning and re-lubing, the RT is super buttery smooth - takes almost no force to rotate the table, and it has almost zero backlash

Will

 

[precisionworks]

If I'd realized how nice that chuck was, I would have bid against you

Good choice of grease for the chuck. We use a number of Fuchs Lubritech greases at the factory, pricey as heck but they are superb. The Bison chuck grease is Fuchs Gleitmo 805:

http://www.fuchs-lubritech.com/cms/spip.php?page=produkt&id_rubrique=23&id_produkt=2941

If you ever need it in larger quantities, a 500 gm cartridge is available for $66, from www.cayceco.com

 

[StrikerDown]

Holy Bat stuff Will, That looks great... You do some pretty fine work :wave:

Now lets see you make that table clamp!

 

[precisionworks]

lets see you make that table clamp

That looks like the very first job for the new RT

 

[wquiles]

Actual fabrication of the replacement steel block in this thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=228953


Will

 

[wquiles]

Now, while I am still working on the new steel block, I did some work today on another part of this RT/Buck-Chuck combo. The mounting plate for the Buck-Chuck was for a threaded spindle. Since I want to re-use the mounting plate to attach the Buck-Chuck to the RT, I hard to make the side facing the RT flat.

Needless to say, with all of that steel grit/dust/debris, I "had" to remove the jaws, and clean the jaws/scroll. This time I am trying Way Oil, to see how it works out. Forum member Anglepoise (David) would be proud of me

Will

 

[Anglepoise]

Forum member Anglepoise (David) would be proud of me Will

Yes he is......Great job.

Nothing pisses me off more than having the visible part of the scroll jammed up with chips etc. I think you will find a great improvement with way oil instead of grease. Time will tell.