Removing Royal Products Collet Chuck from Clausing-Colchester 15x50

[DMoneyAllstar]

I acquired this 15x50 Clausing-Colchester lathe from my previous employer. It always had this Royal Products collet chuck on it, thus the machine was never used much. Machine probably had this chuck installed for 10yr plus the 3ye I've had it sitting at my shop (waiting for me to resurrect it). The machine also came with some tooling including a lightly used 3-jaw chuck. I'd like to get this machine online. Need to change the fluids, clean some things up, inspect, and get the 3-jaw chuck installed.

What's the correct process for removing this collet chuck and the manual draw bar?

 

[CalG]

The nose piece is just a taper fit into the spindle . It will drift out with a few light taps from behind using a suitable length of pipe etc.

I can't say how the draw tube is removed, but would expect it to pull straight out the left end There appears to be a guide adapter. Are there set screws clamping it to the spindle?

 

[eKretz]

By the looks of it, unscrew the handwheel and slide the drawtube out, then pull the nose adapter out the other end. It might require a little persuasion if it's been in there that long. Shouldn't be very complicated, start investigating.

 

[daryl bane]

The collet nose piece is seated in the lathe's D1 taper. If you loosen the handwheel and tap it to the font it should dislodge the collet nosepiece..he says. Tried to delete this as other folks answered it, but couldn't

 

[DMoneyAllstar]

The handle and tube need to come out before I can get an edge visible on the nose to knock it out of the taper.

The handle and tube spin freely with each other. On the inside of the handle there are 2 set screws. Removing both changes nothing.

Then there are three c'sink bolts on the face of the handle. Removing them does nothing. Fun!

Near the collet threads it feels like there's a little detent or something in there. I'll try to put some more light on it and snap a pic.


I figured it would be a little cumbersome since it's been together so long. But I don't want to start bearing on anything that ends up wrecking the lathe (and my wallet).

 

[CalG]

The handle and tube need to come out before I can get an edge visible on the nose to knock it out of the taper.

The handle and tube spin freely with each other. On the inside of the handle there are 2 set screws. Removing both changes nothing.

Then there are three c'sink bolts on the face of the handle. Removing them does nothing. Fun!

Near the collet threads it feels like there's a little detent or something in there. I'll try to put some more light on it and snap a pic.


I figured it would be a little cumbersome since it's been together so long. But I don't want to start bearing on anything that ends up wrecking the lathe (and my wallet).

5c collets have a lengthwise slot that engages with a small nib in the spindle adapter bore that keeps them from rotating .

 

[CalG]

Royal 5c handwheel collet closer

[url]https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/tooling-parts-and-accessories-for-sale-or-wanted/fs-royal-5c-collet-setup-monarch-10ee-362735/
[/URL]

 

[DMoneyAllstar]

5c collets have a lengthwise slot that engages with a small nib in the spindle adapter bore that keeps them from rotating .

Yep, turns out that was a roll-pin that sticks out (aka: the small nib).

 

[DMoneyAllstar]

Got it!

After I was sure I wasn't going to force something into the scrap bin, I started turning and pounding things a little harder. The collar on the handle end of the drawtube was stuck on there good. Put the chuck wrench in the spindle to bind the geartrain and then used a pipe wrench to persuade that collar off.

Then used a piece of hex stock to bang the nose out of the taper. Took a few dozen hits, but she finally popped out.

There was definitely some crud in there. I mean, this machine has been setup the same for at least 15 year, maybe more?


Thanks for the help and the confidence to push hard enough. Fill up the lube tanks, test the lube pump and finish the 240v 3ph lead to the machine, and we're rolling.

 

[cyanidekid]

Dang! That’s a lot of rust inside a spindle bore, did you store it outside? Looks like you cleaned up most of the evidence of abuse before taking the first shots of the thing you posted, lol!

 

[eKretz]

Bad news to store close steel fits together like that - especially if it was used with coolant or the machine might have gotten rained on during storage. Even hot/cold cycles can do it due to condensation. Lucky it came apart! Good for you. When I need to do long term storage of something like that I take it apart and either leave it apart or liberally grease it before reassembly.

 

[DMoneyAllstar]

Dang! That’s a lot of rust inside a spindle bore, did you store it outside? Looks like you cleaned up most of the evidence of abuse before taking the first shots of the thing you posted, lol!

There was def some rust-dust in the tube, maybe 1/8" deep. I didn't clean much of it up before pics.

This machine sat wrapped in about 1k yards of 24" stretch wrap for 2yr now in a "dry" pole barn. It's spent it's last 1yr inside the heated shop (still wrapped). Before I got it, it sat in a former Honeywell machine shop / lab as 1 of 3 identical lathes. This one rarely got used (only had one machinist). It was there since at least 1994 when the site opened. This machine may have even came with a move from Rhode Island in the early 90's. May have even come from a factory that retooled or shut down. Most of it is covered in oil that it preserved quite well. Just a little rust-dust on the sheaves and what was in that tube.

When the place closed, I was offered some equipment including this lathe. Told me "If you can get it out of here safely within 24hr, it's yours." Well I ended up snagging 1 lathe, 1 bridgeport mill w/ cnc, and a 2-post Wells saw. Never moved so fast in my life!

 

[jccaclimber]

Glad you got a deal. Stay safe when rigging under the clock.
One last piece of advise, the collet adapter often takes a solid thump to remove it even in the best of times. I got in the habit of placing the tool post a half inch away from it before giving my rod of choice a solid hit. This keeps it from flying into something else hard and precise when you eject it.

 

[ken moss]

make up a knocking rod to take the 5C collar out. make the head just fit thru the spindle and 3" long or so and add a handle to the head a little longer than the spindle I have always made them out of scrap steel. With the weight of the head and the rod the collar just need a little tap or 2 to dislodge it. Ken

 

[gustafson]

Glad you got a deal. Stay safe when rigging under the clock.
One last piece of advise, the collet adapter often takes a solid thump to remove it even in the best of times. I got in the habit of placing the tool post a half inch away from it before giving my rod of choice a solid hit. This keeps it from flying into something else hard and precise when you eject it.

Why didn't I think of that?

 

[jccaclimber]

Why didn't I think of that?

At least you aren't shaking your head because you didn't take the tool holder off or move it forward enough to clear the insert. I showed that trick to a co-worker, who promptly chipped the insert in the tool holder the next time he did it.

 

[Video_Man]

Late to the party, but I have the same Royal collet holder. Made this little tool to tap the holder out (I use a rubber mallet). The handwheel unscrews from the collet itself, not the holder. Large wood dowell is because I figured it wouldn't do any damage to the lathe. Works fine.

 

[eKretz]

I always just used a piece of brass bar stock as a knocker. You can stick a piece of wood in the tool post and set that a quarter inch away from whatever you're knocking out to catch/stop it.

 

[52 Ford]

I acquired this 15x50 Clausing-Colchester lathe from my previous employer. It always had this Royal Products collet chuck on it, thus the machine was never used much. Machine probably had this chuck installed for 10yr plus the 3ye I've had it sitting at my shop (waiting for me to resurrect it). The machine also came with some tooling including a lightly used 3-jaw chuck. I'd like to get this machine online. Need to change the fluids, clean some things up, inspect, and get the 3-jaw chuck installed.

What's the correct process for removing this collet chuck and the manual draw bar?

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I don't have one. Unscrew everything that unscrews then start with the hammers. Work from REALLY soft and make your way towards a steel hammer.

 

[BT Fabrication]

looks like the chuck face and pin bores need a good cleaning on that machine, other then that it looks good.