Jacobs 14, not 14N chuck

Restoring an Atlas 1425 drill press from the 30's. On it is a Jacobs Super Chuck 14.
How do I remove the shank ? There isn't a slot for wedges.
What's the difference between a 14 and a 14 N ?
This chuck has scripted text on it and 3 patent dates.
Any suggestions on how to get this apart without damage would be appreciated.

A Jacobs chuck with a Jacobs taper mount that have been together for 80 years probably will not separate without destroying one or both components.

As I recall, the sleeve design (gripping surface) was changed at some point and the N might mark that point, along with possibly different rebuild kits.

Larry

Would the rebuild kit for a 14N work on a 14 ?
I'm an electronic tech. Not a machinist. Where do I look for those kits ?

godzilla2k69 said:

Would the rebuild kit for a 14N work on a 14 ?
I'm an electronic tech. Not a machinist. Where do I look for those kits ?

Click to expand...

The box for the kit will have a list of the chuck models that the kit will fit. Here is a U14N kit and it does not say it will work on a 14 chuck.

JACOBS Chuck #U14N Repair Kit NOS for Model # 14N MACHINIST TOOLMAKER CLEAN | eBay

You look for low priced old stuff on eBay. It is easier to find a used chuck than a NOS rebuild kit. There are several used 14N chucks on eBay now.

Unfortunately, the Jacobs name is now put on products that are made in China. There are better new chucks for lower prices. A new Jacobs ball bearing 1/2" chuck may cost more than your drill press is worth, and a new jaw kit might cost half the price of a new chuck. I installed a new kit on an old super chuck body years ago and found that the body was worn out, so the chuck was still useless after installing the new parts. The cost of the old chuck and the new kit was a loss.

The lowest price I saw for a new Chinese Jacobs 14N is $157.40. The highest was $275.39.

Jacobs JCM30221 $157.40 14N Ball Bearing Super Chuck 1/2" | Zoro.com
Jacobs 14N | 0" - 1/2" 3JT Ball Bearing Geared Chuck - All Industrial Tool Supply

I looked at Jacobs chucks on eBay and see that the two different super chuck sleeve designs I remembered are both found on 14N chucks of different vintage. The oldest Jacobs chucks I own have diamond knurling on the sleeves, so I wonder if your 14 chuck has that type of sleeve. I am inclined to think the 14N has N for new, making it likely the 14N rebuild kit will not work on a 14 chuck.

This is interesting. Here is a Jacobs 14S spiral gear super chuck with diamond knurled sleeve, patented in 1925. The catch is that the rare spiral key is not included.

Jacobs No 14S Spiral Gear Super Chuck 0 - 1/2" Capacity MT3 | eBay

Larry

godzilla2k69 said:

Would the rebuild kit for a 14N work on a 14 ?
I'm an electronic tech. Not a machinist. Where do I look for those kits ?

Click to expand...

Supposedly some differences between the 14 and 14N require a different rebuild kit. Fleabay or a machinery dealer's shelves would be the place to look. Is the arbor too damaged to use or just the wrong MT?

reggie_obe said:

Supposedly some differences between the 14 and 14N require a different rebuild kit. Fleabay or a machinery dealer's shelves would be the place to look. Is the arbor too damaged to use or just the wrong MT?

Click to expand...

I tried removing the arbor and no luck. I don't want to destroy either. Tomorrow I'll try removing the sleeve to just clean it up. This DP will be used for woodworking. The reason I want to stay with the 14 is that it's original and has a 'wow' factor to it.
I appreciate all your kind help and experience.
Joe

I thought and could be wrong that the N indicated it was a Ball Bering chuck and without the N is was standard. a while ago I talked to a Tech. Rep at MSC, I was told all Jacobs Chucks are now made in China!

Something I do to almost all of my Jacobs drill chucks to remove the arbor. Drill a sizable hole thru the ID of the chuck body and use a drift punch to drive it off the arbor or shaft. Provided it is a tapered arbor. Ken

Joe,
I wouldn't try to remove the arbor if you don't have to.

I have a 14 and a 14N, so took some photos and measurements to compare. The '14' might not be as old as yours, as it doesn't have any patent info.

The measurements have been taken with digital calipers, so they are not perfect. The 14 has had a hard life, the jaws are bell-mouthed and there are bad 'dings' on the body. The sort that might happen if you lost your removal drift... The 14N is in good order, despite the rusty finish. Well, the jaws look perfect anyway.

They are pretty similar, but the 14N sleeve looks to be about .050" longer than the 14. And the 14N jaws stick out about .050" further than the 14 (when fully closed).

It would be good to compare the internals, but I have no plans on stripping them at present.

I doubt the repair kits are the same, but if you bought a 14N repair kit, I am sure you could on-sell it if needed. I know there are two different repair kits for the 16N, this might be true for the 14N too.

I see this is an older thread, but I will put my 2 cents in. I believe the earliest 14 super chucks were similar to the model 16 / 16N. They had the lower ball bearing groove machined into the body, and the upper race was part of the split nut. The split nut was the same diameter as non bearing (2.06"), and the bearing slot was in the body, not in the split nut. The next generation added the thrust washer which became the lower bearing groove, and a larger diameter split nut with the bearing notch. This required a larger inner diameter shell. I suspect that the jaws are different between the 14 and 14N, because they are different on the 16 and 16N. The difference being that the grooves on the older jaws are not machined as deep as the newer and therefore the split nuts are not interchangeable. Thee are now 2 different rebuild kits for the 14N, main difference is the bearings are encased in a ring, and the thrust washer is different. Here are some pics of some older superchuck 14. The one on the left has the patent number and the oil port, although the one on the right has the United States of America logo.

For comparison, I have a old No. 20 chuck that purchased used when I bought it. And I have a couple of 20N chucks. The jaws of the No. 20 chuck interchanged with the 20N chuck. Yeah, the 14 chucks have different variations in them.