I have a very old Sears lathe with a Morse taper that is stuck. I have tapped on it, heated it, cussed at it and tryed about everything else that I could think of to free it up so that I can change the chuck. Has anybody had any experience with a stuck Morse taper or have any good ideas about how to loosen it up?

Head stock or tail stock ?

Use a penetrating oil from A&A Auto or other like store. Give it some time and spray on some more. Then give it a good wack. This works for stuck dirtbike axels. I can usually break a taper with just heat though.

Emory,
I have a back ground in the logging business, operating and repairing heavy equipment. In the case you are talking about there is nothing that works better then wide temperature swings to break loose seized parts. If you can heat the taper with a torch and then cool or quench it immediately with liquid the expansion and contraction will help break the seized piece loose. I'm not sure how you are equipped to work on it but there are many good machine shops and equipment dealers in your area that may be of help or advise you further.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

If none of the above works take it somewhere and have it pressed out or try using dry ice. Dry ice works very well in this application when other methods fail. Dry ice is sometimes used in the shipping of food items such as ice cream or frozen yogurt so it can generally be found without much of a problem.

Good luck,

James

EMORY,
I am a mechanic/ machinist / fabricator , I do this sort of thing every week.
STAN suggestion is one correct way.
I have MORSE tappers on lathes , mills , drill press, along with auto / truck , ball joints , tie rod ends , etc.
You need 2 hammers , or at least 1 hammer and a heavy piece of steel. One hammer on the back side, held firmly in place, while you hit the front side. Since your working with a tapper , hitting it in this way shocks it and pops your piece right out , do this at room temp. no heat required
Let me know how you made out, I have more "TRICKS"
This is called " scientificly applied pressure "

I'm on AOL

Dave von Doehren
PRRODS......If man built it , man can fix it.and if man built it man can break it !

I agree with David on the use of hammers but breaking or weakening the bond of corrosion with a temperature shift first makes the hammers job much easier. Hammers are great tools if properly used but for best result they need to be applied with the judgement provided by experience.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Thanks everybody. That gives me a couple of new ideas to try.
This old lathe has served me well for a lot of years and I hate to damage it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2005 07:46PM by Emory Harry.

If it is the headstock most of the time there be a clear path through from the back of the lathe to morse taper. If that is the case get a pipe a piece of round stock long enough to place against the backside of the morse taper and smack it with a hammer, this will transfer the power of the blow directly to what is stuck. That would be the safest way that I can think of to remove it. You keep pounding on the chuck itself and you will break it.

Thanks Scott. I will take a look and see if there is a hole that permits access to the back of the Morse taper.