Thread: Trouble removing 3 jaw chuck on 50's Qualos lathe

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum so I hope I'm posting in the right place!
I've recently aquired this lathe, thinking it was a 5 1/4" Qualos lathe but now unsure. Hopefully, someone might recognise which model it is by the photos.
My current dilemma is not being able to remove the 8" chuck.
I know it's a right handed thread, approx 1 1/2", approx 8 tpi roughly measured on the face plate.
I've tried using my large shifter on the chuck jaw and belting it with copper bottomed hammer but I'm afraid of damaging the gears whilst doing this. It's been a long time since I've done this as is plainly evident.
Can anyone suggest another safer method?

Put a piece of hex bar in the chuck and use a large impact driver - don't lock the gears.

Sometimes a very short burst in the tightening direction followed by longer bursts in reverse will loosen it.

Hi D4qual,

When you do get the chuck off make sure that the register and the threads on both the spindle and in the chuck are clean burr free and well oiled. It doesn't take much to jam a chuck on the spindle.

That looks like one of the 10" versions mentioned in these sales brochures from back in the day - these were downloaded from the Victorian State Library.

Qualos Swing Lathe 36in.pdf
Qualos Swing Lathe 33in.pdf


Fun fact that is probably of little use to you is that the old Qualos Sales building in North Melbourne is still there.
This was also found in the Victorian State Library Collection - early '60's from memory.
IF you look closely, there are micrometers on display in the large ground floor window second from the right.
Qualos_Sales.jpg

This is the current look of the building.
Qualos Sales Building.jpg

Ray

Hi Ray, Guys,

I like the first picture with the Gas holder in the far background and the Morris Minor parked out front. I see there is also a "For Sale" sign outside under the Shop sign on the electricity pole.

If you have no luck with the previous suggestions you may need to remove the chuck from the backing plate and try a bit of heat close to the spindle thread whilst turning the backplate with a bar and a couple of pins/bolts in the chuck mounting holes, you may need to have the lathe in low gear.
If you can't do it as above you may need to machine the backplate off the spindle.