Removing Albrecht Chuck From Arbor

[SteveHGraham]

That's a great tip.

[BadDog]

I've got an 18N (2 actually), almost never used. I have a 34B (5/8" plane bearing) that I prefer day to day in my big 20" VSG. The 18N is very bulky, but hard to beat when you have a huge straight shank. The reason I almost never use it is that most of my bits over 5/8 shank are taper shank anyway. So the 34B (VERY smooth very nice chuck you can get cheap) stays in the big drill most of the time, and the 1/2" Albrecht is the most used on the lathe, though I do have a few 3/8" Albrechts to use when swapping chucks is quicker/easier than swapping bits. Now if I can just get around to building a quick mount lever on the tail stock, I'll be set!

[lakeside53]

.... I have chucked them in a lathe on the smooth part of the chuck an used a pipe wrench to crack the knurled part loose.

Albrecht states you shouldn't use use a pipe wrench. Their site details the simple tool they use (and you can make) to remove the outer shell without distorting or crushing it.

[Ron of Va]

This is how I remove the arbor from an Albrecht Chuck. I disassemble the unit and knock the arbor out from the top. It has to be disassembled because you can’t get to the top of the arbor; the spindle is in the way.

Remove the collar.
Unscrew the Shell from the Hood, to expose the jaw guide and the body. (I used a strap wrench and a barrel vice).
Remove the Jaws, and pull the Jaw Guide away from the body and expose the spindle. Watch out for the ball bearings.
Unscrew the Spindle from the top of the body.
Support the Body, and use a punch, drift or whatever to drive out the arbor.
On reassembly, do NOT lubricate the spindle threads. Just the ball bearings, hold balls in place inside the shell with grease.

[Rich_Carlstedt]

Here is a hint to use for all tailstock tools, like drill chucks or centers, and especially when you use an adapter like a 4 to 3 MT.

THIS ASSUMES you have already lined up the tailstock to the spindle C/L first.

Mount an indicator in a 3 or 4 jaw chuck and spin it around your center's point, or a dowel in the tailstock drill chuck. You may want to indicate the internal tailstock taper first to get an idea of what you have in error already.
Use a "Tenth" indicator if possible.
Mark the taper with a felt tip on the top ( 12 o'clock)
Now rotate the center or drill/adapter 90 degrees and reseat, and reindicate.
Note the "error"
repeat again and again.

When you find the rotated position giving the least error, mark the top ( 12 again) with paint.
I use laquer or nail polish ( wife's !) as it does not come off with oils.

All my tailstock tooling is so marked on the top
It makes every tool as accurate as possible, and all I do is make sure the painted spot is up when i insert the tool in the tailstock.

You can do the same in your mill, but it is more work.

A word to the wise.
I bought a brand new Jacobs Ball Bearing chuck and R -8 adaptor
At least I thought the adapter was a Jacobs ! ( it was not )
When I got .003" runout on my test dowel I was ticked. I was told the adapter was a Jacobs,
but found out it was made in India. I demanded the right adapter and they sent one.
The new "Jacobs" adapter and Chuck now had .0002" out of the box..I love it
Rich

Forgot.
When dealing with tangs, you only have two choices, so take the best one

[spro]

This topic has provided us with great information. While not necessary nor expected, Ron of Va's work to actually show the steps and put them in a way that is easily accessible deserves a note of appreciation.

[swatson144]

18N are nice but a good ole Connecticut made 14N is probably the most handy. Most all your drills over 1/2 I'd hope are MT. You'll have to change chucks to drill small holes.

*WARNING* do not pay real money for the newer 14N chucks as the are simply decent chicom chucks and no way the quality of the older chucks. I just got stuck with 5 of them.