Key chuck

[anpelch]

I just got from Packard Woodworks a Jacobs type chuck with a morse taper arbor. It says in the catalogue that one end of the arbor comes threaded to accept a draw bar made by the user.
My questions are what is a draw bar, what is it for, and how do I make one?:o

[dananne]

Hi anpelch By now I thought one of the other guys would have answered this. I'll try but if I don't do a good job, and you still have questions, don't hesitate to ask them. The draw bar you are asking about is a bar that goes from the end of the morse taper to the other end of the lathe spindle. It goes through the head stock and is used to pull the morse taper tight into the headstock. It does not need a lot of tight, but using a chuck or other morse taper where there are latteral forces, you need something to keep the taper from working loose. Most of the time you can use the drill chuck in the tail stock without any problem. But the head stock is a different game. If you make your own, use a bar about 1/4 " for a No. 1 taper, maybe 5/16 for a No. 2 and 3/8 for a No. 3. A cone shaped nut to tighten will work o.k. on the outside end. Make it long enough and thread that end with enough threads. Hope this gives you an idea. Dan

P.S. - That nut could be a hard wood turned on the lathe with a nut glued into the end. I'm talking about a woodlathe job, if this is a metal lathe, I would go for a stronger hold.

[anpelch]

Hi Dananne, your answer is very clear and is exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks!