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Stronghold chuck

S

Sam Force

Joined
Aug 27, 2025
Messages
48
Likes
31
Location
Mt Zion, IL
I'm having issues with a stronghold chuck, on 1 side the chuck key turns as it should with 1 finger. The other side is almost impossible to turn using a lot of force, it's like it's running on cobblestone. This happens even when the jaws are out and the slides are removed. To my knowledge it has never been dropped and is basically new as I bought it last July. I have other strongholds that work as they should.

Any suggestions? The number on the chuck is something like 091472, does that mean it was manufactured in 72?

Thanks
 
Thanks for the replies, I took it all apart this afternoon before posting, took a wire brush to everything and no improvement. I will put a thin coat of lubricant on it tomorrow and try that
 
Look carefully at the offending part and compare to the other, something has changed, worn or broken, it could be an issue in the hardening but something has moved worn or broken
 
Sam Force said:
I'm having issues with a stronghold chuck, on 1 side the chuck key turns as it should with 1 finger. The other side is almost impossible to turn using a lot of force, it's like it's running on cobblestone. This happens even when the jaws are out and the slides are removed. To my knowledge it has never been dropped and is basically new as I bought it last July. I have other strongholds that work as they should.

Any suggestions? The number on the chuck is something like 091472, does that mean it was manufactured in 72?

Thanks
Click to expand...
If it’s still under warranty, I’d call Oneway and see what they say. I’ve been using their chucks for decades without ever hearing of this problem - sounds like it may not have been machined correctly. They’d want to know, it’s a good, family run business. Actually I’d call them whether the warranty was intact or not.

Their equipment is nicely designed and well machined. I can’t recall ever hearing of one of their chucks not performing as expected.
 
I have several of their chucks and have been pleased with them all except the last 1 I bought last July. As for the offending part, I'm not sure exactly the part would be. As I mentioned the chuck works fine from one side but put the key in the opposite side and it's almost impossible to turn. This is even with the jaws removed and the 4 slides removed as well
 
Sam Force said:
I have several of their chucks and have been pleased with them all except the last 1 I bought last July. As for the offending part, I'm not sure exactly the part would be. As I mentioned the chuck works fine from one side but put the key in the opposite side and it's almost impossible to turn. This is even with the jaws removed and the 4 slides removed as well
Click to expand...
I have a couple of strongholds and some other chucks. If the chuck never worked properly, call OW - they are very nice and helpful, and will work thru the problem. Few years ago I determined a new set of jaws were mismachined, sent a pic, they sent a new set.

If this behavior is a change, there are only a few places to look, and there are likely markings on the parts to give clues. Use raking light and a magnifier if you have them. Check the gear on the key, where it meshes with the ring, touches the chuck body hole, and the gear tip that goes in the hole in the hub. Inspect the ring gear - the oxide coating will show scratch marks and/or shiny spots from metal contact. Provided you cleaned all the parts with solvent and a brass brush, all wood dust etc has been removed, and if the behavior is still present, it is a sharp edge or metal shaving causing the problem. Carefully inspect and feel all the edges of the ring gear and inside the chuck body, easy to cut a finger on a sharp edge. I always disassemble a new to me chuck and deburr all edges so they dont become a problem.
 
As I've always stated any of the 4 major chuck brands are all as good as the other. And no matter what brand parts can wear or break. No maker is immune to getting a bad batch of steel or having a worker suffering from a hangover. I'm starting to downsize and will stick with my Nova chucks. The Oneway and Vicmarcs went fast but I find it hard to believe that the big Axminster is still there for sale. That chuck will easily hold a 400 lb burl and I doubt that it has been used twice and is probably half priced. Oh well?
 
Bill Blasic said:
As I've always stated any of the 4 major chuck brands are all as good as the other. And no matter what brand parts can wear or break. No maker is immune to getting a bad batch of steel or having a worker suffering from a hangover. I'm starting to downsize and will stick with my Nova chucks. The Oneway and Vicmarcs went fast but I find it hard to believe that the big Axminster is still there for sale. That chuck will easily hold a 400 lb burl and I doubt that it has been used twice and is probably half priced. Oh well?
Click to expand...
I’m so tempted.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I have a couple of strongholds and some other chucks. If the chuck never worked properly, call OW - they are very nice and helpful, and will work thru the problem. Few years ago I determined a new set of jaws were mismachined, sent a pic, they sent a new set.

If this behavior is a change, there are only a few places to look, and there are likely markings on the parts to give clues. Use raking light and a magnifier if you have them. Check the gear on the key, where it meshes with the ring, touches the chuck body hole, and the gear tip that goes in the hole in the hub. Inspect the ring gear - the oxide coating will show scratch marks and/or shiny spots from metal contact. Provided you cleaned all the parts with solvent and a brass brush, all wood dust etc has been removed, and if the behavior is still present, it is a sharp edge or metal shaving causing the problem. Carefully inspect and feel all the edges of the ring gear and inside the chuck body, easy to cut a finger on a sharp edge. I always disassemble a new to me chuck and deburr all edges so they dont become a problem.
Click to expand...
It seems to me that 1 of the holes for the chuck key might be a little off. The key itself shows signs of wear and the outer edge of the slides also show signs of wear. None of my other strongholds show this.

I just want to make sure everyone knows that I am not knocking Oneway or the stronghold chuck. I am very pleased with them, I do understand that sometimes a little misfit happens and there is no blame to place. Just looking for advice or recommendations before moving forward
 
Hi Sam, sounds like your chuck was the fluke to come out of manufacturing. I think your observation is sound, and worthy of a call to Oneway. This could explain why the key works in one hole and not the other.

I've owned three Oneway Talons (two still with me) since they were brought out in the late 1990s- flawless. I've come across any number of other Oneway chuck users, including when I was in a club, all of them flawless. Oneway will take care of you.
 
I have more than 1 stronghold chuck but they all take the same key. I can turn the key with 1 finger on 1 side and the other side it's hard to turn with using the whole hand. I took a short video but not sure how to post it. These pictures show the wear on the slides it's hard to turn without them even installed
1000010479.jpg1000010481.jpg
 
It sounds like you have some burrs in the chuck body. Getting the chuck stuck in the lathe and having to torque the key could have caused the damage. If it was mine I would take 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper and debur the hole in the chuck body until the key turns freely.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies/suggestions. I disassembled the entire chuck today and polished every piece. Even with no gear in the chuck body the one key hole was hard to turn. That was the first thing I polished, once the key hole was letting the key spin freely I polished all 4 of the slides. It now works like my other stronghold chucks and is back in service.

I've spend over 25 years in production and I know things are not always produced as expected. Just a little elbow grease and time and all is well. I highly recommend my stronghold chucks
 
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