Supernova2 Chuck

[MarkSLSmith]

I never knew that there was a maintenance manual for the SN2 chuck. None of mine came with one. So, that is useful info. Thank you.

Did they happen to give you a link for the available replacement parts? I never stumbled across that page, either.

Is it possible that the previous owner(s) reassembled the chuck after a maintenance with the sliders out of order? Normally, that would result in the jaws not meeting in the middle, but I do not know if there is some oddball arrangement that might still meet but have extra friction (like doing them in 1-4-3-2 order or something).

Just blue-skying. If there really is an inappropriately high friction, then some part has to have a burr somewhere or there is a chunk of grit embedded in a ways or in that plastic backing plate.

I can only suggest that you take it apart again and do a careful inspection of every edge and guide until you find it.

While it is apart, it would be worth installing just the snap ring to verify that it fits properly and fully seats. A little bit of grit in that channel can be really hard to see.

Sorry that I do not have a better answer for you.

Here's an update.

If there are any burrs or damage, they were not detectable by human touch.

It originally had very little grease.  Loading up with grease (I used wheel bearing grease) didn't help.

The manual state that the #1 slide should line up with a dimple.  If there is a dimple anywhere, I couldn't find it.

However, the manual (I already had the manual before Teknatool sent me another one) does say that the slide numbers should increase in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front (the tailstock side).  This was helpful information.  There can only be four possibilities, right?  I took it apart and put it back together 3 times.  On the third time, there seemed to be a noticeable improvement.  I can at least turn the allen wrench with one hand now, although it still requires some effort.  I decided not to test the fourth and last position (fatigued due to approaching double figures in disassembling) and use it for a while.  

I don't know whether the previous owner messed it up.  On the one hand, there was not a speck of sawdust anywhere inside or out of the chuck.  On the other hand, the amount of grease present was minuscule.  This might suggest that he had a problem and removed grease while investigating.  Who knows.

Did I mess it up?  I don't think so.  Normally I am careful about these things, although it is always possible that I got distracted and then spaced out moving the slides.  I didn't make a video recording for posterity.

I think it's usable now.  Maybe it will break in with use and operate more smoothly with time.

Mark

[iclark]

Thanks for the update.

The next time I am in the shop, I will see if I can find that dimple on any of my SN2's.

[wrx4sabelle]

I don't know if this is useful (i've not taken mine apart yet)

I found this in the cleaning manual from the website - a bit more specific, may help.

Push all jaw slides to meet in center
forming a square. Make sure the No. 1
Jawslide is in the slideway with the dimple
(a small half moon shape on the inner
diameter of the slideway)

[paulWoodworker]

Good idea.  I contacted them by email.  Used the same text as my original post.  Here's their reply.  Needless to say, I'll be unlikely to purchase teknatool products in the future.

"I've attached the manual for the SN2. The manual covers proper chuck maintenance and how to disassemble and reassemble. Certain parts of the chuck such as the circlip, pinions jaw slides and scroll ring are considered consumable parts and can wear over time. We do sell replacements of those parts if needed.


Regards,

Rob"

Man, look on the bright side, replacement parts are available. I am sure you got a heck of a deal even after buying a new clip.
There's stories of guys buying used tools and no spare parts available, be thankful you can buy the part and have a working chuck.
Edit: ok, now I see that you are disappointed they couldn't give tech support.
I understand that frustration, but unfortunately, as part of "Chasing zero", the guys that answer the phone are paid as low as possible
and are not trained to learn.. it's a problem all over the country, and not just woodworking companies..
That said, why not just buy a new clip and see if it fixes it? It's probably not that expensive and if it brings your chuck back to life, well worth it.