Longworth

Chuck

Boston University ’18

EK 156 Final Report
Professor Thornton
Group 4
 ~ Longworth Chuck ~

Boston University / College of Engineering / Spring

Semester, 2018

Felex Chen
Year/Major: Freshmen, E-mail: felexc@bu.edu
Mechanical Engineering

Cell Phone: (917) 250-7713 Identification: U34279582

Justin Fiaschetti
Year/Major: Freshmen, E-mail: justincf@bu.edu
Mechanical Engineering

Cell Phone: (908) 268-7574 Identification: U50000384

Mark Kahaly
Year/Major: Freshmen, E-mail: kahalym@bu.edu
Mechanical Engineering

Cell Phone: (508) 439-2667 Identification: U27369968

__________________________________________________________________________
____
 Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………... 1

Body of Proposal

Design Description…………………………………………………………………...2

Target Audience………………………………………………………………………3

Proposal Modifications…………………………………………………….................3

Materials Analysis and Manufacturing

Basis for Material Choices……………………………………………………………4

Material Choice Details……………………………………………………………....5

Manufacturing Process……………………………………………………………….6

Prices and Schedule

Cost Analysis………………………………………………………………………....7

Detailed Schedule and Schedule Comments ………………………………………...8

Appendices

Appendix A - Part Dimensions/Specifications……………………………………….9

Appendix B – Calculations…………………………………………………………..10

Appendix C – Drawings…………………………………………………………....11-13

Appendix D – Images………………………………………………………………..14
Abstract:
Eliminating the need to continuously unscrew and screw in Cole jaws, the Longworth
chuck is designed to expedite the process of finishing assorted woodturnings. The principle
technology providing such ease of use is the self-centering scroll operation which quickly adjusts
to fit the work and keep it firmly in place. The purpose of this project is to explore movement by
means of a mechanical operation and to develop a cost-effective product that can be used on a
daily basis without deteriorating quickly from typical sources of wear.
This proposal details the fabrication of a 12” Longworth chuck, composed mainly of two
HDPE (high density polyethylene) movable jaws and a 6061 aluminum faceplate. Including
detailed measurements, explanations of material choice, calculations, and performance data, this
proposal includes the necessary information that an engineer would need to design this device
efficiently. With an estimated budget of $89.65, the completion time of this project was
approximately one month after CAD drawings were completed.

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 1

Design Description:
The specific objective of this project was to design a piece of equipment that a member of
the group, Justin Fiaschetti, could utilize effectively in his woodworking studio back at home.
Knowing that the manufactured final product would find a use that extends past EK 156, time
was taken to carefully select materials and dimensions that would best suit Justin in completing
his intricately-made pieces. After deliberation, it was determined that a Longworth chuck would
combine the effectiveness, creativity, and complexity required in order to save Justin time and
energy back at home as well as leave an impact on the professors and students within EK 156.
Where this piece most prominently shines is in its use of a simple mechanism despite an
inherently complex external appearance. The chuck’s unique scrolling operation self-centers
pieces and holds them tightly against the plastic jaws with the help of rubber gripping buttons.
This way, any piece will remain safely in place when attached to a lathe and experiencing speeds
upwards of 1,500 RPM (typical woodworking speeds are between 800 and 1,500 RPM).
The chuck itself consists of three primary components: two plastic jaws and an aluminum
faceplate. Each jaw has a series of arcs that opposes the motion of the other jaw when spun,
which allows the rubber buttons to move both inward and outward at the will of the user. The
buttons consist of a bolt, two washers, a wing nut, and a rubber stopper, and the scrolling
operation of the jaws can be inhibited by tightening the wing nuts for each of the 8 buttons.
Thumb holes were also added at the edge of the front jaw to permit easier scrolling. 4 of the
buttons have a shorter scrolling distance, but these can easily be removed to allow the 4 with a
longer scrolling distance to come in closer to the center and hold smaller pieces.

Scrolling Operation in Use

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Target Audience:
The target audience for this piece would naturally be woodworkers, as the Longworth
chuck is an effective replacement for the typically-used Cole jaws. Cole jaws are also used to add
decoration or to re-shape the bottoms of bowls that have already been turned, but require
adjustment/re-fastening for each particular piece that needs to be turned. The Longworth chuck’s
self-centering scroll operation removes this hassle and can be used to secure a piece in seconds.

Initial Proposal Modifications:

Everything considered, most of what was outlined in the initial proposal was followed in
the production of this Longworth chuck. One change that was made, however, was the
machining process for the aluminum faceplate. The original plan was to mount the faceplate in
the lathe and have it turned to the correct diameters. A hole would have been bored through the
center and then tapped, and other minor features were to be completed manually as well. Rather
than machining the faceplate in this manor, three individual CNC machine operations were
utilized in order to complete the part with higher precision.
The machining process for the front and back removable jaws went according to plan,
and all materials mentioned in the proposal were used accordingly in the final product. The only
other minor setback would have been the rubber stoppers arriving without pre-drilled holes. This
was an easy fix, however, with the ability to use the lathe in EPIC to tap the holes required to
assemble the chuck gripping buttons.

Faceplate Model Back Movable Jaw Model

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Basis for Material Selection:
For the front and back movable jaws, HDPE was chosen because it is easy to machine,
cheap, and readily available. Other available plastics such as PVC and Delrin did not meet all of
the specifications that were decided to be necessary in the development of this chuck (i.e. price,
durability, strength, etc.). For the faceplate, 6061-T6 Aluminum was chosen because it is easy to
machine, relatively inexpensive, and softer than the steel that makes up the threads on the lathe
spindle. This choice of metal is important because it is expensive to fix damage to lathe threads
and a soft metal will be less likely to cause major damage to them. For this exact reason, along
with price, steel was not chosen as the faceplate material.
Nearly all materials were bought from McMaster-Carr (aside from the rubber stoppers)
because of its large inventory, easy-to-browse online catalog, and speedy turnaround time from
the moment of purchase. These factors made McMaster-Carr an easy choice for a project under
time constraints such as this one. The rubber stoppers were purchased from WidgetCo because
they were not readily available from McMaster-Carr.

Steel Aluminu
m
Density 0.284 lb/in3 0.1 lb/in3
Ultimate Tensile Strength 53,700 psi 45,000 psi
Modulus of Elasticity 29,000,000 psi 10,000,000 psi

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 4

Material Choice Details:
 Chuck Buttons: Composed of many small parts, the chuck buttons’ main purpose is to
tightly secure the desired piece to the front movable jaw.
 Zinc-Plated Steel: Corrosion resistant.
 Wing Nuts
 18-8 Stainless Steel: Superior corrosion resistance and affordability.
 Washers
 Black-Oxide Alloy Steel: Abrasion and corrosion-resistant.
 Partial Thread Socket Head Screw
 EPDM Rubber (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer): High density
synthetic rubber with an ability to withstand temperatures up to 215°C.
This property makes it ideal in tolerating the high temperatures generated
by the high rotational speed of the chuck. It also has excellent weathering
properties, is cost-effective, and has a tensile strength upwards of 2,500
P.S.I.
 Size 4 Rubber Stoppers
 Movable Jaws and Faceplate:
 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): Tougher, stronger, and able to endure
higher temperatures than most other polymers. Resistant to abrasion and
exhibits a low coefficient of friction. Also moisture, stain, and odor
resistant.

 Diameter Movable Jaws

 6061-T6 Aluminum: Extremely versatile for manufacturing applications

as it is lightweight, ductile, and durable.
 Metal Rod
 Black-Oxide Alloy Steel: Abrasion and corrosion-resistant.
 Low-Profile Socket Head Screw

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  316 Stainless Steel: Corrosion-resistant, high tensile strength.
 Low-Profile Shoulder Screws

Manufacturing Process:
HDPE tiles were put in the CNC and machined using both a ¼” and ⅛” end mill
according to Gibbscam. After the automated process was complete, all edges were deburred to
avoid injury and stress concentrators.

The faceplate was first put into the CNC and milled to make the threads and shank that
are used to mount the Longworth chuck. Next, the group then cut off enough material to allow
for the faceplate’s face to be turned down. The group then took this piece to the lathe and turned
down the outside so it was perfectly concentric to the shank. We then brought it back to the CNC
and faced off the “top” and drilled the pilot holes for the mounting screws. With that done we
went to the final step of tapping the eight radial ¼”-20 holes. A hole was drilled and tapped on
the shaft of the faceplate for a set screw. This set screw allows the lathe to run clockwise so the
chuck does not unscrew due to the rotation of the spindle. Again, everything was deburred.

The rubber stoppers were taken to the lathe and center holes were drilled that were
concentric to the outside. The stoppers were mounted to the lathe using the three jaw chuck.
They are tapered, so they were pushed in with the tailstock which made the face perpendicular to
the bed. The holes were then drilled using a chuck in the tailstock. At this point, all parts are fully
machined.

Assembly consists of bolting the stationary jaw to the faceplate using 8 ¼”-20 bolts. The
movable jaw is then attached to the assembly using a ¼” shoulder bolt. The shoulder bolt should
be left slightly loose so the movable jaw can move freely without any slop. Buttons are then
assembled within each of the 8 slots. At this point, assembly is complete.

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 6

 Parts Being Machined

Cost Analysis:

Part Material Quantity Quantity Source Price Per Unit

Per Unit Needed

Wing Nuts Zinc-Plated 100 8 McMaster- $10.29

Steel Carr

2” Socket Black-Oxide 25 8 McMaster- $6.56

Head Alloy Steel Carr
Screws

Washers 18-8 Stainless 100 8 McMaster- $3.37

Steel Carr

Size 4 EPDM Rubber 10 8 WidgetCo $7.99

Rubber (ethylene
Stoppers propylene
diene
monomer)

Low-Profile 316 Stainless 1 1 McMaster- $4.91

Shoulder Steel Carr
Screws

¾” Low Black-Oxide 50 8 McMaster- $9.13

Profile Alloy Steel Carr
Socket Head
Screws

Plastic HDPE 1 2 McMaster- $8.70 each (x2)

Sheets Carr

Metal Rod 6061-T6 1 1 McMaster- $30

Aluminum Carr

TOTAL $89.65

The driving cost of this project is the 6” x 3” x 3” aluminum rod which is was used for
the faceplate. The HDPE plastic sheets were affordable enough to allow us to purchase two
separate sheets for each of the movable jaws. The remainder of the budget is directed toward
buying small pieces of hardware that can, for the most part, only be bought in bulk online. In the
end, the total pricing comes out to $89.65. If it were not for the bulk hardware, this price could
potentially be drastically reduced. It would be impractical to use a cheaper plastic for the jaws or

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 7

metal for the faceplate without compromising the quality of the product. Also, there were no
unexpected expenses as everything was purchased at a previously-anticipated price.
With comparable chucks selling for anywhere between $125 and $200, this is a very fair
price for a piece of such high versatility. In fact, the price of $89.95 is similar to that of a nice
Cole jaw set, which is more tedious and time-consuming to use than a Longworth chuck.
Detailed Schedule:

02/10/18 - Begin CAD drawings

02/12/18 - Materials Selected / Budget Estimated

02/16/18 - Class Proposal and Project Approval

2/19/18 - Finalize CAD Drawings

2/21/18 - Turn in Hard Copy of Proposal

2/22/18 - 2/24-18 - Order Parts

2/25/18 - 3/03/18 - Receive Parts

3/03/18 - 3/17/ 18 - Machine Parts (Spring break in between)

3/18/18 - 3/21/18 - Product Assembly

3/22/18 - 3/29/18 - Create Final, Updated Report

Schedule Comments:

This schedule was reasonable, as the members of this group would arrive at EPIC at 8

AM up to 3 days a week early in March in order to avoid masses of people attempting to use the

CNC machines. Because of this, each task was completed by its respective deadline in the

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 8

detailed schedule except for the creation of the final, updated report. This, however, is only a

result of not knowing when the final report would be due for submission.

Appendix A:

Part Dimensions/Specifications

Chuck Buttons:

Part Dimensions

Wing Nuts Thread Size: 1/4"-20

Base Diameter: 31/64"

Washers Hole Size: 1/4"-20

Partial Thread Socket Head Screws Thread Size: 1/4"-20

Length: 2”

Size 4 Rubber Stoppers Top Diameter: 15/16"

Bottom Diameter: 23/32"
Length: 1"
Hole Diameter: 3/16"

Movable Jaws and Faceplate:

Part Dimensions

Low-Profile Shoulder Screws Diameter: ¼”

Length: ¼”
Thread Size: 10-32

Low-Profile Socket Head Screws Thread Size: 1/4"-20

Length: ¾”

Plastic Sheets Size: 12” x 12” x ¼”

Metal Rod Size: 6” x 3” x 3”

Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 9

Appendix B:

Calculations

Shear of HDPE Jaw from Bolt Preload

Circumference 1.178097245 in
Thickness 0.125 in
Shear area 0.1472621556 in2
Shear strength 6000 psi
Factor of Safety 2
Max Allowable 3000 psi
Shear strength 883.5729338 lbf
Preload 70 lbf
Margin 11.62247048

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Appendix C:

Drawings
Front Movable Jaw:

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Back Movable Jaw:

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Aluminum Faceplate:

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Appendix D:

Images

Side Profile Front Movable Jaw and Chuck Buttons

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Top View 1

Top View 2 Back Movable Jaw and Faceplate

Machined Faceplate
Chen, Fiaschetti, Kahaly 15