Quote Originally Posted by WmRMeyers View Post
Like many things that show genius, it's obvious once you see it. Also makes you smack your forehead that you did not!

Bill
In the past on a chuck key for a lathe I used to have I welded a cut off 1/2" drive extension my theory or thinking was I could just change out to which ever socket size I wanted at the time. This was well and good but on that lathe there were 3 or 4 various sizes of nuts or bolts I regularly changed things on. It turned out to be a royal pain using the chuck key for everything plus there was the clutter and having to keep up with all of the sizes.
This lathe has 3 sizes as well that I use frequently but a socket will only fit on 1 of them that being the tool post. the lock bolts for the tail stock are recessed and can only be gotten at by the wrench made for it or a combination wrench, that wrench remains on it at all times.
For the carriage lock most of the time the compound slide is covering it so only a combination wrench will work there so I just leave a 3/4 box end on it at all times as well.
leaving only the tool post that I had to hunt for the wrench. The socket on the chuck key solved that issue.
Now I need to do the same thing for my other lathes.