south bend living under a workbench

Uncle's shop. A 9 inch has been under a bench since at least the Clinton administration, chip pan full of mouse evidence and one chuck rusted to the spindle nose. He says I can have it if I get it out. I have a Saturday and a friend with a trailer. Is the rusted chuck a reason to walk away?

The chuck is consumable. The bed is the lathe. Wipe a way and look. If the ways are a rust crater, leave it for the mice. If they're brown but still a way, take it and penetrate the nose for a week before you get heroic with a pipe.

Ways are brown, not cratered. Chuck stayed with uncle because I couldn't budge it and I didn't want to be the pipe guy. Lathe is in my garage. It smells like a barn. That's a later problem.