Upgrading Chucks

[Neil S]

As stated before I have over 40 chucks of most all major brands and as I'm sure I have stated before I do not consider one brand better than the others.

I only have a dozen chucks, about half are Nova and the other half Vicmarc. I have both because that gives me wider range of jaw sizes.

I've been using both brands since they first came onto the market and I have used them a great deal since; none have failed in any way. like Bill B, I have not found either brand better than the other.

As I often don't know which brand I have on the lathe or just picked up, I have hand engraved the opening direction next to the key slot on all of them with ---> 0

 

[Greg Bloemke]

I have one of each Vicmarc and Nova and love them.

 

[Michael Schneider]

For Vicmarc, Branches to Bowl is a great place to buy from; they carry the full Vicmarc line https://branchestobowls.com/ The Canadian To US exchange rate is very friendly right now for price points.

 

[rickjudd]

I’m guessing the original poster has already made a decision (2018 post). Since it has tuned into a chuck brand discussion I’ll add my chuck history. Once I had a full size lathe I started buying Nova chucks. The Nova chuck are decent chucks at a good price. I switched from Nova to Record chucks. Similar in price, but right tightening and a little beefier. Like all don’t like changing jaws, so I am up to 9 Nova/Record chucks at this point. Then I bought an Axminster chuck and their eccentric adapter. After I got the Axminster I sold all the Nova and Record chucks. The Nova and Record are good chucks especially for the price, but I got hooked on the Axminster. I have 4 Axminster chucks, two SK100, and two SK114. I was going down the road to getting even more Nova/Record chucks (not 40) and storage and cost was becoming a problem. The Axminster jaw change is easy, no screws to mess with. Axminister has a very large jaw selection and the only ones with the O’Donnell jaws that I use a lot. For me I can tell a difference between brands. I think all my Nova/Record chucks had inserts and added a little more to the runout. Much of the Axminster is stainless steel direct thread and grub screws provided.

Same history here as William,

Started out with Nova as they are affordable. As I upgraded my lathe a few times over the years, I found the Nova couldn't keep up with the larger pieces. Took a chance ordering an Axminster based on a few friends comments, and a Vicmarc at one of the shows. Have since sold the Novas.

 

[Bill Blasic]

All of my chucks regardless of manufacturer, direct thread or insert have less than .0015 runout. The couple that did not were either returned or passed on.

 

[William Rogers]

I did not have the same luck Bill B. had with my Nova/Record chucks. of the nine chucks I had only two were 0.0015” runout. All the others were between 0.002” and 0.005”runout . All of these chucks had inserts. None of the four Axminster chucks I have never exceed 0.0015” runout and all are direct thread.

Even the Nova with 0.005” it didn’t seem to have that much effect, but could see it and was annoying.

 

[John Grace]

I have five SN2 chucks typically turning bowls from 10" to 14" with the occasional 18"/20" piece and I've never had one fail me. From everything I've read and heard the Vicmarc's and others make extremely fine chucks...but in the end, it's whether or not the chuck holds and if the we're agreeable with the chuck's configuration. In the end though...if you want a new chuck then go for it.

 

[Russell Nugent]

Same history here as William,

Started out with Nova as they are affordable. As I upgraded my lathe a few times over the years, I found the Nova couldn't keep up with the larger pieces. Took a chance ordering an Axminster based on a few friends comments, and a Vicmarc at one of the shows. Have since sold the Novas.

Can you clarify how the nova chucks couldn't keep up with larger pieces?

 

[rickjudd]

Can you clarify how the nova chucks couldn't keep up with larger pieces?

Hi Russell,
I'd had a few instances where 16" and greater decided to part ways with the Novas while turning. Since I changed over, haven't had any (dang, I think I just jinxed it!). Whether it's true or not, I just feel more confident.

 

[Bill Blasic]

The runout factor for me is probably due to the fact that I ran machinery for over 35 years where my tolerances were seldom over .005 and a lot were less. I know that in the early Nova reference papers they said that their chuck tolerance was either.005 or .006. I know for woodturning that this really means next to nothing and if I had one of those chucks with .005 or .006 out of round I sincerely doubt that I would know it. But the fact that I started checking all those years ago has kept me up to keeping the runout where I like it in my mind. When I said a couple didn't pass my test there were at least 6 and only one was a Nova and it was a direct thread. the other 5 or so only one was not a name brand. I can truly state that no matter what brand chuck of mine I have used I have never lost a piece because of the fault of the chuck. You know what I mean as when you take that last cut and your looking at the inside of your jaws for example

 

[Darryl Fective]

Hi Russell,
I'd had a few instances where 16" and greater decided to part ways with the Novas while turning. Since I changed over, haven't had any (dang, I think I just jinxed it!). Whether it's true or not, I just feel more confident.

I'm curious what model chuck and jaws you were using. The few instances that I've had problems, I blamed my tenon size, placement, or profile, not the chuck.

 

[William Rogers]

Since this thread was about upgrading chucks, that is what I did buying the Axminster brand. All of the SN2 and record chucks I had always did the job and held the piece. If I thought they were inadequate I would have never bought seven SN2 and two Record chucks. That was not a reason for upgrading. Even though I had one chuck with 0.005” runout, that also was not a factor. We want 0.000" runout as runout does increase the vibration, however I used that chuck along with all the others. The reasons I upgraded was that the SN2s I had were all left tight. I think they have since changed the SN2 to right tight. The two Records were right tight and I was up to nine SN2/Record chucks because I did not like having to mess with the screws to change jaws. This was becoming a storage problem also. These were the reasons I “upgraded” to the Axminster brand. No more screws to mess with to change jaws was the biggest reason. Axminster chucks are also direct thread and less likely to have excessive runout than a threaded insert type chuck, less tolerance stack up. Also I wanted the O’Donnell Jaws and no one else has them. Some added features were the stainless steel body and Axminster has three tightening pinions instead of two, not sure it is a significant benefit. I don’t use them, but they also have three set screw locations for reverse turning. These added features were an “upgrade” for me.

 

[Gary W Miller]

Both Oneway and Vicmark are excellent chucks and I don't think you can go wrong selecting either. However, I have four Vicmarks that I have been using for 18 years and, like other have said, my main reason for selecting them is the hex key for tightening.

 

[rickjudd]

I'm curious what model chuck and jaws you were using. The few instances that I've had problems, I blamed my tenon size, placement, or profile, not the chuck.

Sorry Darrel, it was awhile back, don't remember exactly which Nova and jaws (likely dovetail). FYI, I'm of the camp of sizing the tenon to fit almost closed jaws to get as close to a circle with the jaws.

 

[JeffSmith]

I did not have the same luck Bill B. had with my Nova/Record chucks. of the nine chucks I had only two were 0.0015” runout. All the others were between 0.002” and 0.005”runout . All of these chucks had inserts. None of the four Axminster chucks I have never exceed 0.0015” runout and all are direct thread.

Not sure if I’m allowed to post this - I’ve only got Oneway chucks - Strongholds, Talons and a couple of older Oneway tommy-bar chucks, but, during a demo many years ago (so long I don’t remember who the demonstrators was, but he mentioned that he had been a rep or maybe a dealer for Oneway for several years) He was getting set up and before mounting a chuck on the club lathe he took two Oneway chucks and gave them a nice whack, back to back (knocking the taperlock adapters together. Producing an Allen wrench he checked and tightened the screws on one. He explained that it was a good thing to do to make sure the adapters were fully seated every once in a while.
I’ve been doing that ever since and am always surprised that there is occasionally some slack taken up in the process.
The moral - if you’ve got runout, check that the adapter is fully seated.