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Chucks are like clamps

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ron Sardo
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Ron Sardo

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Chucks are like clamps, you can never have to many.

So how many turners here have more than one chuck?:):D
 
Only one so far but I have aspirations and dreams.:cool2: I can see where multiples so you wouldn't have to change jaws would be a real time saver.
 
I have 4. My original Nova, 2Vicmarc 100's and 1 chinese copy of he Vicmarc. I've been wanting another one. I have 1" 2" 3" and 4" jaws and it would sure be nice to have all of them mounted. I would also like to have one of the vicmarc tommy bar chucks for my smallest lathe.
 
This will sound horrible but since my Dad took up turning I have bought him one chuck that 'we' use on the minis and he just bought a Talon to go on the 1642 he 'inherited' from me. I have a Stronghold at home. I'll inherit it all back someday but for now only one chuck.

Frank

PS: He was the master woodworker but now he is fastinated with my turning. So its fun dragging him along to club events, symposiums, etc. He is 77 and I'm 48 and its great to something new to do together.
 
Five Talons -- didn't take long to spend more on chucks than I spent on my Jet 1220. One has jumbo jaws, two with standard jaws, one with #1 step jaws, and one with standard jaws and a chuck spur.

One of the online stores recently had Talon body-only kits (no jaws, woodscrew, or insert) for $100, so I went a little overboard. But man it's nice not to have to change jaws around.

-jon-
 
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Two for now. My first was a PSI Barracuda2, the second was a Vicmarc VM-120 to handle larger bowls & hollow forms, next will be either a VM-140 or the new VM-150.
The Vicmarc 15" & 19" bowl jaws (for removing tenons) are the largest around, short of making my own.

I still use the Barracuda2 for small spindles.

I was advised to stop using the nylon No-Lock Spindle Washers during a class I took recently from Donald Derry:), and it has really paid off. I was getting very small rippling (could not see it, just barely felt it) that just wouldn't go away - after taking off the washers and hand tightening the chucks (I do use Boeshield T9 on the threads) no more ripples.
 
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Four, of which I regularly use three. Pin chuck, of course, old Nova and two Supers. I keep the pin jaws on one, the 50s on another, and the so-called 75s on the third for tenon work.

I could live with two Novas, but the third came with the used lathe, and it's nice to be lazy.

Now as to clamps, I have close to 100, ranging from "C" clamps I no longer use through pipe, bar, Bessey K and quick grips. Never enough of the right size, of course. How I ever managed to work back in the days when I had maybe 20 I'll never know.
 
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I have two Strongholds, but will probably be getting a talon soon. I inherited one from my dad but picked up the second so I would not have to change jaws so often. I would like to find a pin chuck but they are not in the catalogues. Does anyone know where I can find one?

Marc at Teal lake
 
Three Talons, two original Oneway Chucks and two Beall collet chucks and I use all of them regularly. I have a Nova DVR lathe with a 1 1/4" spindle and a Oneway 1224 with a 1" spindle, hence the need for so many:)
 
LHauch said:
I was advised to stop using the nylon No-Lock Spindle Washers during a class I took recently from Donald Derry:), and it has really paid off. I was getting very small rippling (could not see it, just barely felt it) that just wouldn't go away - after taking off the washers and hand tightening the chucks (I do use Boeshield T9 on the threads) no more ripples.
Click to expand...

Interesting! So does the Boeshield prevent the possible lockup that the nylon washer is supposed to prevent? I have been using the nylon washer on my PM3520 and have not noticed a problem but then I am still somewhat new at this.
 
You can't have just one.

Let's see - four nova chucks (2 G3, and two super2's) and a Oneway Stronghold. I keep getting into situations where I'm working on several projects, and I don't like to take a piece off its chuck before its time. And I suppose I should count the collet chuck - and the Sierra vacuum chuck..

OK, I'm a tool junkie...
 
I've Technitool's Midi, Super Nova, a Titan - these with just about every jaw set they make (all interchangeable). I've also picked up one of the large Vicmarcs with the two larger bowl jaws, since they've got the best ones on the market.
 
teal lake turner said:
I have two Strongholds, but will probably be getting a talon soon. I inherited one from my dad but picked up the second so I would not have to change jaws so often. I would like to find a pin chuck but they are not in the catalogues. Does anyone know where I can find one?

Marc at Teal lake
Click to expand...

www.bestwoodtools.com and a search on "pin chuck" will show a $70 unidirectional version. Depending on your spindle thread, might have it made by your local machine shop. As long as I was willing to pay for the nonstandard 1.25/8 tap, three places offered to make it for 50 bucks. The tap was more than BestWood's version, however.

Clever machinists that they are, they make the flats too narrow for the jaws of the average crescent wrench, though they obligingly offer a pin spanner. I use an old (right-handed) monkey wrench instead.

If you start on a chuck now, you may find that you don't need another one once you get the pin. Starts pretty much anything you want to start for the pain of boring a hole.
 
Three Novas rigged for the wife's mini and three SN2s for the Powermatic and a collet set. Planning on a vacuum chuck too.
 
mpax356 said:
Interesting! So does the Boeshield prevent the possible lockup that the nylon washer is supposed to prevent? I have been using the nylon washer on my PM3520 and have not noticed a problem but then I am still somewhat new at this.
Click to expand...

Yes, it should - Boeshield T-9 (I found it at Sears) was developed by Boeing for lubrication and protection - the info they provides is that it contains solvents, lubricants and waxes, "dries to a thin waxy film that clings to metal for months."

I heard about it on at least two different wood-working pod-casts, so I thought I'd try it. I started using it last year (anything with a bare metal finish, like the band saw table) and it worked as advertised. I spray it on the tail stock quill at least once a month, and all the pivot points for the cams.

The explanation for not using the nylon washer was that it can compress and end up actually causing the threads to seize up. Don also advised to try to tighten the chuck down as much as you can manually (give it a hefty shove,) that way there won't be any play in the joint area.

Most of the turners in our club have stopped using the washers (and most are not even using the Boeshield) and no one has reported a problem.
 
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Griesbach said:
Three Novas rigged for the wife's mini and three SN2s for the Powermatic and a collet set. Planning on a vacuum chuck too.
Click to expand...

I was feeling weird for a while, I thought I was the only one with 6 chucks. 2 Supernovas, 3 SN2 and one noname I picked up from Ebay with tommy bars (I liked this one so much I purchased an spindle adapter when I upgraded to the 3520b).

Of course this doesn't count the 4 homemade pin chucks, 2 homemade vacuum chucks and a few Jacob chucks.
 
I have several

Let's see. at least 3 original Novas, a Talon for the Mini, a Stronghold, a Supernova with Cole jaws which will be for sale at Five Barns, a Talon with Jumbo Jaws, a small scroll chuck for my old Craftsman lathe, a vac chuck I just finished, more jam chucks than I can count, Jacobs chucks, a Ken Grunke eccentric chuck on a Nova. I think that's it.

So Ron, if you're feeling weird about having a few chucks, it looks like we're all right there with you:D.
 
Vicmarcs here: Two VM-100's (3.5"), one VM-120 (5.5") and one Grizzly knock-off of the VM-100. This doesn't include one of the "mini" chucks from Penn State, which works marginally well enough when I am feeling in a daring mood to use it on something small.... I'd still like to have another VM-120.....if a good deal can be found.

More likely, the next chuck I'm looking for will be another VM-100 (or clone) for use on a "finishing lathe" I'm putting together using a headstock from a 1930's Rockwell Model 46-525 lathe, one of the Vega treadmill motors, and a cabinet from a laboratory shaker....

Interesting thread...

Rob
 
Four thus far. I have 2 of the big Vicmarcs, and d2 of the smaller Vicmarcs. On the big ones, I have one with the standard jaws, and one with the 4 inch jaws. On the small, I have one with the standard jaws, and one with the extended pin jaws.
robo hippy
 
Multiple Chucks

2 Talons, 2 Axminster 4 inch, 1 SN2, 1 Axminster Collet Chuck, 1 Jacobs chuck, assorted and sundry shop built wooden faceplates and a shop made donut chuck with several sizes of donuts.

John :)
 
chucks

Have 3 Talons for my 1640 oneway. I hate changing jaws, to the point I avoided doing a project. Not a problem now, Also have 3 nova chucks somewhere which couldn't be modified safely (per Oneway), used on my dormant shopsmith. Gretch
 
chucks

1 stronghold and 1 Jacobs saving my pennies, thinking and hoping to upgrade lathe instead of more chucks :D
 
Currently three oneway stronghold chucks. Will purchase a fourth at the Symposium in June. My plan is to keep the #1 jaws on one, the standard #2 jaws on another, #2 tower jaws on the third and #3 jaws on the fourth. Those are the configurations that I use most often.
 
Four. Teknatools... Titan, two SN2s, and a Compac. The Compac is dedicated to my VL100 MiniLathe.
I need one more SN2, and I'll be satisfied....yeah, sure...
 
I'll let you count them. :D Also have a pin chuck, Teknatool Midi and old Super Nova. I've added another set of jaws since the picture.
 

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Hmm chucks:
2 talons
1 griz Vicmarc knock-off
1 Escoulen type 1
1 lee valley, little expansion / screw chuck
2 mt2 drill chucks

more is better

Mark.
 
At one time, I had a Nova chuck and a small and large Vicmarc. All sold now. (I think these were pretty good chucks overall, but all of them had the old style lever bars for tightening the jaws. This is a real pain in the butt, as some of you know......sometimes it really helps to have a third hand! I'll NEVER, NEVER, NEVER purchase another chuck that isn't key operated.)

I now have three Oneway Strongholds, and I'm completely satisfied with their versatility. I have purchased all of the jaw sets for the Stronghold. I keep the Mega Jumbo jaws permanently attached on one of the strongholds. The #2 jaws seem to be the most used jaws, so it's more-or-less a permanent attachment. The third Stronghold is my "do all" and gets changed to the remaining jaw sets more frequently.

At another time, someone suggested that I may want to get the Oneway Talon for it's smaller diameter body, but I haven't had the need......yet! I say "yet" because I know that sooner or later I'll probably find a particular application where the smaller diameter body would be a better solution to my needs. At that point, I'll probably break down and get it!

otis of cologne
 
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Here's a quick suggestion to make changing out jaws on lathe chucks much easier:



You DON'T have to crank down on the screws like your torquing heads on your engine!!!!!



Snug is good enough.



.....and makes it much easier to change jaws!



otis of cologne
 
I have and use - 3 Axminster 4" chucks - with a number of extra jaw sets also. Started with the Axminster and liked it and thought it would be good to keep using the same brand (the jaws fit all three). I also have a vacuum chuck, Beale collet chuck. They all get used. What else am I going to spend my 401(k) money on? :D:D:D
Hugh
 
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