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Looking for tips on Changing Jaws

KEW

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I hate it when I have to change jaws.
Between keeping up with the loose screws and cleaning the contact surfaces on the jaws and the chuck, it is a slow process.
I'm hoping for some tips so it won't be such an interruption to the flow.

What type of hex wrench?
Does anyone use a drill/driver?
Do you leave the chuck on the spindle?
How do you keep up with the screws?
Remove all jaws before installing new ones or swap one jaw at a time?
Etc., etc., etc.

TIA!
 

Max Taylor

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changing jaws

auto supply stores have allen wrenches with a handle that makes it easy. I take my chuck off the lathe to change the jaws. As for the screws, I never had that problem. I dont use a drill driver for fear of stripping the head of the screw. I sorta enjoy sitting down and changing the jaws by taking the old ones off and installing the new ones. Anyway, that is the way I do it. Have fun, Max.By the way, if it is too much trouble, just buy a chuck for each set of jaws you use. problem solved.Max
 
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My Oneway Stronghold came with a handled Allen wrench. I change the jaws with the chuck on a table. I usually put one jaw on after taking one off. I can imagine using a drill driver for doing this. I would think there would be a danger of over tightening the screws. Keeping up with the screws is not a problem since additional jaws are kept in the box they came in. If there are extra screws as when the smallest jaws are used, the extra screws are put in the box.
 
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changing jaws

I have a wood-handled clamp on the edge of the bench that has a perfect diameter for the chuck adapter to sit on so the jaws are steady and readily available. A piece of wood, turned on one end to the correct dia. would be the same aid when stuck in a vice.
I use a B*D 3.6v 'screwdriver' with a mag tip extender and a matching allen head. That cuts the time by 2/3. Strip off all the jaws, dump the screws into my hand, and remount, being careful to match up the numbers. Takes about 3 minutes. Philip


I hate it when I have to change jaws.
Between keeping up with the loose screws and cleaning the contact surfaces on the jaws and the chuck, it is a slow process.
I'm hoping for some tips so it won't be such an interruption to the flow.

What type of hex wrench?
Does anyone use a drill/driver?
Do you leave the chuck on the spindle?
How do you keep up with the screws?
Remove all jaws before installing new ones or swap one jaw at a time?
Etc., etc., etc.

TIA!
 
Joined
May 30, 2005
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SW Wisconsin
I change the jaws off the lathe. Remove all old jaws, then put the new ones on. I use a T-handle hex driver. Spin the shaft between your fingers and it is as fast as a drill, then use the handle for final tightening. That gives me control of the torque. I have Nova chucks which are metric, but I found that a 5/32" a hex wrench fits better and that size is easier to find a single wrench for - my local hardware store stocks them.
 
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Until you get impatient enough to acquire another body or two, the best advice I can give is change the jaws over a clean container like a shipping box from Lee Valley. That way the screws/jaws won't fall into the shavings heap. Tip in a multi-tip screwdriver is most convenient for me, though I have used the T-handled type.

My fear on using a driver would be cross-threading. Fine threads are prone to that. The clutch would keep you from overtightening. Another good reason for taking it off the spindle is so you can line things up with gravity as your friend.

I take the whole thing down to bare, give 'er a blast or two with the air, verify smooth operation and then reassemble. Keeps the occasional shaving from preventing a good seat and stretchess the time between COA cycles.
 

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
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Some good advice here.......

I've received the same advice about getting a spare Stronghold chuck......and since then, I've done exactly that!

I use the Stronghold Mega Jumbo Jaws for finishing the bottoms of nearly every bowl I make.....and now, there is a Stronghold chuck dedicated to that purpose only. I still need to change jaws on the other Stronghold chuck. Since I'm one who uses faceplates a lot, I don't use the Stronghold as much as some do, but the "T" handle hex wrench supplied with the Stronghold is exactly what this operation calls for.....

pfduffy, thanks for the tip on making up a block to hold the chuck while changing jaws......I think I'll do that. This ought to be useful in keeping the mating surface and threads free of dust and debris, as well.

otis of cologne
 
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For some reason, the screws in my Vicmarc always stick and take extra effort to unscrew even though I don't really tighten them that much. A little dab of white lithium grease helped solve that problem and a good cleaning of the chuck wouldn't hurt either, when I get a round tuit.

The Vicmarc screws are a bit too small for my liking, with only a 3mm hex key so a T-handle key is definitely the way to go.

The hex sockets in the screws always get filled up with crud --dig them out with a drywall screw first so the wrench bottoms, otherwise the key packs the crud in harder and you risk boogering up the socket or hex key.

And I keep some spare screws on hand, in case Murphy bumps my elbow or somethin'.
 
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I did cut off some hex wrenches for chucking up in my hand drill. The thing to remember if you use a drill is to set the clutch to a low setting. So many people set the clutch to the highest, or higher settings. This leads to stripping, and busting the heads off screws. The clutch is there for a reason, not only to protect the drill, but to protect what you are drilling/dirving.
robo hippy
 
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Longs, SC
I just grin and bear it. When I get like you, I try to remember life before I had a four jaw chuck.

Walt
 
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R-e-e-e-l-l-l-a-a-a-a-x

Kurt, with a magnetized T-wrench on a flat counter I unseat all 8 bolts first, then remove each bolt and drop all 8 into the open chuck center. Lift chuck and all the bolts are in one little pile. I have my #1 seat on the chuck painted green for quick and sure ID. The top of each jaw is dremel engraved and painted with 1,2,3 or 4 eighth-inch dots. Quick & easy to organize on the chuck. I set each one in place and loosely screw in. Then I tighten each counting 1 to 8.

I used to dread changing these jaws, but have come to slow down, relax and actually enjoy the break and the process.
 

john lucas

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I move the chuck to my tool rack/tool chest. That way if I drop a screw it's very easy to find. Since I need longer screws for my really big jaws and I bought extra screws when I was at the hardware, I keep them in empty plastic film cans.
I use the T wrench that came with the chuck. I have the Vicmarc and in the beginning had some screws stick so I put Anti seize compound on them. That was several years ago. I rarely have one stick now and haven't put any new grease on them.
I now have 3 vicmarc and 1 old Nova chuck and don't have to change jaws that often.
 

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
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I just grin and bear it. When I get like you, I try to remember life before I had a four jaw chuck.

Walt


Comments like this make me wonder if I'm missing something......!


I'm fully aware that I seem to be in a minority, here.......but, I've never been able to understand why faceplates are generally considered inferior to chucks.

Tell me what a chuck can do for a bowl, that a faceplate can't.

otis of cologne
 
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Paint #1 too

Clean workbench to keep tract of screws takes away stress.
You could also use a magnetic dish or simply a magnet to hold screws.
T-handle hex wrench. Fast and effective.
Factory boxes to hold extra jaws.
And those boxes sit in the chuck box with the T-handle wrench. Everything in one place.

Then... paint the #1 jaws of each set.
Quick identification and usefull on the lathe for times when the work might be taken off and later replaced. Just spin the chuck to put the painted jaw on top and mark the wood. Easy repeatability.

T-Bird
 

KEW

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Thanks!
I was having the "stuck screw" problem - I'll try some never-seize.
Lots of other helpful tips, also!
 
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Tell me what a chuck can do for a bowl, that a faceplate can't.

otis of cologne

Reverse mounts and re-mount. Though mostly a chuck is a convenience, not a necessity. Considering all the fuss time the chuck saves, it seems petty to worry about the time spent changing jaws.
 

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
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Reverse mounts and re-mount. Though mostly a chuck is a convenience, not a necessity. Considering all the fuss time the chuck saves, it seems petty to worry about the time spent changing jaws.

Howdy MM.....

With a screw center faceplate, reverse chucking isn't necessary, and remounts are probably faster than with a chuck......

I think you're right that the main advantage is convenience. You do not need to mess with a waste block when using a chuck, but that's not much of a consideration for me. Most of my waste blocks are attached with two sided tape.....this is really fast and convenient.

I expected to see feedback right away on this......giving me insight I hadn't considered before.......but, I think my suspicions about this were correct. For me, the faceplate is superior to the chuck.

I purchased my first Stronghold chuck nearly 20yrs ago, and after using it a few times......I went back to the screw center faceplates. Those Mega Jumbo Jaws are irreplaceable when doing the bottoms of bowls, though!

otis of cologne
 
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You need a couple of specialty items which are cheap.
#1 is one of those small magnetic parts dishes you can get at Sears or Harbor Freight. This keeps all the screws in one place and ready to go. It also holds the cleaned jaws.
#2, black and decker made a really cheap electric screw stick. They are everywhere for Christmas. Then a "shorty" magnetic insert for a screw gun and finally a Torx tip to match your screws from the auto parts store. The screw stick doesn't have more torque that your fingers. If you hold it really tight, it's high torque, hold it in your finger tips and it's very low torque.
I've been using this for almost 10 years and have not stripped out a single screw or jaw base.
Give it a try, works for me.
 
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Howdy MM.....

With a screw center faceplate, reverse chucking isn't necessary, and remounts are probably faster than with a chuck......

Not sure what the first phrase means. What I meant was reversing from an outside cut to make the inside. The screw center would make for a fairly thick bottom, I would think, though if you bored the hole and flattened prior to reversing it might be as fast as stuffing the tenon in the jaws or the jaws into the mortise. Just have to keep those threads from leading into the softer part of the grain and sliding it off center.

Re-mounting is something I don't think a faceplate can do well at all. Certainly not as well as grabbing outside or wedging inside. Even if you leave a waste block, marked for register, the dumb threads never seem to line up perfectly for me.

I learned to turn when chucks were pretty scarce, so I did a lot of faceplate stuff. Not going back, that's for sure. Chucks are just too handy.
 

Odie

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Not sure what the first phrase means. What I meant was reversing from an outside cut to make the inside. The screw center would make for a fairly thick bottom, I would think, though if you bored the hole and flattened prior to reversing it might be as fast as stuffing the tenon in the jaws or the jaws into the mortise. Just have to keep those threads from leading into the softer part of the grain and sliding it off center.

Re-mounting is something I don't think a faceplate can do well at all. Certainly not as well as grabbing outside or wedging inside. Even if you leave a waste block, marked for register, the dumb threads never seem to line up perfectly for me.

I learned to turn when chucks were pretty scarce, so I did a lot of faceplate stuff. Not going back, that's for sure. Chucks are just too handy.



Howdy again, MM......

I think we're on the same page when discussing "reverse chucking"....but, it should be noted that with a screw center faceplate, you are not required to reverse chuck at all. The entire bowl can be done from the same mounting point.....and if the moisture content is low enough to begin with, the entire bowl can be done with a single mounting (with the exception of the foot)......I'm sure you can visualize some advantages to that! If the bowl needs further seasoning, it can be done with a single remount......instead of multiple times!

With a waste block, the screw center faceplate screw doesn't penetrate the bowl blank. You can make the bowl as thin as you dare to!

Remounting with a screw center faceplate is at least as accurately repeatable as with a chuck, if not more so.....check it out! It's also quicker.....check that out, too! I understand the lack of repeatability with old style faceplates that use multiple screws, but with screw center faceplates, there is only a single screw in the center. Since there are no opposing alignment forces like in an old style faceplate, the single screw tends to follow the same thread grip when rechucking. It's easy and works extremely well......this style of faceplate is every bit as accurately repeatable as when using my chucks.

I, too, started with the old style faceplates......some 25+ years ago. I would hate to go back to those, too. I bought my first screw center faceplate about 20yrs ago, and bought a Nova chuck soon after that....followed by a Stronghold chuck and both sized Vicmarcs. I am not without experience with chucks......and it's my opinion, after having tried both, that screw center faceplates, for MY purposes, are the better lathe mounting option for bowls.

I sold the two Vicmarc chucks, and kept the Nova and Stronghold. I recently purchased a second Stronghold.

I realize woodturning is full of turners that have widely varying experiences, techniques, and preferences.....and, since I spent nearly all my turning in the complete absence of input from other turners, I'm probably the "oddball" here!.....I say that, because I'm well aware that most turners prefer chucks of one kind or another. Me? I don't see why, but each to their own!

otis of cologne
 
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ball end allen

Kurt- I spent a few years as a professional bicycle mechanic and things have to be done super fast all the time and you may or may not know that allen head bolts are pretty much holding a bicycle together. A ball end allen wrench is my fav tool for bikes and for jaws. Bondhus makes excellent ones in T-handles and regular handles as well as the L shape. I would get the regular round handle as you can easily apply enough torque with that and still get the bols loose with the same tool. The ball end allows the tool to still engage the flats from an angle up to maybe 35 degrees or something so there is no worry of damaging the bolt and its really fast. Once the bolt is loose, you just spin the tool with your fingers and leave the bolt right in the hole. Loosen all bolts and then pick up the jaws 2 at a time with the bolts still in the jaws and set them down in order. It takes about 5 seconds to remove 4 jaws. The Bondhus brand ball driver is about 2 bucks and will last your entire life.
 
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