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Oneway Chuck, Vicmarc Jaws: a perfect pairing - Why the Divorce? (Versa Slides) ;-*

E

Edward Kerslake

Joined
Aug 15, 2023
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Location
Cambridge, MA
Craft Supplies used to sell a product called the 'Versaslides". Basically replacement dovetails for the chuck that would allow Vicmarc jaws to be used in a Oneway Stronghold chuck.

I can't find mention of this product in the last decade. Why did they part ways? (pardon the pun, I couldn't resist)

Seriously, Vicmarc has an exceptional range of Jaws and I would very much like to use them on either the Oneway or Axminster large chucks that I already own.

Has anyone got any comment on these (while I continue the hunt for a set) or have any alternative mechanisms to get this to work?

Thanks to all
 
I remember slides like that but they were for using Vicmarc on Nova chucks. They did not work very well (I think I still have them someplace). I think it would be easier to buy a knockoff Vicmarc compatible chuck which I did way back when I needed to use the Vicmarc 8" jaws. Have since gotten some Vicmarc chucks but the 8" jaws are still on that chuck.
 
For me it's like this not everybody when starting out can afford a Vicmarc product. I have Nova, Vicmarc, Oneway, Bulldog and Axminster chucks. Every one of these chucks works just as good as the other, the difference for me is what you pay for them that is why over half of my chucks are Novas. I don't listen when everybody spouts about their chuck being the best brand because I have them all and I truly feel not one brand is better than the other. I have used most of these chucks for over 20 plus years and as I have stated many times before I don't choose a chuck from the cupboard for the brand but what jaws are on any chuck I need. Just remember this Vicmarc got started by copying the Nova chuck so don't put anybody down for using a certain chuck with another companies jaws.
 
Edward Kerslake said:
Bill
Do you know what knockoffs of the Vicmarc chuck work? I didn’t even know they existed
Click to expand...
As stated above Bulldog chucks do as well as in the past the chuck from Grizzly also would take Vicmarc jaws. The Bulldog chuck is a better choice than the Grizzly. Now days the 4 1/2" Bulldog is about $50 less than their closest Vicmarc sizes, the big Bulldog that I have the 8" Vicmarc jaws on are out of stock. As far as I know Vicmarc is the only company that makes 7, 8, and 9 inch jaws. The only time I use the 8" jaws is when I'm making a run of wooden dinner plates.
 
Remember with Chinese goods you get the quality the seller has asked for up to and including the best quality to the worst quality. I see that Grizzly is still selling their chuck and the price has only risen by $7 over 15 to 20 years so I would think the chuck is still the same quality that it had when 15 to 20 years ago I got one and gave it away.
 
A while back, some manufacturers offered crossover parts - here’s a set of Vicmark jaws for Oneway Stronghold chucks that Oneway sold. I’d guess that there probably wasn’t enough of a market to support manufacture/inventory etc. that said, they work very well for using the full array of Vicmark jaws on my Strongholds when needed.
I found these at the pre-symposium ‘garage sale’ that Craft Supply used to hold just before the Utah Symposium. Got them to use to adapt a set of Raffan step jaws to my Stronghold…Only used those jaws a couple of times and they’ve been sitting in a drawer ever since. The slides continue in use on a set of shark jaws and a set of large diameter jaws from Vicmark. Also, at the same sale found a set of Vicmark 100mm jaws that were machined (by Vicmark) for the Stronghold chucks. These I have used nearly daily since finding them - great jaws.
IMG_3180.jpeg
 

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Edward Kerslake said:
Those Oneway adapters are like Hens teeth :)
Click to expand...
Thinking out loud, but perhaps if enough demand was expressed for them Oneway and Vicmark just might resurrect these things. I wouldn’t think that there would be enough demand on an ongoing basis, but I do appreciate the design of the Vicmark jaws I’ve got, and their larger sizes come in handy. And they work flawlessly (at least the ones I’ve got) on the Stronghold chucks as do the Vicmark jaws machined for the Oneway slides. Both of these companies manufacture well designed and consistently accurate equipment
 
I wish I'd snagged those jaws when they were available. If Oneway no longer intends to produce, perhaps they might be persuaded to make the CAD files available so we could CNC ;-)

Or, if enough of us expressed interest (poll?) they might reproduce
 
I don't remember exactly what these were for, either Vicmarc to Nova or Oneway to Nova (my best guess Vicmarc or vice versa). They came with longer screws.
 

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I'm surprised that some entrepreneurial CNC machinist has not jumped on the bandwagon of making a larger jaw for Oneway and Aminster chucks. The Slides seem tough to make, the Jaws are just a circle ;-*

Seriously though, enough of us want these Vicmarcs for the larger jaws that it behooves the other manufacturers to make some effort....no?
 
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