• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Rookie question about chucks

Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
290
Likes
360
Location
Highland, MI
I bought a Rikon 1218 on sale a few months ago to see if I'd like woodturning. Now I'm solidly hooked and already planning to get something bigger when I can.

My question is whether there's a reason not to get a SuperNova2 insert type chuck to use with the 1"x8 threaded 1218. I know it's a little overkill for that lathe, but I'd prefer to get a chuck that can be used on a bigger lathe later.

I've already got a 1"x8 G3 chuck, but can see the convenience of having more than 1 chuck when having multiple projects going.

I welcome any and all useful info and advice
 
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
101
Likes
47
Location
Pueblo West, CO
Most turners that are very serious about woodturning have many chucks. I guess that I have 7. The super nova is a good chuck. I think I have 3 of them. Nice not to change jaws all the time. With it you can change the insert should you get a different lathe in the future. Allyn
 

Bill Boehme

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
12,886
Likes
5,169
Location
Dalworthington Gardens, TX
Website
pbase.com
Chuck size should be based on the size of the piece of wood that you are turning and not the size of the lathe. Even though I have a Robust American Beauty with a 25 inch swing, most of the time I use a small Oneway Talon chuck even though I have larger chucks. Using an oversized chuck can introduce restrictions on how close you can get a bowl gouge to the tenon or mortise. Besides, within the holding range, a small chuck can hold the wood just as well as a large chuck. My personal philosophy is to only buy things that I need (most of the time :rolleyes:).
 
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
290
Likes
360
Location
Highland, MI
I think my poor little Rikon would fold in half just trying to hold that monster up, not to mention the table my lathe is sitting on.
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
346
Likes
209
Location
Bashaw, Alberta
I used the supernova on my comet ii lathe without issue. It's really not that big of a chuck. I probably wouldn't use my titan iii in there but then again wouldn't have a reason to.
I also still use a nova midi chuck on my big lathe. It's really helpful to have a small chuck for christmas ornaments.
 
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
1,175
Likes
1,269
Location
Haubstadt, Indiana
The SuperNova chucks are good. I had a couple of them and a G3, but have sold them. I’m going to suggest you wait until you get a larger lathe before investing in another chuck. For your lathe a SuperNova is not going to do anything more than the G3. I actually liked the G3 better than the SuperNova for my midi lathe. When I bought my second full size lathe I bought two SuperNovas. They are good chucks, but I wasn’t overly happy with them. I then bought two Record chucks that were a bit better IMO and the tighten the “right” way. The Record chucks are a copy of the Nova with bigger slides and can use the Nova jaws. At some point I had about 10 chucks all with different jaws. In reality you use maybe two jaw styles 90% of the time. I ended up selling most of those chucks and eventually bought the Axminister brand. I have two and jaw change is easy vs removing screws. My other chucks I still have is a Record with pin jaws that didn’t sell, a Hurricane HTC125 that I like very much, and two Axminister chucks with different jaw options. I went with Axminister because they are direct thread instead of insert, stainless steel body, and a variety of jaw styles some that other brands don’t have. There are the Vicmarc and One Way chucks that many like. So if do you decide to buy a chuck now for future use I wouldn’t limit my selection to Nova. I would’t recommend the Axministerat this time because they are direct thread if you buy for the midi lathe they won’t work without an adapter on a larger lathe.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
I have a Supernova2 chuck on a Rikon 70-050VS which has been replaced with a newer version. Like the SN! I also have the pen jaws and Cole jaws for it. Most of my turning is pens but I can see the advantage of having more than one chuck. Welcome and good turning.
Remember, one good turn deserves another!
 
Joined
Sep 27, 2017
Messages
396
Likes
204
Location
Windsor, Pennsylvania
I feel like a piker having only 4 chucks. I will sya that for simple repetitive work, the tommy bar chucks are easy to open and close quickly. However, if you do any thing requiring many starts and stops the centrifugal force can open(loosen) the jaws on a tommy bar chuck.
 
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
2,960
Likes
1,907
Location
Brandon, MS
I have 6 chucks and the SN2 is my fav of those. Have 4 SN2 , a G3, and a barracuda. Now for what is good about the insert SN2 is you can get (and I do have ) inserts for 1 1/4 and 1 inch allowing me to use them anywhere. So by having the insert SN2 you will be ready to advance or go remote to other lathes. Oh I like the hex key on the SN better than the gear type chuck.

Weight of a SN is not a problem for a mini lathe once it turns you are good.
 
Back
Top