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Scroll Chuck Levers

Eddie Howard said:
I recently bought a Scroll Chuck that did not have the levers with it. Where can I get some?

thanks
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the "tommy bars" that were supplied to the old style chucks that didn't use a single "key" for adjusting the size of the jaw grip?

-----odie-----
 
Eddie Howard said:
Thank you.....the size was what I was needing if I can't get originals.
Click to expand...
Take your (if too large to fit) metal rod/bolt and mount in your drill chuck. Rotate against a grinding wheel or sanding belt until it fits the hole in the chuck.
Maybe find a screwdriver that will fit after you cut or grind off the blade. You may have to remove the handle if too bulky.
 
Suggest you measure the holes in question so you end up with the right size bolts. They may well be metric, so if it's a sloppy 5/16 check to see how many mm it is. Most hardware stores now stock a reasonable assortment of metric bolts.
 
If I was going to use a threaded bolt, I would leave the head on so I could screw it in, then when seated where I want it, I would cut the head off. Watching Mike Mahoney at the recent Oregon Woodturning Symposium, he used the spindle lock and only used one tommy bar.

robo hippy
 
Doug Rasmussen said:
I don't recall which way the levers turn to tighten and loosen, but in one case aren't you risking unscrewing the chuck if the spindle is locked?
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. If the chuck is firmly seated on the spindle shoulder you don't need that much force on the spanner (or tommy bar). See Robo Hippy's comment above.
 
I bought a "fixed pin spanner"(round pin) to remove my Record chuck from the spindle. Because when I tried to use the chuck key to remove the chuck the set screw holding the insert would slip. The spanner should match the hole diameter and the diameter of the chuck (4-5") or threaded insert body. Available in many sizes (see link below). Although I rarely use that type of chuck I do prefer to use both tommy bars - probably because on my lathe I have to hold in the button on my spindle lock.
Fixed Pin Spanners
 
Doug Rasmussen said:
I don't recall which way the levers turn to tighten and loosen, but in one case aren't you risking unscrewing the chuck if the spindle is locked?
Click to expand...
I have four Vicmark chucks with tommy bars and I almost never use two bars at the same time. In twenty some years, I have never had the chuck back off from the spindle. I use the spindle lock and one bar. I would point out that adjustments using a tommy bar are far far faster than using a key chuck provided that you have a handy spindle lock.
 
john lucas said:
The best tool for tommy bar chucks is this. You never elongate the holes.
Click to expand...

Actually no. What you are showing is a hook spanner. If you were to use a pin spanner that would be better. Whatever spanner you use it should be designed for the chuck's diameter. Assuming the chuck is about 4" diameter and the hole is 5/16 or 8mm there may not be a "standard" pin spanner for that diameter with a 5/16" pin.

Some types of lathes that should not use the spindle lock would be older Delta's and similar lathes that used holes in the zinc alloy spindle pulley and small pin as a lock. You don't want to put much pressure on a small pin in zinc. Another group are lathes not to use are those with spring loaded lock pins.

Just use the two tommy bars and be done with it....
 
Doug Rasmussen said:
Actually no. What you are showing is a hook spanner. If you were to use a pin spanner that would be better. Whatever spanner you use it should be designed for the chuck's diameter. Assuming the chuck is about 4" diameter and the hole is 5/16 or 8mm there may not be a "standard" pin spanner for that diameter with a 5/16" pin.
Click to expand...
See my post #26 above. :)
 
Dennis J Gooding said:
I have four Vicmark chucks with tommy bars and I almost never use two bars at the same time. In twenty some years, I have never had the chuck back off from the spindle. I use the spindle lock and one bar. I would point out that adjustments using a tommy bar are far far faster than using a key chuck provided that you have a handy spindle lock.
Click to expand...
Although I have no empirical evidence to defend this, I like using the tommy bar on smaller 3.5" chucks. I have two OneWay chucks and one has the Cole jaws permanently attached and the other will usually have 2" profile jaws. I love the rapid open/close but I hesitate to use them on heavy or large turning. I would rather use the pinion gear chucks like the supernova2 or titian III for heavy and large turning (confirmation bias peace of mind).

I am also more likely to keep the OneWay chuck on for batches and even though, early on, I backed out the OneWay with the tommy bars while trying to release a workpiece from the jaws (using the spindle lock) since the grub screws are so easy to set and release one OneWay insert, I find it almost no inconvenience to set them when I thread the chuck on. Since I now use the grubs regularly, I can maintain a smooth cadence with one tommy bar while switching work etc. with no issues.
 
Here is a solution I came up with about 25 years ago to use with my original Nova chuck.
IMG_0251.jpg

IMG_0252.jpg
To use it I first put one of the bars into the smaller ring with the tool rest close for support, then use the custom spanner on the larger ring. The pin on the spanner slides in and out.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
To use it I first put one of the bars into the smaller ring with the tool rest close for support, then use the custom spanner on the larger ring. The pin on the spanner slides in and out.
Click to expand...
Nice tool, but I assume it can only be used for the final tightening. Cannot be used when the jaw slides protrude (open) past the body. I have the same chuck (1990) and rarely (never?) use it because I only have two hands! :p Once I bought my first keyed chuck I never looked back.
 
As far as those tommy bar chucks, I have never had any difficulty with them - can snug up the project one-handed usually, and even then if I need to use both tommy bars, I just stick them in holes close enough together that I can wrap one hand around the 2 bars and squeeze them to tighten up... so I tend to like them actually (I have both tommy bar chuck and a keyed chuck, and have no real preference for either, though if pressed to keep only one, I'd keep the tommy bar chuck)
 
Tom Gall said:
Nice tool, but I assume it can only be used for the final tightening. Cannot be used when the jaw slides protrude (open) past the body. I have the same chuck (1990) and rarely (never?) use it because I only have two hands! :p Once I bought my first keyed chuck I never looked back.
Click to expand...
Correct about the protrusion. I also only have 2 hands so I put 1 bar in the chuck & against the tool rest, then hold the work piece with my right hand and the second bar in the left hand to snug it up and as Brian said squeeze with one hand or for extra tight use the spanner.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Correct about the protrusion. I also only have 2 hands so I put 1 bar in the chuck & against the tool rest, then hold the work piece with my right hand and the second bar in the left hand to snug it up and as Brian said squeeze with one hand or for extra tight use the spanner.
Click to expand...
If you have a handy spindle lock you do not need a third hand and the whole mounting operation requires only a few seconds.
 
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