What Chuck to Get

[Isaac Litster]

Upgrading lathes, and needing a bigger chuck than the mini Nova. I only have one set of jaws, so not dedicated to one system. However, with a new chuck, we will be getting more jaws, which is worth considering. I am considering Nova, Vicmarc, or Oneway. I am located in an area that requires only online shopping, and some sites won't ship here. Because of that, I am wondering what chuck line has the most jaw options, the best availability, and prices. Because of that, my first idea was Nova, they seem to have good prices, big enough jaws, they have good availability, etc. Is there anything wrong with that? is there any flaws, or does anyone have anything for me to consider, I have not bought anything, and no complaints about my existing mini Nova.

 

[Jim Curtis]

For a system with high quality components and a very wide range of jaws you might want to consider Axminster.

 

[Phil Hamel]

I have 4 Nova jaws and have had no issues with any of them. I shopped around and got 2 of them with different sets of jaws from Amazon. Nova has many size jaws available. I would see who ships to Alaska first and make my decision on that.

 

[Jon Minerich]

I concur with Jim. Axminster makes several fine chucks. I use their Evolution SK114 and SK100. They have a large number of jaws for these chucks and the jaws are all interchangeable and quick change. They are available through the Woodturning Store (online).

 

[Earl McLain]

I just checked PirateShip and could ship a 12" x 11" x 6" box weighing 8 pounds from NW Indiana to Petersburg. AK for $13.88 (using USPS Ground Advantage Cubic). Most online retailers focus on one shipping method to streamline their business, which i understand, but that handicaps folks living in some areas.

So...with some good study and planning it may be possible to arrange shipping to a trusted friend in the lower 48 who could receive a parcel then reship. Might open some opportunities for you.

Looks like a beautiful place to live!!

 

[Brian Gustin]

. Is there anything wrong with that? is there any flaws, or does anyone have anything for me to consider, I have not bought anything, and no complaints about my existing mini Nova.

Nothing wrong with Nova at all. and in fact that's pretty much what I will be focusing on nowadays (I have two no-name china brand chucks, neither of them will interchange jaws with each other or with the Supernova2 I have) the china branded chucks it can be difficult to even get jaws that fit properly, while the Nova series chucks seem to have a nice wide range of jaws (as well as aftermarket sets on Amazon, but I'd suggest using great care buying those, and carefully dig through reviews - I wouldn't buy them if they didn't have a good number buyer reviews that matched up with the product itself.)

Other than the Novas , if you wanted cheaper options, you might also consider PSI woodworking (also available on amazon) - but as noted these are china made but at least there may be additional jaws sets you can purchase and have fair degree of confidence they'll fit the chuck. I don't know a lot about the other brands (and jaw set availability) mainly because for #1, I am cheap, and for #2, I also am pretty much restricted to buying online (including any hardwoods that aren't maple, oak or cherry)

 

[Tom Lucas]

I have Nova and Vicmarc. No question, the Vic is superior with thicker jaws and greater range of adjustability. Nothing wrong with the Nova's though, especially for the price, and the Titan is a really nice chuck. Don't overlook the value of adjustment range. For the "standard" 2 inch jaws, my Vic has considerably more range on the upper end than my SN2's. This has come in handy several times, like when inserting square spindle blanks directly into the chuck without the need to turn a tenon.

Long term I plan to replace my Nova's with Vics.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Maybe this will help your decision. I have Nova supernova 2, Record Power, and Robert Sorby Patriot chucks. Jaws interchange on all three brands, same size mounting screws, all three take the hex drive to operate the jaws. The only mechanical difference between them is the Sorby has a little more travel in the distance the jaws open and close so this gives more flexibility in sizes of tenons/recess you can use.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Check out KMS Tools in Canada and see if they will ship to you. Their sale prices are compelling, and with the exchange rate it ends up being a very good deal.

 

[Tim Dunbar]

i have 2 chucks, one is a oneway talon which is used on my 12" jet lathe i have had no trouble with the oneway, very well made, my other chuck is a Easy chuck i have been using it for about 6 years, i have a set of all the different jaws they make, changing a set of jaws out takes about 30 sec. also have the large set of cole jaws and the extension set, it is a very well made and "easy" to use chuck, no screws used to change out jaws just pop in and out, made in usa
i have no experience with vic-marc but if i had had a need for another chuck i would like to try one, i have heard nothing but good things about them

 

[William Rogers]

OneWay, Vicmarc, and Axminster are all top of the line chucks. Nova and Record are a good value and widely used. I had 7 Nova and Record chucks. I preferred the Record chucks over the Nova as the jaw slides are larger and at the time Nova chucks were left tight. All of these chucks required you to remove screws to change jaws. The reason I had 7 Nova and Record chucks. Sold all of the Record and Nova chucks and went with Axminster. With the Axminster you don’t need to remove screws to change jaws. You do need to buy jaw slides for each set of jaws, a lot less expensive than a chuck body. I also chose Axminster because of their large selection of jaws including the O’Donnell Jaws not offered by any other mfg. They are direct thread chucks and stainless steel body. I did keep my Hurricane HTC 125 chuck as it is also a very good chuck. I had bought this when I had my PM 90 and was the only chuck I could find at the time with a 1 1/2 - 8tpi. I changed the insert to fit my Robust. Very happy with the Axminster and don’t miss stuck/stripped jaw screw.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

Vicmarc has been my go to chuck for 25 years.

 

[robo hippy]

Stuart Batty, Mike Mahoney, Glenn Lucas, and many others only have the Vicmark chucks. Me also. I have no experience with the Axminster chucks, but they are supposed to be good.

robo hippy

 

[Larry Copas]

I went to a one week craft school to learn how to learn how to turn. The school had all of the different brand chucks so I tried them all. I liked Oneway and Vicmarc the best. I gave a slight edge to the Vicmarc because it used a standard metric allen wrench to adjust so that is what I started buying. After 8 years no regrets but I think I would have been just as happy with Oneway. I have noticed a lot more used Oneway chucks and jaws on ebay so that could be an advantage.

When I went a David Ellsworth's shop a few years ago he had Vicmarc and Oneway chucks but the Vicmarc's were the only ones that got used. That may say something.

 

[Kirk Amidon]

I don't put as much stock in what the big name turners use, as I suspect there is some level of manufacturer help in many cases. That said, any of the name brand chucks mentioned above will suit most of us quite happily.

Since you don't have much to start, you can standardize on whichever one suits your fancy and meets your shipping requirements.

 

[Bill Alston]

I have Axminster SK100, Record Power SC2 and Supernova 2. Best quality is without doubt the Axminster, they also have the biggest range of jaws. Record power isn’t bad quality and better in my opinion than the Supernova. The Supernova was cheap though, much less expensive than the Axminster.
Much depends on what sort of projects you want to turn whether or not a large range of different jaws is useful to you or not.

 

[hockenbery]

am considering Nova, Vicmarc, or Oneway.

All the chucks out there work pretty well.
Regarding your list I would add Axminster to the list and scratch Nova.
That’s my personal view.

We have a vicmarc 120, three ONEWAY strongholds, and an ancient nova( Nova got better but never interested me in coming back.

I prefer the vicmark for bowls and small things (ornaments, ring box) gripped in a perfect circle.
I prefer the ONEWAY for spindles and holding finials with tenons.
My wife prefers the ONEWAY dovetails for platters - she does 14” platters with 1/8” tall tenons.

Check the jaws available.
If you want to hold square spindle stock often I recommend the ONEWAY profile jaws.
If you do a few now and then the vicmark dovetail jaws will almost always hold well enough.

 

[Dean Center]

The surface on Nova chucks/jaws get a 'tarnish' or roughness with use that I don't see happening with Oneway and Vicmarc chucks. On the plus side, all the jaws fit all the chucks, and they work adequately at a little lower price. Ditto Record Power chucks.

What size lathe are you putting the chuck on? That might impact your decision. As someone mentioned, the hex wrenches are much preferable over the geared tools, at least to me.

As for a source, KMS Tools is a British Columbia company that sells and ships to the US, and had an outstanding sale on Nova chucks last fall, with a very tolerable shipping cost. If shippers charge by distance, they could save you some dough. Good to work with. Also, Home Depot, of all places, is a decent source for turning gear. You might want to check their web site.

 

[Richard Coers]

I'm a huge fan of Oneway. I have Talons and Strongholds. I have one cheap Chinese chuck for ornaments on a mini lathe, but would not use it for bowl work.

 

[JeffSmith]

I started with Oneway chucks a couple decades ago and now have seven of them - from the tommy bar version to the talons and strongholds, they all get used on a regular basis. They’ve held up through it all without a problem - not even a stripped screw. They do get blown out regularly and I do spend some time about once a year and get all them together for a good cleaning. I’ve used Vicmark and Nova chucks and consider the Vicmark the only serious equal to the Oneways. If you’re planning to keep on turning for a while, plan to invest in the best tools you can. It pays in the long run.
I’d suggest you heed the words of someone before me who seemed to have it right when they said that when you buy good tools, you only cry once…(I paraphrased).

 

[Doug Freeman]

I’m a Oneway fan. The bodies are stout, good amount of adj to opening, but what I really like are the profiled jaws, they grip well adjusted to any opening. Have a Stronghold. I use the profiled tower jaws, #2 & #3, for anything of any size. Dont notice any added vibr due to the height, they improve access to the bottom, and can grip a 1-1/4” long spigot for hf’s. The top 1/4” is dovetail.

Have a nova g3 for smaller stuff - it works well but I’m not a fan of their jaw selection. More tilted to mortice vs tenon, and I use a tenon 98% of the time. I have various jaw sets but really only use the 50mm bird beak and record power 35mm bird beak jaws.

 

[Omer Klee]

I have Axminster Evolution SK100 and SK114 as well as a Clubman SK100.
I also have Vicmarc VM100 andVM120 chucks along with a couple of Multistar.
I had a Nova and let it go with my first lathe. I much prefer either Axminster and Vicmarc.
I'm not a fan of the drill chuck style tightening so eventually the Clubman will be replaced but I'll hang onto the Multistar because I like the small jaws.
If you go with Vicmarc I recommend getting them from Branches to Bowls (Ken Rude). Those that he offers are direct threaded (no adaptor needed).

 

[Adrian Wilson]

I have Axminster Evolution SK100 and SK114 as well as a Clubman SK100.
I also have Vicmarc VM100 andVM120 chucks along with a couple of Multistar.
I had a Nova and let it go with my first lathe. I much prefer either Axminster and Vicmarc.
I'm not a fan of the drill chuck style tightening so eventually the Clubman will be replaced but I'll hang onto the Multistar because I like the small jaws.
If you go with Vicmarc I recommend getting them from Branches to Bowls (Ken Rude). Those that he offers are direct threaded (no adaptor needed).

Ken sells them with adapters also.

 

[Gary Conley]

I started with a Nova G3, which I still use with a spindle adapter on my American Beauty for most small spindle projects. I then got into Record Power, and have three S4 chucks with multiple jaws (I really like the 100 mm deep bowl jaws) - nice chucks, and jaws interchange with Nova. I then picked up a Oneway Stronghold and several larger serrated jaw sets, which have been my go-to for larger turnings. I recently added a Vicmarc VM120 with standard, step and 5" jaws, and wish I'd started there - I prefer the crisper edges on their dovetail jaws, so I believe I'll be expanding my Vicmarc collection as funding permits. But honestly, I have no complaints over any of these brands, they all work well.

 

[Isaac Litster]

Thank you all for the information, I now will have two new chucks a Vicmarc VM120 from a lathe just bought, and a Nova Titan bought from an immensely kind and helpful member of this forum. We will see how they do, and unfortunately, I hear that the VM120 is not 1-1/4 8TPI, so it will need a new insert/adapter. I should be getting it next month, so I'm not sure.

 

[JeffSmith]

I’m a Oneway fan. The bodies are stout,

I, too, am a Oneway chuck fan. The Strongholds are great holding anything I can fit on my lathe (robust AB). Smaller stuff is where the Oneway Talon shines. I’ve got profiled jaws and tower jaws for both sizes, but use the smooth dovetail jaws the most - #2 and #3 sizes for both chuck sizes, with a set of larger Vicmark dovetail and step jaws and Oneway/Vicmark adapter slides to fit them to the Strongholds (best of both worlds).

I also use an older Oneway chuck - the tommy bar version. It takes all the Talon jaws. I find it very useful for smaller detail work like finials.

 

[Darryl Fective]

I have multiple Nova chucks and I really like them. If I were to start from scratch, the quick-change chucks would be very tempting. A member of our club just sold his assortment of chucks after getting one. Rather than owning multiple chucks to avoid swapping jaws, you could save your money for other stuff and do just fine with just one chuck.

 

[robo hippy]

Thank you all for the information, I now will have two new chucks a Vicmarc VM120 from a lathe just bought, and a Nova Titan bought from an immensely kind and helpful member of this forum. We will see how they do, and unfortunately, I hear that the VM120 is not 1-1/4 8TPI, so it will need a new insert/adapter. I should be getting it next month, so I'm not sure.

All of my Vicmark 120s are 1 1/4 by 8 tpi. I think they do make some where the threads are machined into the body, and some with inserts. Only ones I want inserts on are the mini ones, but I got one that is dedicated for my mini lathes. I do have one old 120 that turns the opposite way to tighten and loosen.

robo hippy

 

[Isaac Litster]

All of my Vicmark 120s are 1 1/4 by 8 tpi. I think they do make some where the threads are machined into the body, and some with inserts. Only ones I want inserts on are the mini ones, but I got one that is dedicated for my mini lathes. I do have one old 120 that turns the opposite way to tighten and loosen.

robo hippy

I have no pictures of the VM120 that I am getting, but I hear that the previous owner had to use an adapter to use it on his 3520c. That is all I know. Hopefully, I can get a different adapter, hopefully, it does not have the threads machined into the body with the wrong threads that are not 1 1/4 by 8 tpi. Maybe it is too soon to be concerned.

 

[robo hippy]

I first used my Vic 120 on my 3520A, and no adapter was necessary. I did try an adapter on my first lathe, a little 4 speed Atlas, and got a lot more wobble. Never tried the adapter after that. Add to that, the farther a piece is cantilevered off of the headstock, the more vibration issues you will have.

robo hippy

 

[Dennis Weiner]

@Isaac Litster If you are upgrading to a larger lathe, the VM120 is a chuck whose chuck jaw line is one of the most diverse in the woodturning industry. Whatever direction your turning may take you in the future , Vicmarc will probably have the necessary jaws. It is a good investment. I own the VM120 and VM150 with dovetail jaws up to 9". I also own the Axminster with the Odonnel Jaws. The Oneway stronghold and talon. All in all, if I had to own only one Chuck manufacturer it would be Vicmarc. IMHO.

 

[Eugene McCabe]

I have had good experience with Nova. But I have the Infinity quick change series which is out of production and I can't seem to find additional parts, like an extra chuck.

Eugene McCabe

 

[Russell Nugent]

I have had good experience with Nova. But I have the Infinity quick change series which is out of production and I can't seem to find additional parts, like an extra chuck.

Eugene McCabe

They're discontinued so far as I know. Iveseen some jaw slides at KMS tools here in western Canada, that's about it.

 

[Earl Recker]

If you have been happy with the nova chuck I'd buy another. They are hard to beat for the price.

 

[Eugene McCabe]

I would love to buy another Nova Infinity Chuck, but I can not find any. Suggestions?

Thanks,
Gene