Which Chuck to buy?

[Jake Truxal]

What chuck would you guys recommend for turning bowls 8" - 12" in diameter?

 

[john lucas]

Oneway Talon or Vicmarc 100. I use the Vicmarc because I prefer the hex chuck key but I have used the talon quite a bit in demos and it's an excellent chuck.

 

[Vaughn]

In addition to the ones John mentioned, I'd add the Teknatool Nova G3 or Supernova 2 to the list. Both are fully capable of handling bowls in the size range you mentioned.

 

[Bill Blasic]

All the above mentioned chucks are very good chucks. My choice was and is the Nova chucks as all the jaws from Nova (with the lone exception of the Titan Power Grip jaws) fit all of their chucks. If you move to a different chuck with Nova you don't have to buy the jaws you like because they are interchangeable among the chucks. The negative that is always spoken of the Nova chucks is that they open and close by turning in the opposite direction of the other listed chucks. I solved this by only having Nova chucks and they all open in the same direction. Chucks and lathes, everyone has their favorites but I feel safe in assuring you that if you pick any of the above listed you are going to have a great chuck.

 

[waltben]

My first chuck was an old Super Nova and I've picked up a Titan, G3, and Mini (tommy bar) since. All jaws interchange between all of them. My only problem with any of them has been that you've got to disassemble the Titan every now and again to blow out the dust. The first time I did that, the circlip went flying - Technitool sent me a new one right away, but that's why my next one was a G3 with it's open back. They're so much easier to clean out that there's no comparison. Only other drawback to their line is the lack of a really big chuck. I got a big Vicmarc to solve that.

 

[John King]

Vicmarc

Vicmarc 120 is the only way to go. In my opinion, it has superior gripping strength required for large diameter bowls. And the hex key system for tightening the jaws cannot be matched by geared chuck keys. Go with Vicmarc. You will not regret it. - John

 

[Jake Truxal]

Not ever using any of these chucks this gets confusing I see a wide range of prices from an $89 self centering chuck at PSI to $500 for a Baracuda. Is there really that much difference in quality?
Seems everyone has their favorite chuck. What are the primary differences betweens the ones suggested above and what features should I be looking for. I look at all these chucks and they all look the same to my uneducated eye so I'm having alot of trouble deciding Seems most come with #2 jaws and all seem to have pretty much the same add on accessories. Most of my projects will be bowls (upto 12") and candlesticks and such. I don't make pens. Thanks again for helping work thru this.

 

[Jake Truxal]

btw, price is a primary consideration.

 

[justaccord]

Jake,

While you don't always get what you pay for, price and quality are sometimes related. In the case of chucks, I believe definitely so. It may not be possible to solve both of your problems (best chuck, less money) at the same time.

Vicmarc and Nova chucks have dovetailed jaws. The practical effect is much better holding power than talon, barracuda, etc which have straight jaws.

Dovetailed jaws hold work much more securely.

Vicmarc mechanism and machining are wonderful. As said above, you will not regret buying Vicmarc. However, they are also the most expensive.

I own both the a Supernova and 3 vicmarc 120's.

Needless to say, I don't use the Nova that much.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Price....

Nova 2 on sale see:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005199/4174/TEKNATOOL-SuperNova2.aspx
for $140 no tax, free shipping for orders between 10/13 - 10/21 per last Woodcraft catalog. You may need insert. Nova is $23 but I think their $6 Woodriver inserts work, but no doubt aren't machined as well. Check.



The Vicmarc 100 knockoff by Grizzly is a great choice for $100 plus shipping. Uses standard Vicmarc jaw sets if you ever need them.
Shown as their "3-3/4 Lathe Chuck" here:
http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2009/Main/130
Includes one of several standard inserts.

Either of these chuck, jaw setups will do the job for you. Unless every penny counts get the Nova.

 

[Jake Truxal]

thanks for the extra detail guys, that helps alot

 

[Mike Peace]

You have been given a variety of chucks to choose from, all of them excellent chucks. I believe a factor would be the size of your lathe. If you have a mini up to 12" I would get a the smaller chuck like a G3, Talon or VM100. If you have a larger lathe I would lean toward a SN2 or VM120, costing more money because of the larger size.

Most folks buying a quality chuck like what they get regardless of manufacturer. Like most tools, buy the best you can afford is a good rule of thumb. You will never regret buying a quality chuck. You may (or not if you don't turn much) be disappointed with a cheaper chuck like a Grizzley, Barracuda or WC housebrand.

 

[Richard Baker]

I liked my first $99 Griz chuck (it was only $79 then) well enough to buy a second one for a different jaw set. I use that original chuck nearly every day and have not been disappointed in any way. No doubt the fit and finish of the expensive chucks are better, but mine grips the wood securely and causes it to rotate when the lathe is turned on. Definitely like the hex key operation, and jaws are said to interchange with Vicmarc jaws.

 

[Odie]

Unless you don't get what you pay for, most of the chucks being produced these days will probably suit your needs very well.

I started out with a small Nova chuck. It was a good solid well made chuck, but had the Tommy-bars. I now prefer keyed chucks. The Nova is too small for my current applications, but is a very good quality chuck.

I had two Vicmarc chucks.....believe they were 3 1/2" and 5 1/2". Extremely high quality. I can understand why those who are currently using them, feel very good about them. The two Vicmarcs I had, both used the Tommy-bars......and, once I started using a key to tighten the jaws, the Tommy-bars became a "deal killer" for me!

I purchased my first Oneway Stronghold about 15yrs ago. This was my first chuck that was keyed. The Stronghold suits my needs with no shortcomings that I've ever run into. Since my first Oneway Stronghold, I have purchased two more, for a total of three Stronghold chucks. I have added every set of jaws that are currently available, plus have the Mega Jumbo Jaws for doing bottoms of bowls. I keep the Mega Jumbo Jaws on one chuck permanently, and a second O.S. chuck has the #2 standard jaws affixed permanently. (The #2 standard jaws are my most used jaws.) The third chuck is kept for using all the other auxiliary jaws. This system works perfectly for my needs, and there is a minimum amount of jaw switches.

I sold the Nova and the two Vicmarcs on ebay a few years ago. There really is nothing wrong with either of these two brands of chucks, but the Oneway Stronghold chucks serve EVERY purpose I have on the lathe.......so, why keep them?

ooc

 

[Odie]

And the hex key system for tightening the jaws cannot be matched by geared chuck keys.

Howdy John King......

Why do you feel the hex key is superior to the geared chuck key?

I've never had, or used a hex key operated chuck, so I don't understand your thinking on this.

I do own three Stronghold chucks, and I've never felt like there was a disadvantage to the geared key......but, here's your chance to make a point.

I would think, internally, the two types of chucks operate on the same principle......scroll. Am I right? If I am right, then the holding power of one over the other can't be at issue........?

ooc

 

[Dave Moore]

for me it's access, sometimes

Odie, sometimes when gripping a roughed, dried bowl on the inside (in a spot quickly cut with the bowl gripped by the original tenon, then reversed) in expansion mode, so as to finish the outside profile, and maybe the foot too depending, the chuck is almost entirely inside the bowl, and the regular key has no straight shot for access.
When this happens with my hex keyed vicmarc I can just use a regular allen wrench to reach in there and snug it up.
With a geared key my sense is I would be unable to do that, though I've never used one so it's a guess on my part.
There's other ways to get it done, of course, but that's my strategy often and with bigger, deeper bowls I have to reach further into the bowl to find a spot where my jaws (usually step jaws for this) will get a grip, and by then most of the chuck body is pretty much inside the bowl.

 

[Odie]

Odie, sometimes when gripping a roughed, dried bowl on the inside (in a spot quickly cut with the bowl gripped by the original tenon, then reversed) in expansion mode, so as to finish the outside profile, and maybe the foot too depending, the chuck is almost entirely inside the bowl, and the regular key has no straight shot for access.
When this happens with my hex keyed vicmarc I can just use a regular allen wrench to reach in there and snug it up.
With a geared key my sense is I would be unable to do that, though I've never used one so it's a guess on my part.
There's other ways to get it done, of course, but that's my strategy often and with bigger, deeper bowls I have to reach further into the bowl to find a spot where my jaws (usually step jaws for this) will get a grip, and by then most of the chuck body is pretty much inside the bowl.

Thanks for the insight, Dave......

Hmmmmm, interesting......that's a new on on me! Ok, I can see that!

I've never had a need to do that myself. I wonder how common it is for the average turner to have a need for putting the chuck far enough into the bowl interior to prevent adjusting the jaws.......?

Are there any additional reasons why the hex key chuck has an advantage over a keyed chuck?

ooc

 

[Joe Gorman]

Jake, it sounds like you are turning on a mini or midi if you are and intend to stay there for a while, I would go for a barracuda2 at PSI. I have 2 and I think they are real good chucks. I was using them on my Rikon and am using them now with an adapter on a pm 3520b with an adapter.

They can be had for less than $200 and you get a full set of jaws at that price.

Now that I have a full size lathe, I will be buying a heavier chuck but until I scrape the money together, I will be using my Barracuda2 chucks. I have turned many 12" bowls with them ... no problem.

I would stay with a barracuda2... don't go for the barrracuda with the tommy bars... I have one of those but seldom use it.

You might want to look into making a donut chuck for finishing the bowl bottoms (outside); that will save you money by not having to buy Jumbo Jaws.

Joe G.

 

[Mark Warden]

Odie did you ever strip 1 of your keys? I never used a oneway chuck but I'm in the market for a big chuck and that is a factor I have stripped drill chuck keys in the past but I don't know how similar the key on a chuck is.

 

[LHauch]

Hi Jake,

If you plan on doing production bowl turning (cranking out more than 4 to 6 a day, every day) then you might just get a VM or Oneway and try to find one with the tommy bars (faster.) I cannot comment on the Nova chucks, as I have never used them, while I have used both VM and Oneway chucks.

If you are just getting into turning, then I agree with Joe, when I first started turning a few years ago, I picked up a Barracuda2 from PSI and it works well. When I upgrade my Lathe to a Nova DvrXP (a year later,) I also decided to upgrade my chucks (I didn't care for the adapter which pushed the chuck out over an inch from the headstock) so I bought a Vicmarc VM120 (I now have two, and will be adding another soon.) If you are going to be reverse chucking bowls/platters over 12" with cole jaws, then the VM120 cole jaws that can handle the larger sizes than any of the other manufacturers. In fact, even the cole jaws for the VM100 handle larger size bowls and platters.

While I have also purchased several jaw sets for the VM, for some things, the Barracuda2 works just fine. When I am threading inserts, using tubing (brass, PVC, etc.) the straight jaws (and pin jaws) on the Barracuda2 work just fine. When our club demos at different fairs in the area, we usually take a Jet Mini, so having the Barracuda2 with it's 1x8 thread means I have a chuck that I can use without having to buy adapters for 1x8. I can also put on the 1 1/4 x 8 adapter at home, do some preliminary prep work (having several stages of a project for hands-on) then remove the adapter and head out to the show.

Cheers,
Larry

 

[Dave Moore]

average, huh?

Odie said;
"I wonder how common it is for the average turner to have a need for putting the chuck far enough into the bowl interior to prevent adjusting the jaws."

Odie, that made me chuckle, trying to figure out what an "average " turner might look like.
Maybe we're all average. Or maybe none of us are, who knows?

It's not that I need to do it that way, as I said there's other ways to go, but I choose that strategy for speed and convenience for production runs.
About thirty seconds or so to true the rim and turn the recess for the expanding jaws, gripping the tenon in compression mode with the closest diameter on the step jaws. Then reverse to grip the inside of the bowl so I can get at the outside profile. No tailstock involved, so access is unlimited, and I can turn the profile and then the foot to fit whichever compression step in the jaws seems best.
Sand and finish the profile and the foot, reverse one more time to finish the rim and inside and it's done. For production runs this works well for me, no changing chucks or jaws, and no tailstock to work around.
A 10-12 inch bowl goes from dry rough turned to finished in about 20 minutes, including sanding and an oil and beeswax finish.
On a good day.
Other days, ..... well, you know how it is.

 

[Petteri Leppikallio]

When I had my small lathe I bought three Nova Midi chucks, previous version with tommy bars. Very nice and fast chucks. Easy to use, knock out rod works very well as one tommy bar, can be supported well with the turning muscle. I still have those chucks and use them with adapter often. I also have Vicmarc VM100 and VM120 which are great chucks. Accuracy seems to be better as well as holding power when it is needed. Best chuck so far considering the accuracy and overall design is Axminster's "Precision Woodturning Chuck". However in the size range mentioned almost any chuck would work. Excluding those el cheapos with "metalworking" jaws. Rest is accuracy, comfort, expected length of life (of the chuck of course...)

 

[john lucas]

Odie I like the hex key better for several reasons. The main one being if you lose it, misplace it, or forget to bring it with you when you travel, you can simply go to the hardware and buy another. It's just a 10mm allen. You can't do that with any of the geared chuck keys.
I've also seen geared chuck keys break a tooth and some of them are a little finicky to get onto the slot and engage a tooth. I've never had that problem with the hex key.
I use jumbo jaws or even homemade jaws on my chucks from time to time. The key that comes with the chuck is too short for these. There are two very quick and easy solutions for this. One is to buy a Ball end allen wrench. These can adjust the key at really odd angles which makes it really easy to reach in. the other method is to simply weld a short piece of 10mm allen to a longer rod with a T handle and make your own longer wrench, which is what I did.
That's why I like the Vicmarc chucks so much. That and they are excellent quality.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Odie did you ever strip 1 of your keys? I never used a oneway chuck but I'm in the market for a big chuck and that is a factor I have stripped drill chuck keys in the past but I don't know how similar the key on a chuck is.

You would have a hard time stripping a key on a chuck. Main difference is a drill is tightening down on metal, and drills you really crank down so they don't slip. With wood if you crank down too hard you crush all the fibers and have a hard time putting it back in the same place again.

I have 5 Strongholds and would buy more if I needed them. It comes down to being too lazy (in a hurry?) to have to change jaws and jaw compatibility between systems/manufacturers. Where's a standards committee when you need them?

 

[Odie]

Odie did you ever strip 1 of your keys? I never used a oneway chuck but I'm in the market for a big chuck and that is a factor I have stripped drill chuck keys in the past but I don't know how similar the key on a chuck is.

Hello Mark......

Nope, never have stripped a Stronghold chuck key.

As you've imagined it to be, the Stronghold key is very similar to standard chuck keys used on hand held drills and drill presses.....only on a much larger scale. The key is pretty massive, comparatively speaking.

I've never had to crank very hard on the chuck key to get the grip I needed. The Stronghold will transmit a lot of gripping power to the jaws without much effort. Matter of fact, I've broken a couple of bowls on the mega jumbo jaws.....sure disappointing! :mad: For gripping a tenon, the jaws have ribbed serrations for extra holding ability. It's normal for these serrations to crush the wood grain slightly, and this is all part of the intended procedure. If you really wanted to crank hard, I'm sure you could really crush the grain of the wood far more than is necessary for a good grip.

From my experience, I feel the Vicmarc chucks are every bit the equal of the Stronghold chucks. If my older Vicmarcs had a keyed operating principle instead of the Tommy bars, I still might be using them! The Vicmarc is also built on the scroll principle, but remind me of heavy duty chucks made for metal turning. The Stronghold uses a design that is more similar to the Nova.....not an advantage, nor disadvantage, just engineered a little differently.

I would have no problem recommending either the Stronghold or Vicmarc, if a big chuck is desired.......but, I'm sure most quality chucks, these days, are just as good. I can say the Stronghold currently meets my needs, and I've been very happy with all three of mine.......

ooc

 

[Odie]

Odie said;
"I wonder how common it is for the average turner to have a need for putting the chuck far enough into the bowl interior to prevent adjusting the jaws."

Odie, that made me chuckle, trying to figure out what an "average " turner might look like.
Maybe we're all average. Or maybe none of us are, who knows?

It's not that I need to do it that way, as I said there's other ways to go, but I choose that strategy for speed and convenience for production runs.
About thirty seconds or so to true the rim and turn the recess for the expanding jaws, gripping the tenon in compression mode with the closest diameter on the step jaws. Then reverse to grip the inside of the bowl so I can get at the outside profile. No tailstock involved, so access is unlimited, and I can turn the profile and then the foot to fit whichever compression step in the jaws seems best.
Sand and finish the profile and the foot, reverse one more time to finish the rim and inside and it's done. For production runs this works well for me, no changing chucks or jaws, and no tailstock to work around.
A 10-12 inch bowl goes from dry rough turned to finished in about 20 minutes, including sanding and an oil and beeswax finish.
On a good day.
Other days, ..... well, you know how it is.

Yep, can't argue the point, Dave.......!

Maybe from my biased point of view, there might be quite a few average turners out there.......but, every one of them will disagree with me, and will likely consider himself to be far from average!

Sounds like you've honed your technique(s) to a fine point......but, if you're like me, the minute you think you've mastered a technique/procedure......then you discover something new! Ha!

I suppose this is why I've been "tuning in" on this forum from time to time over the past few years. It would have been easy for me to become satisfied with my woodturning as it was before I discovered the internet........but, I'll have to admit that, as a result of this forum, I've changed and/or modified my ways of doing things on a number of occasions. This forum keeps me from becoming stagnated.....and, at other times, it serves to reinforce that which I knew before coming here.

....and, yes......I know how it is!

ooc

 

[Odie]

Odie I like the hex key better for several reasons. The main one being if you lose it, misplace it, or forget to bring it with you when you travel, you can simply go to the hardware and buy another. It's just a 10mm allen. You can't do that with any of the geared chuck keys.
I've also seen geared chuck keys break a tooth and some of them are a little finicky to get onto the slot and engage a tooth. I've never had that problem with the hex key.
I use jumbo jaws or even homemade jaws on my chucks from time to time. The key that comes with the chuck is too short for these. There are two very quick and easy solutions for this. One is to buy a Ball end allen wrench. These can adjust the key at really odd angles which makes it really easy to reach in. the other method is to simply weld a short piece of 10mm allen to a longer rod with a T handle and make your own longer wrench, which is what I did.
That's why I like the Vicmarc chucks so much. That and they are excellent quality.

Your point is well taken, John......

I'm beginning to see there are valid reasons why some turners might prefer the hex key, but the appeal isn't universal.

You bet.....those Vicmarc chucks are excellent quality. I'd have a hard time saying they are superior to the Stronghold, but they do possess the kind of quality that gives a sense of satisfaction to the user.

ooc

 

[Jim Killen]

I own three Oneway chucks, a Stronghold and two Talons, which I've used for several years without any problems. When I bought the new Nova DVR lathe a couple of months ago, I got a free SuperNova 2 chuck. I was impressed with the fit and finish of the Nova chuck, and the sealed back plate. It appeared to be better made than the Oneway chucks, so I bought some extras for it. I also like the idea of interchangeable jaws across their product line. After using it in several situations, I find that the Oneway chucks have better holding power. Even the much smaller Talon holds better than the SuperNova. I can't comment on any of the other high end chucks, I've never used one, but based on my experience, if I was only going to own one chuck I'd buy a Oneway.

PS. I want to meet the guy who can strip the Oneway key..............I'll buy him a beer!

 

[KurtB]

One of the first demos I saw was Mike Mahoney, who went into some detail about why chucks hold well. It's really a two part story: how well does the tenon profile match that of the chuck jaw, particularly when you have dovetail jaws; and how well does the surface of the piece mate with the faces of the jaws. Both of these things are required to get the optimum holding power.

The photos posted here are of the three chucks I own, an earlier Nova (left), a Oneway Talon with the tower jaws(lower right), and the 3.5" Vicmarc. The two jaws by themselves are the stock jaws that came with the Nova. I know this isn't an apples for apples comparison, but it illustrates a point. Whether you have dovetail or straight jaws, the key points are the same: do you have a angle between the tenon and the face that matches your chuck jaws very very closely? And, does the face of the piece extend far enough to have a mating surface with the jaw's complete face. This bearing surface of the jaw face is as important as the profile when it comes to holding power. You can see from the photos that the Vicmarc jaws have the widest faces (I looked at the stock jaw photo in the Craft Supplies catalog for the Oneway, and they look like they are a little narrower than the Vicmarc).

I watched Mike Mahoney turn a 12" bowl with a tenon that was about 1/8" long, but the angle was true and the piece completely covered the faces of the jaws.

One other important factor should be mentioned as well. As your skills progress, you begin to understand the importance of sharp tools and tool control. As a result, the lateral forces being applied to the piece are much less than they would be with dull tools and incorrect tool angles. The point being that any chuck will do the job as long as you pay attention to the tenon shape and the mating surfaces, as well as improving your skills for hollowing in particular. I feel that the Oneway and Vicmarc chucks provide some advantages over and above everything else out there, even if the advantages are small.

 

[Steve Worcester]

...... For gripping a tenon, the jaws have ribbed serrations for extra holding ability. It's normal for these serrations to crush the wood grain slightly, and this is all part of the intended procedure. If you really wanted to crank hard, I'm sure you could really crush the grain of the wood far more than is necessary for a good grip......

Awhile back I started buying bodies without jaws and went to dovetail jaws for this reason. No serrations. It makes it easier to re-chuck a piece. But the holding power is probably related more to the profile of the tenon matching the profile of the jaws and having a load bearing surface to ride flat against the jaw face probably than the serrations crushing the wood (and not bottoming out on the chuck body, bad, bad bad!) .

 

[Odie]

Awhile back I started buying bodies without jaws and went to dovetail jaws for this reason. No serrations. It makes it easier to re-chuck a piece. But the holding power is probably related more to the profile of the tenon matching the profile of the jaws and having a load bearing surface to ride flat against the jaw face probably than the serrations crushing the wood (and not bottoming out on the chuck body, bad, bad bad!) .

Hello Steve......

Thanks for yours and Kurt's insight on the fit of dovetail jaws to matching tenons.....or recess. The insight you are giving me is opening a window to how, or more importantly, WHY some quirks of my own techniques may have advantages over techniques that seem to be "main stream" thinking among woodturners these days......

Concerning the fit of the tenon to the shape of the dovetail jaws.....yes, I can see the point of making those two surfaces mate perfectly. This would be especially true, if the bowl were chucked and rechucked during the process of finishing the bowl. The rechuck would naturally be in better alignment over a rechuck that depends on serrations for gripping power......I think you are right about that!

The reason why I'm using the serrated jaws, is no more complicated than "it's what I had, so I learned to use it" reasoning! The tenons made for the chuck jaws are cut parallel to the axis of the spindle.....simple enough to do. The serrations give outstanding holding power, but since they rely on slightly crushing wood fiber, it's true that rechucking may not always be in exactly the same alignment. However, in my own case, I only rechuck once.....after the wood warps anyway. Let me try to explain......I chuck up during the "roughing" stage, and once more, after the bowl is seasoned, warped, and ready for turning to a final shape. Perfect alignment isn't a priority, since the bowl has warped after the first chucking, but gripping power is ALWAYS a priority.

I'm going to put your input on the importance of dovetail jaws and matching tenon, or recess, turned into the bowl blank, in my mental notebook. If I have a need to rechuck, where the alignment of the two chuckings need to be exactly the same, I think I will apply the knowledge to that situation......

I hope you understand that my explanation isn't an attempt to say I've got a better method of accomplishing woodturning goals than you, or anyone else, but rather to point out that I've come to a method that works, and works well for my purposes. We all have honed our methods and skills to a level that suits our personal goals, no matter which paths we take to get there! :cool2:

ooc

 

[Richard Baker]

This is sounding a lot like a "chainsaw" thread.

 

[Joe Greiner]

Why would it not become like a "chainsaw" thread?

Regarding re-chucking, I've had slightly better results by marking the workpieces to identify jaw numbers. It won't compensate for subsequent warping, but anything helps to preserve the original engagement. Ditto even for spur drives, to accommodate minute tolerances in manufacture of the tools.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Why would it not become like a "chainsaw" thread?

Regarding re-chucking, I've had slightly better results by marking the workpieces to identify jaw numbers. It won't compensate for subsequent warping, but anything helps to preserve the original engagement. Ditto even for spur drives, to accommodate minute tolerances in manufacture of the tools.

I usually only rechuck after a sudden and unexpected disengagement of the bowl and the chuck which results in the bowl HOPEFULLY flying in the opposite direction of where I am standing.

 

[Jay Coulson]

Chucks? Well, I started with a barracuda from PSI that came in a kit with a few sets of jaws. It was/is a tommy bar chuck and, it served me well for a brief time. ThenI bought my first Vic 100. Blew me away to be able to get that kind of gripping power with the hex key. The next item was a stronghold and, I have to agree with some of the other posts here in that, I am not real fond of the stronghold key style as opposed to the hex. But, the stronghold certainly grips well enough for any mortal. I bot the big finishing jaws for the One way and, at the same time, got a vm 120. Well, the stronghold still has the button jaws on it. When the new baby is delivered monday, it's coming with 2 more 100's and 2 more 120's. The One Way will probably be relegated to a finishing chuck forever. If nothing else, the machining and construction of the Vics is, in my opinion far and away superior to the rest that are available, they don't load up with dust and, the gripping power is all I can ask for. Also, I think that the jaws available for the vics are superior to the others out there. The unbroken sets of jaws leave an almost flawless bottom if you cut your base to the right size. No dents! Like Odie, just my opinion. But, I think the quality of the chucks had a small part in my new lathe decision as well.
All the best,
Jay

 

[Odie]

Why would it not become like a "chainsaw" thread?

Regarding re-chucking, I've had slightly better results by marking the workpieces to identify jaw numbers. It won't compensate for subsequent warping, but anything helps to preserve the original engagement. Ditto even for spur drives, to accommodate minute tolerances in manufacture of the tools.

That is a great idea, Joe......

I am beginning to incorporate marking the jaw number on an adjacent spot on the bowl, myself. I don't know how much that will help in my particular case......but, as you say, it's gotta help to preserve alignment to some degree. For those who re-chuck where warp isn't a factor, I can visualize this practice can only be a benefit.

thanks

btw: What's a "chainsaw thread"?

ooc

 

[Joe Greiner]

...

btw: What's a "chainsaw thread"?

ooc

Drivel in the form of "mine's better than yours." Or, more generally, I am the center of my universe, and ignore overlaps with other folks' universes. Seen in roadway traffic every day, sometimes twice on Sunday.

 

[Jay Coulson]

re-chucking

When I make friction lid boxes, if I have to re-chuck, I almost always mark the jaws and the workpiece. Actually the vic chucks are so well engineered that, I'm not really sure it's necessary because they grip evenly all the way around anyway. But, if your piece is slightly out of true, then marking will put you right back where you were. I don't know how some of the other folks out there do things but, I've just tried to discipline myself into truing up whatever I fix to the lathe....jam chucks as well as the workpiece. It eliminates vibration and removes a great deal of error in the piece. Seems to me that, if the wood is even a littlebit out of true, the effects are magnified in the finished piece. It's really obvious when making friction fit boxes. You ( or rather I) can't possibly get a good fit of lid to base if either piece is off-sides. The joint will end-up skewed..maybe just a little bit but, if you're working wood that will take real close tolerances like blackwood for example, the difference between a good fit and not, is just sawdust off of the spigot. If you're un-true, a real dense wood will show you the bad match-up in spades. The vicmarc chucks just magnify this because, they are as perfectly true as a chuck can get. On the positive side, if everything is true, the vics award you with a well fitted lid due to their trueness. You just can't expect the finished piece to be any better than the chuck that's holding it.
Just my spin on this chuck thing.
A good friend recently told me that he was demonstrating at one of the big conventions ans that, 90% of the demonstrators requested vic chucks as opposed to the alternatives. Must be a reason for that.
J

 

[MichaelMouse]

Drivel in the form of "mine's better than yours." Or, more generally, I am the center of my universe, and ignore overlaps with other folks' universes. Seen in roadway traffic every day, sometimes twice on Sunday.

Yep, pride of ownership and aura of the "names" play a huge role in acquisition. Not in turning, mind you, but tool collecting.

If the recess or tenon is round, a dovetail can be rechucked as many times as you want, since it's non-destructive. Sort of like those metal rings they sell, it can't go wrong unless you MAKE it go wrong. If your chuck does not run true, it's usually your fault for not using the insert properly or getting crud under the jaws. Time to check, not mark, as in the bad old days of faceplates.

I've had four chucks and five sets of jaws to interchange (Novas), and NONE of them got out of adjustment once I set them right. Beyond luck.

 

[Jay Coulson]

chainsaw thread comments re chucks

Folks,
this thread began with a member asking a question about a chuck. A vitally necessary part of our wood turning lives. So, with perhaps 5 different manufacturers that are familiar to most everyone, how could this member requesting some advice or, anyone reading and patricipating in the thread avoid names of producers, price range, type of lathe etc? so, yes there has been some embellishment on the theme which is unavoidable but, in reading the posts, it looks like some basic chuck utilization info has been exchanged which, is pretty healthy don't you think?
It would be boring and, un-informative if, the responses were short, one line replies such as "buy a Nova"--with no supporting opinion as to why, personal experiences and yes guys, price. As a matter of fact, I believe that the gentleman who started this thread qualified his question by adding the criteria of price as being an issue as well. Just curious, in which alternative direction would you expect this thread to go?
J