Which Chuck
#11
I have recently upgraded my old small lathe to a Jet 1642. I am mainly turning bowls and platters but I am working on a vessel currently. I have always used face plates and live centers but as I am observing here and through books, I should also use a chuck. I sure could use some recommendations please. Cost is not as big of an issue as quality. Bowls are generally in the 10-14inch range and I turn both dry and wet wood. I greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you. David
Reply
#12
I use a Oneway Talon chuck and have been extremely pleased with it. I think it's only meant for use on turnings up to 12", though, so you might have to move up to the Stronghold chuck.

Dave
"One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyrany, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
Reply
#13
Most often folks pick a brand and stick with it since you can get different jaws to fit multiple chucks. Even if you don't plan to have more than one chuck now it's helpful to keep that in mind. Common brands include Nova, Oneway, Vicmarc and Hurricane. Any of those should do what you need. As mentioned above, make sure you get the right size for your intended turning.

Doug
Reply
#14
I'll add EZ Wood to the good chucks category. My personal preference is Nova. Most of the jaws for Nova are interchangeable between different chucks, so if at some time you upgrade or change to a different lathe, your jaws aren't wasted. Oneway I believe is a better chuck (better fit and finish) than Nova, and it also costs more. Nova and Oneway chucks have a very wide variety of jaws. Not sure about Vicmark and Hurricane. Record Power is another chuck now being offered at least via Craft Supplies USA. Another thing to consider is that EZ Wood and Nova both offer quick change jaws. If you need to change jaws often, that can be a real advantage.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
Reply
#15
I use a Vicmarc VM120 on my 1642. I'd buy the same one again or consider the Easy chuck.
Cellulose runs through my veins!
Reply
#16
I have been using the Vickmark for years, and I can't wear them out. I did get to see Carl Jacobson demo for our club and he has the EZ chuck that is the quick change thing. He tried out the Nova quick change and said there is no comparison. I may add an EZ to my arsenal... I was really impressed with it.

robo hippy
Reply
#17
A chuck minimizes fiddle and mount, offering more time for turning. I have one of the original 1988 Novas, still in use, and two SuperNovas. I can change chucks faster than others change the newfangled jaws, and the cost of two is similar to the one. Worth considering, unless you have to have the latest thing.

The one chuck I use almost every turning is my pin chuck. Still $70 at bestwoodtools.com. Pin jaws are a fair substitute, but a guy could own one chuck body and a pin chuck and do almost any crossgrain work swapping between.

I only use my jaws in wedge mode, though I own "spigot" jaws. I wouldn't buy them again, so that's one set you can skip. Pin jaws, and something ~2" wedge for up to 16", especially supported with a tailstock, are my "necessities". The 75(NOT)mm lives on the third chuck. It will hold a rounded 2x2 in compression mode - most handy - and features wide faces on the jaws for larger long grain work, where you might not prefer a faceplate.

Whatever chuck you get, I'd recommend those three type jaws, and a pin chuck.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
Reply
#18
Even if you are not moving jaws around, it is helpful for slow folks like me to stick to one brand of chuck to minimize work-in-progress bouncing around on the floor. That is because Oneway does righty-tighty for compression and Nova doe righty-tighty for expansion. So if you had been using (say) a Oneway a lot but happen to be using a Nova for something, then you can absently loosen the chuck's grip when you give it that final tightness check before you last finishing cuts.

I like the Nova chucks except for the gaps in the sizes of what you can grip in compression. If I turned more often, that would not be a problem. Nova fixed that in their new quick-change chucks but the costs seem unreasonable.

I do have and use occasionally a Vicmarc VM140 that came with a lathe. It is excellent quality and the Vicmarc CS was excellent when I had questions. I would use it more often but several of the jaw segments for different sizes got lost before it reached me.

I have used Oneway chucks in classes. They work okay (as long as I stop and think about which way to tighten), but Oneway seems to prefer serrated jaws for compression and I prefer the dovetails.

There are currently ~10 Nova chucks and 1 Vicmarc in my shop. Of course, we also have 4 turners in the family and 2 different spindle sizes on the lathes.
"the most important safety feature on any tool is the one between your ears." - Ken Vick

A wish for you all:  May you keep buying green bananas.
Reply
#19
SteveS said:


I use a Vicmarc VM120 on my 1642. I'd buy the same one again or consider the Easy chuck.




+1 on the VM-120. Mine are going on 15 years old and there's still not a trace of slop in either one.
I can't say that about my SN2's, which both have some play after only a few years.

I personally prefer a dovetailed jaw face to a straight toothed. There's benefits to either, but that's my preference.
---------------------------
Czarcastic (Steven)

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
Reply
#20
When Stuart Batty was here for the Oregon Woodturning Symposium last March, he commented that the difference between a British turner and an American turner, was that the Brit had 1 chuck with 10 sets of jaws, and the Yank had 10 chucks with 10 different sets of jaws. MM, I am guessing that you haven't seen that EZ chuck in action. You would be hard pressed to match the jaw changing speed.

robo hippy
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.