Need to as I have enough wood to build Abe Lincoln a log cabin. Need pros and cons for mini cole jaws for a Supernova2 chuck. Got some ideas I need to pursue. Thanks.
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- Thread starter John Torchick
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Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Pros for Cole jaws. You just need them.
Cons: none that I can think of.
Cons: none that I can think of.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Ditto the chuck... :-D
Never use them anymore. Jam chuck or vacuum chuck is what I now use.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
I use my vacuum chuck mostly also, but sometimes having the cole jaws is just handy for something. I have a small chuck from PSI with a set of jaws pretty much permanently installed and at hand when I need them. 
Budget doesn't allow vacuum chuck. Jam chuck would work, depending on the turning. I'm thinking of shallow plates or bowls. I have both and was wanting to get feedback from the forum.
I've got Cole jaws; rarely used them. Takes too long to set up each time. A jam chuck is quicker.
I use mine all the time. I have mine install on a dedicated Nova chuck.
I've had a set of Cole jaws for years. They came as part of a set. I've never used them, and have yet to find reason to do so. I ought to donate them to my local club. A jam chuck is quicker, easier, and accommodates almost any sort of bowl.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Well, one disadvantage of the Cole jaws is the grippers protrude so for shallow work they can present a challenge. But having them ready to go takes out the hassle of setup and increases their utility quite a bit for me at least for small boxes, lids and so on. They're just a useful tool to add to the shop in my (admittedly less knowledgeable) opinion.
Just like anything chuck related it is better if dedicated to the chuck.
Roger Wiegand
Beta Tester
I love my vacuum chuck when it works, but I find it much easier to re-center work with the cole jaws than on the vacuum chuck. I also often find it to be difficult/impossible to vacuum chuck pieces with cracks, ambrosia beetle holes, or a lot of short porous end grain. A much bigger pump might help solve that, but that's not a priority at the moment.
Jam chucks are great, but require turning another piece and only work with regular edges of certain shapes. Making one that holds without the tailstock in the way is an art to itself. It's how I learned to do it back when, but is now my method of last resort, at least for bowls and such. It's routine for things like boxes and peppermills.
A friction drive where the work is held between centers by pressure is often quick and easy, but suffers the same re-centering problems as the vacuum chuck. More problematic is having the tailstock in the way. I often make relatively small bases and find it often impossible to get to the inside edge of the rim to get a decent cut and make the shape I want. I suppose one could design a whole new set of bent tools to work around the corner, but I'd rather use a different sort of holder. OTOH, it's my routine method for truing up an tenon on a rough turned bowl.
I use all four methods as the piece demands, but the cole jaws are definitely a useful one. Accessing the entire bottom without the tailstock interfering is a huge advantage. as is the self-centering aspect of gripping the edge (at least when your bowl is round). I particularly like the holders on the Vicmarc cole jaws that are pyramidal in shape. They provide a much more positive grip than the more common round buttons.
Jam chucks are great, but require turning another piece and only work with regular edges of certain shapes. Making one that holds without the tailstock in the way is an art to itself. It's how I learned to do it back when, but is now my method of last resort, at least for bowls and such. It's routine for things like boxes and peppermills.
A friction drive where the work is held between centers by pressure is often quick and easy, but suffers the same re-centering problems as the vacuum chuck. More problematic is having the tailstock in the way. I often make relatively small bases and find it often impossible to get to the inside edge of the rim to get a decent cut and make the shape I want. I suppose one could design a whole new set of bent tools to work around the corner, but I'd rather use a different sort of holder. OTOH, it's my routine method for truing up an tenon on a rough turned bowl.
I use all four methods as the piece demands, but the cole jaws are definitely a useful one. Accessing the entire bottom without the tailstock interfering is a huge advantage. as is the self-centering aspect of gripping the edge (at least when your bowl is round). I particularly like the holders on the Vicmarc cole jaws that are pyramidal in shape. They provide a much more positive grip than the more common round buttons.
I use both jam chuck and cole jaws, depending on the shape of what I'm turning.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Well said, Roger.
Depending on the outer diameter of your workpiece, Nova also makes soft jaws that you can turn for the diameter and depth you need. I've made a set or two of compression step jaws for small work, but they'll max out at a fairly small diameter. I can't recall offhand but here's a link at Amazon for anyone interested. I have the G3 chuck with some of these.
https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-6021-Soft-Chuck-Accessory/dp/B0064JJEGW
Depending on the outer diameter of your workpiece, Nova also makes soft jaws that you can turn for the diameter and depth you need. I've made a set or two of compression step jaws for small work, but they'll max out at a fairly small diameter. I can't recall offhand but here's a link at Amazon for anyone interested. I have the G3 chuck with some of these.
https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-6021-Soft-Chuck-Accessory/dp/B0064JJEGW
Tom Gall
TOTW Team
Look into "Flat Jaws" to which you add 4 wooden sections (softwood works best). They work similarly to the "Soft Chuck" jaws that Mark mentioned above - but have a much greater capacity. Turn grooves which can hold your piece in either expansion or contraction mode depending on the rim style of your bowl/piece. Also centers perfectly. When the wood is used up just replace it with new pieces. Avoids the hassle of moving bolts & buttons. I never liked or trusted Cole jaws, but five years ago I bought a jumbo set at an estate sale. I discarded the buttons and added wood (actually PVC foam board) to make a set of very large flat jaws. Regular flat jaws, which are offered by most chuck brands, are only about 6" in diameter to which you can add larger pieces of wood - maybe 8"-12" for safety. My large Cole jaw plates are about 12" (?) so I added even larger jaw pieces because I have a 20" swing on my lathe. I will probably never need that diameter but it's available! I don't know if Nova offers them but here is an example for Oneway jaws to give you the idea. Cole jaws can be used in the same way with greater capacity. All that said....I usually resort to my vacuum chucks.
https://www.packardwoodworks.com/112650.html
I don't know if Nova offers them but here is an example for Oneway jaws to give you the idea. Cole jaws can be used in the same way with greater capacity. All that said....I usually resort to my vacuum chucks.https://www.packardwoodworks.com/112650.html
odie
TOTW Team
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Same here......dedicated stronghold chuck for the jumbo jaws......it's a bit of expense, but makes things so much more easy.
I had the original Nova chuck with the "tommy bars", and cole jaws....but, sold them about 20 years ago.....good chuck.
-----odie-----
Plates can be made from kiln or air dried lumber and you can depend on it being dry through out verses a 3" or more thick bowl blank that may never dry in the middle until it is rough turned. The blank for a plate can be mounted on it's face side using short screws, then the under side can be completely turned including a 1/8" deep dovetail recess. The top side can then be finished by mounting with expansion jaws in the recess so cole jaws are unneeded, plus you have access to almost the entire turning except for the area blocked by the chuck.
I have never invested in Cole jaws or a vacuum chuck and I can't say that I ever missed them. Note: my collection of jam chucks is getting out of hand.
I couldn't find a picture of the underside of a platter but this one was made using a recess.
I have never invested in Cole jaws or a vacuum chuck and I can't say that I ever missed them. Note: my collection of jam chucks is getting out of hand.
I couldn't find a picture of the underside of a platter but this one was made using a recess.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Nice photo Don. Nice work!
Yes, Don, nice work. That's what I plan on doing- something shallow.
BTW, the Nova chucks are on sale at Rockler through the 30th.
I use a Frugal vacuum chuck sometimes. I also have 3 Cole jaw sets - on 3 different chucks. They are each set up for different ranges of size. As well - a Longworth chuck from woodbine. I think of the Longworth as the "lazy Cole jaws"...because if your complaint against Cole jaws is the time to adjust them for the piece...a Longworth is faster then any other method.
...because if your complaint against Cole jaws is the time to adjust them for the piece...a Longworth is faster then any other method.
And you can make a longworth chuck pretty cheaply and easily or buy one online.As well - a Longworth chuck from woodbine. I think of the Longworth as the "lazy Cole jaws"
Yes you can make one....but I will share with you that my experience in making one was ....far less than satisfactory. And I even started with disks that were 3/4" - 9 ply cabinet grade plywood, which was CNC cut...Woodline.com was the one I bought after my frustration with the home-assembled one.
I don't have the tools or skills to cut my own so I bought mine from a woodturner's Esty store, he custom cuts them to your diameter preference. All I had to do was buy the hardware and put it together. It works great.
I did exactly the same. But - I suppose that variations in the flatness of the plywood may be the culprit with mine. The Woodline one is made of some kind of composites - and works like butter....
It would be interesting to see Cole jaws applied to the turning in your avatar!@#$%^&
Roger Wiegand
Beta Tester
There seems to be an antipathy towards Cole jaws that I just don't understand. They are a tool, sometimes they are the right tool, some times they're not. When they are the right tool they do their job very well. If you generally turn square bowls, hollow forms, or peppermills you probably have no use for them at all. If you turn round, twice turned bowls with regular rims they can be a fast, convenient way to hold the bowl while you finish the bottom, one of only a few holding methods that provides unencumbered access to the entire bottom.
Unlike almost any other tool we use people seem to be angry at them for existing, it seems very odd.
Unlike almost any other tool we use people seem to be angry at them for existing, it seems very odd.
I agree Roger, it's like being angry that you can't pull nails with a joiners mallet or something.
Unlike almost any other tool we use people seem to be angry at them for existing, it seems very odd.[/QUOTE]
Not sure where the anger thing came from, as for me I just think there are better ways to accomplish the task so that is what I tried to get across, could it be that you are maybe angry with yourself for not coming up with another way to accomplish the task.
Not sure where the anger thing came from, as for me I just think there are better ways to accomplish the task so that is what I tried to get across, could it be that you are maybe angry with yourself for not coming up with another way to accomplish the task.
I have Cole jaws that can go to 17”. Like I said before I never use them any more. I can use jam chucks or my vacuum chuck. I usually have the center point on my tenon and use that for alignment. Even if I don’t have that point it is faster to center on the vacuum chuck than moving all the holders on Cole jaws. If cracks, porous wood, or bug holes masking tape usually solves that problem. Before I had a vacuum chuck, Cole jaws were of value to me, but not since I have a vacuum chuck.