Advice on which Jaws for Axm SK114

[Raymond Tourneaux]

I decided to keep the Axminster SK114 standard kit but have been wanting larger jaws and I am hoping that someone has actual experience with either the Gripper "G" jaws (serrated internal grip 82mm to 100mm with 16mm depth) OR the standard dovetail "M" jaws (Potential gripping range: Internal 91mm to 117mm with 16mm depth)
The serrated gripper jaws would hold rough wood better than the M jaws but they have a smaller internal grip range... the perfect circle at 100 is almost 4" while the M jaws will expand to 4.6") Theorizing is all well and good but experience is really what matters.I was going to sell my two axminster chucks and migrate to vicmarc. Still thinking about it tho... will post here if i decide to sell. Thank you.

 

[Bill Blasic]

If the dovetail is configured correctly it makes absolutely no difference what the brand of chuck used. I have all the major brands of chucks and never go to the closet and choose the chuck by brand, I choose as to what jaws are on any of the chucks that I'm looking for. I have jaws from 1" to 8" diameter for dovetails. I never use gripper jaws even though I have a few.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

agree with Bill. I like both Vicmarc and Axminster. If you sell Axminster, I’d be interested.

 

[William Rogers]

I have the M jaws (and also the Colossus jaws) I use the M jaws a lot and they have a nice range. Mainly because I prefer dovetail vs serrated. I also have the serrated Colossus jaws that are really big and have only used them on occasion. Most of the time I use the M jaws and the O'Donnell jaws. I also have the C jaws.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I decided to keep the Axminster SK114 standard kit but have been wanting larger jaws and I am hoping that someone has actual experience with either the Gripper "G" jaws (serrated internal grip 82mm to 100mm with 16mm depth) OR the standard dovetail "M" jaws (Potential gripping range: Internal 91mm to 117mm with 16mm depth)
The serrated gripper jaws would hold rough wood better than the M jaws but they have a smaller internal grip range... the perfect circle at 100 is almost 4" while the M jaws will expand to 4.6") Theorizing is all well and good but experience is really what matters.I was going to sell my two axminster chucks and migrate to vicmarc. Still thinking about it tho... will post here if i decide to sell. Thank you.

I have both the "g" and the "m" but in reality I use the "h" the most because a lot of my rough turned bowls were turned before I had the "g" and "m" so the "h" matches the "c" That I had at the time. Just seems easier to me to use a gripper jaw because when I true up a tenon for final turning I don't have to make sure the dovetail is correct. Just put a nice right angle on it, and when I true up some of them the tenon gets smaller so the "h" works good for that too.