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Baraacuda chuck

Bob Strand

Bob Strand

Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
39
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Location
Fort Peck, MT
Would anybody have any input on the Barracuda 3 Micro chuck. I use a VicMarc 120 and want a smaller chuck for ornaments and such but I'm looking at the difference in price between the Barracuda and VicMarc, over $100.00. and I'm wondering if by purchasing the less expensive Barracuda I'd be wasting my money. The VicMarc is the only chuck I've ever used so I don't have any comparisons to go by.

Thanks,

Poverty Bob
 
Bob Strand said:
Would anybody have any input on the Barracuda 3 Micro chuck. I use a VicMarc 120 and want a smaller chuck for ornaments and such but I'm looking at the difference in price between the Barracuda and VicMarc, over $100.00. and I'm wondering if by purchasing the less expensive Barracuda I'd be wasting my money. The VicMarc is the only chuck I've ever used so I don't have any comparisons to go by. Thanks, Poverty Bob
Click to expand...

The pin jaws for the Vicmarc will grip the ornament parts i turn.

I use the #1 jaws in the either the ONEWAY stronghold or ONEWAY talon.

Sometime it feels better to use a smaller chuck on a smaller piece.
The #1 jaws on the stronghold are tall and hold the objects about an inch off the Chuck body.
Same would be true for the Vicmarc pin jaws.

al
 
I get a lot of mileage out of my pin jaws, so like Al said.

You can also buy a collet set for $80-150 or make your own out of wood, or use a drill chuck, depending on what you're doing. Ernie Conover has a description on how to make the collet chucks in his book The Frugal Woodturner, and I bet he or someone else has written articles for the American Woodturner. (two I found are at 18.1:10 and 21.1.63)
 
Barracuda 3 Micro

Thanks for the input. I use, and like, the pin jaws on my Vic but I was just wondering if the VM 100 is over $100 better than the Barracuda.
Got 3" of nice, wet snow up here in northeast MT today.
 
You haven't seen my posts on Woodcentral. I own 3 Vicmarc 100's and 2 knock offs, one Grizzly and one chucks Plus. Both of the knock offs had problems about 2 or 3 years after I bought them. I just replaced the pinion gears in both and it was difficult to get them working properly again. My vicmarcs are close to 10 years old on 2 of them and not a single problem. Depending on how much you turn you might get several years out of after market chucks but you will get a life time out of your vicmarcs.
Several years ago I had to do ornament demos all weekend. I was using their chuck which was a oneway with the #1 jaws. I was getting lots of chatter on my ornament finials. The next day I brought my vicmarc with the extended jaws and all the chatter was gone. Not putting down Oneway because they also make a great chuck. It's just that set of jaws simply wasnt as beefy and rigid as the Vicmarc.s The same would be true of all the thinner jaws on the aftermarket chucks I have.
 
I have two of these chucks ( I hate to change jaws). I also have the Vicmark 120. It isn't a Vickmark, but you get a decent bang for the buck.

Take a look at the reviews on Amazon and PSI. I've turned many an ornament on this chuck. It's small enough so you don't have a bug heavy piece of steel getting in the way when you want to get close and personal around the headstock.
Dick
 
If you turn ten ornaments a year, you may get by. Make 10 a day for a month and you won't. I know a lot of turners that buy a lot of tools they only use twice a year. You get what you pay for.
 
Bob Strand said:
Thanks for the input. I use, and like, the pin jaws on my Vic but I was just wondering if the VM 100 is over $100 better than the Barracuda.
Got 3" of nice, wet snow up here in northeast MT today.
Click to expand...
Our local high school shop has every brand of chuck sold, 1 of each. In one year, the students put the equivalent of 10 years use by someone who owns the tools and knows how to use them. The Barracuda jaws are pretty worn over, but the mechanism still works a little stiffly, after about 6 years of abuse. The vicmarc has some smoothing of the jaws, but otherwise works well after the same number of dog years.

How's the ice on the lake? I'm running low on walleye fillets.
 
I have PSI chucks too

I have the PSI 3000 and Barracuda 4 chucks. Have no qualms about using them and would definitely buy again. I've done my best to wear them out and they still grip just fine.
 
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