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Craft Supply Eccentric Chuck?
- Thread starter Jerry Hall
- Start date
Emm... there is a name right in the description
My guess is it works best with their chuck jaws.
I note the web-site isn't listing the new Vicmarc, even though I know they have sold at least one (not me, my lathe isn't large enough)
Ken's Chuck
THIS must be it. Looks slick. The now clearly named, Axminister
chuck advertises some features like spiraling. How does that work? Is it unique? Also appears that it can mount on a chuck without removing the jaws. But Ken's appears to be a smoother design for dialing in degrees of eccentricity. I guess they both mount work with a screw chuck approach.
THIS must be it. Looks slick. The now clearly named, Axminister
chuck advertises some features like spiraling. How does that work? Is it unique? Also appears that it can mount on a chuck without removing the jaws. But Ken's appears to be a smoother design for dialing in degrees of eccentricity. I guess they both mount work with a screw chuck approach.I have both the Escoulen chucks and have looked at the Axminster Eccentric chuck. The latest Escoulen chuck will do what the Axminster chuck will do which is off center turning. You are correct in that the axis remains parallel, but what you can do is have several profiles at various points or when doing the inside of a bowl, have several "bowls". Both chucks will do this.
The Escoulen chuck allows you to do "eccentric" turning, in that you can angle or "cant" the work from the axis. I am working on some bowls at this time which are both off center and eccentric. The center of the blank starts out off center and the piece canted at 8 degrees. Depending on the amount of off center and which direction, you may wind up with base that will remain in the center of the blank or off to one side. I have done both. I have one bowl that has two different profiles on the outside (180 degrees apart) and two intersecting profiles on the inside, with part of the rim at another angle. And the foot is somewhere around the center, also having two different profiles.
The resulting bowls are not for everyone, one of those personal taste items. The Escoulen chuck is also not for everyone, it does take a substantial lathe. Last night I had a small 6" blank mounted and was shaking a 1000lb lathe until I removed a lot of mass. But, turning the elliptical rims are not much worse that square or natural edge bowls. You just have to becareful when sanding.
There is also the Sorby offcenter chuck, which is a little easier than the ones I have. I wish that the Escoulen chuck had the Sorby indexing mechanism. I can do the same thing with mine, but it is just a lot more difficult. But, any of them will let you explore some of those way of adding a little touch that makes people wonder how you did that. For me well worth the time and keeps the items from getting routine. With the current sale at CS, it would be a good way to find out if you like these forms or not...
The Escoulen chuck allows you to do "eccentric" turning, in that you can angle or "cant" the work from the axis. I am working on some bowls at this time which are both off center and eccentric. The center of the blank starts out off center and the piece canted at 8 degrees. Depending on the amount of off center and which direction, you may wind up with base that will remain in the center of the blank or off to one side. I have done both. I have one bowl that has two different profiles on the outside (180 degrees apart) and two intersecting profiles on the inside, with part of the rim at another angle. And the foot is somewhere around the center, also having two different profiles.
The resulting bowls are not for everyone, one of those personal taste items. The Escoulen chuck is also not for everyone, it does take a substantial lathe. Last night I had a small 6" blank mounted and was shaking a 1000lb lathe until I removed a lot of mass. But, turning the elliptical rims are not much worse that square or natural edge bowls. You just have to becareful when sanding.
There is also the Sorby offcenter chuck, which is a little easier than the ones I have. I wish that the Escoulen chuck had the Sorby indexing mechanism. I can do the same thing with mine, but it is just a lot more difficult. But, any of them will let you explore some of those way of adding a little touch that makes people wonder how you did that. For me well worth the time and keeps the items from getting routine. With the current sale at CS, it would be a good way to find out if you like these forms or not...
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2004
- Messages
- 349
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- Location
- Rural La Farge, Wisconsin
- Website
- www.token.crwoodturner.com
I don't market my chuck per se, but it is available as a prototype. Contact me by email if interested, or feel free to copy the design to suite your needs. I have no patents on it. Check out my album for some examples of spiral shapes done with my chuck.
Eccentric vs Multiaxis
Thanks for the distinction between "Multi-axis" and "Eccentric" or "canting." What got me interested in this subject over the last several months was investigating I guess "Eccentric" magic wands, shown HERE
It has been fun. I have done them between centers with either a drive center or a long nose chuck. The latter works better in stability, and the former in moving the axis. I relocate the axis at the tailstock end. Also made some bottle stoppers similarly. Certainly raised the level of my pitiful spindle turning skills after blowing up several 16" long, thin, eccentric wands.
Now I am curious what else can be done along this line. Hence this thread.
Thanks for the distinction between "Multi-axis" and "Eccentric" or "canting." What got me interested in this subject over the last several months was investigating I guess "Eccentric" magic wands, shown HERE
It has been fun. I have done them between centers with either a drive center or a long nose chuck. The latter works better in stability, and the former in moving the axis. I relocate the axis at the tailstock end. Also made some bottle stoppers similarly. Certainly raised the level of my pitiful spindle turning skills after blowing up several 16" long, thin, eccentric wands.
Now I am curious what else can be done along this line. Hence this thread.
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Really nice looking wands and an interesting exercise. The Escoulen chuck will let you do those kinds of cuts, along with making a "bend (or bends) in the piece". The smaller one would be easier, but could be done on the large one. I have never tried a wand, but have made a toothpick holder which was like a small goblet and have the bowl part at and angle and several shifts in the stem portion. That would be close to the handle on your wand and then the shaft. Interesting part of that exercise, was I found I could use a skew to make V cuts into and irregular surface like that. I am sure you encountered some of the same learning revalations.
Again, really nice pieces - looks like you are talking yourself into a new chuck.....(or already have)
Again, really nice pieces - looks like you are talking yourself into a new chuck.....(or already have)
The Axminster chuck is the one that Dick Sing demonstrates on to make off-center inlays. The biggest advantage of this chuck is its repeatability. I don't think it would allow you to do those cool magic wands.
The original Escoulen chuck with ball is for off-axis. The deluxe chuck is capable of both off-center and off-axis turning. The deluxe chuck doesn't replace the original chuck. Escoulen showed a new 3rd chuck at Yankee Symposium (which you can only get from him directly now). The new chuck has counter-balance allowing you to turn faster on a less substantial lathe. It has the spiraling and indexing, but I think it doesn't has off-axis capability yet. All 3 Escoulen chucks allows you to turn without the tail stock; you can do boxes and turn thin items.
The Sorby eccentric chuck uses different principle. It uses a multi-sided socket, it is easy to do spiraling. When turning off-axis, you must engage the tail stock. Therefore you can't turn off-axis boxes and thin spindles with it.
So depending on what you want to use the chuck to turn, there is no clear winner or loser.
For off-center turning, you do have to stick your gouge over the tool rest for a great distance. You do need a gouge with a lot of steel left to combat chattering and vibration. The Thompson shallow detail gouge has very shallow flute and is made out of A-11 steel, cryogenic heat treatment. They are my favorite now.
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/tooltype.asp?TYPE=SD
Gordon
The original Escoulen chuck with ball is for off-axis. The deluxe chuck is capable of both off-center and off-axis turning. The deluxe chuck doesn't replace the original chuck. Escoulen showed a new 3rd chuck at Yankee Symposium (which you can only get from him directly now). The new chuck has counter-balance allowing you to turn faster on a less substantial lathe. It has the spiraling and indexing, but I think it doesn't has off-axis capability yet. All 3 Escoulen chucks allows you to turn without the tail stock; you can do boxes and turn thin items.
The Sorby eccentric chuck uses different principle. It uses a multi-sided socket, it is easy to do spiraling. When turning off-axis, you must engage the tail stock. Therefore you can't turn off-axis boxes and thin spindles with it.
So depending on what you want to use the chuck to turn, there is no clear winner or loser.
For off-center turning, you do have to stick your gouge over the tool rest for a great distance. You do need a gouge with a lot of steel left to combat chattering and vibration. The Thompson shallow detail gouge has very shallow flute and is made out of A-11 steel, cryogenic heat treatment. They are my favorite now.
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/tooltype.asp?TYPE=SD
Gordon
I took Jean-Francois Escoulen's two week class last year at Arrowmont. You can't ask for anything better. He and his bedan made you humble immediately. One third of the students have taken his classes before. One of the students was taking his class the third time.
There is so much to learn. The two week was packed. I won't be surprised if that student returns for the fourth time if another of his class is offered.
Gordon
There is so much to learn. The two week was packed. I won't be surprised if that student returns for the fourth time if another of his class is offered.
Gordon
There's a great book out there by Ray Hopper, called Multi-Center Woodturning. Ray shows how to make some pretty neat chucks for doing concave turning, off-axis, and canted work. He even talks about counter-balancing the chucks. It's out of print, but if you can get it, it is a worthwhile read.