Lathe Chuck

[shaf]

I am purchasing a Jet 1642 Lathe. It has a 16" swing, a 1&1/2 HP motor and a 1&1/4X8 spindle. I need a new chuck and need advise. Should I go with Oneway or Teknatool and what size. The Stonrhold, Oneway or Talon if Oneway?

Thanks,
Shaf

 

[David Somers]

I have the 1642 as well and am happily using the Oneway Stronghold. My "local" (120 miles away) Woodcraft said they see more returns of Technatool "stuff" versus Oneway, chucks included. They also felt the Stronghold was sized appropriately for the 1642.

Dave

 

[MichaelMouse]

I'm Teknatool, but any of the names ought to give good performance. I like the smooth holds over the crush type, because they're easier to center on a remount, the status quo ante being preserved, and, as I mentioned in a moved thread, a mortise makes better use of wood depth than a tenon to be turned away.

For along the grain hollowing and such, tenons held with good shoulders and a dovetail to draw the chuck up tight are reliable and resist racking well.

Whichever suite you get, get the pin jaws as one of your initial pair. In the Teknatool suite they are 25mm dovetail, a smooth exterior grip chuck for holding dowels or finials in waiting, and a great way to start pieces, small or large. With large pieces you'll want to be careful before you draw back the tailstock to make the recess, making sure they are secure and your piece stable. A full pin chuck is a gimme in this use, but they cost $65 dollars, and they are a one-trick pony.

Size of your other jaws is a more personal thing. I hang 16" stuff on a 2" recess, but I'm a 'tween-the-centers hogger, and a delicate slicer for the finish cuts, neither of which are tough on the hold. Some cutting styles are. NB - the Teknatool "75mm" jaws are 80, but they would be a good choice for mixes of bowls and cantilevered pieces like hollow forms, having broad jaw faces to shoulder against. A long spread between 25mm and 80, though.

 

[TurningDog]

I am purchasing a Jet 1642 Lathe. It has a 16" swing, a 1&1/2 HP motor and a 1&1/4X8 spindle. I need a new chuck and need advise. Should I go with Oneway or Teknatool and what size. The Stonrhold, Oneway or Talon if Oneway?

Thanks,
Shaf

The question is do you have a chuck now? I see people all the time upgrading lathes and automaticly think they need a new chuck which usually makes no sense what so ever. If you want a the most veratile of chucks get a versachuck you can fit it with oneway/talon, nova (except 5" powergrip), vicmarc (have to buy the extra slides), and axminster jaws. But what ever you do don't waffle around about buying a chuck, just buy one and be done with it because in the end you can get all the jaws for all the chucsk with only minor varaitions. That was the advice of my mentor and has been the single best advice I ever got about a turning product.

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

VOte for Oneway

Shaf
I have the 1642 and bought the Oneway stronghold because the mega jaws best fit the max capacity of the machine. I now have 4 set of jaws for this chuck. My next purchase in this department is another chuck body so with planning I won't be changing jaws all the time. Maybe someday I'll get a little Vicmarc chuck for small work to gain the clearence for my knuckles on my left hand. My $.02 worth
Frank

 

[TurningDog]

Shaf
I have the 1642 and bought the Oneway stronghold because the mega jaws best fit the max capacity of the machine. I now have 4 set of jaws for this chuck. My next purchase in this department is another chuck body so with planning I won't be changing jaws all the time. Maybe someday I'll get a little Vicmarc chuck for small work to gain the clearence for my knuckles on my left hand. My $.02 worth
Frank

Why not spend the $10 and make a compression or longworth chuck, both work better than the cole jaws anyway, instead of spending the $200 for another body? Or alternately for $100 to $200 you can make a decent vacuum chuck setup as well.

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

Set-up on vacuum?

Turning Dog
I will admit I am one of those guys that would rather turn than make tools, so I probably won't make a longworth chuck.

Your point about vacuum chuck is well taken an you have offered me the opportunity to ask the question that is holding me back on the vacuum system. I know there are advantages to vaccum chucking to turn bottoms over cole jaws but doesn't take just as long to set it up as it would to change the jaws?

Help me get over that and a vacuum chuck may be my next project.

Frank

 

[Jake Debski]

Turning Dog
.............................................. I know there are advantages to vaccum chucking to turn bottoms over cole jaws but doesn't take just as long to set it up as it would to change the jaws?

Help me get over that and a vacuum chuck may be my next project.

Frank

I wouldn't presume to speak for TD. But in my case the vac chuck is a quick disconnect away. Hook up the pump, remove the scroll chuck and spin on the vac chuck. To center I have an adapter that allows me to hang the scroll chuck and work piece from the live center. Bring up the tailstock/w chuck and turning. Turn on the pump. Release the jaws of the scroll and back away the tailstock. You are good to go. Don't have an adapter? Leave a center point on your tennon or recess and use the live center to center the piece. on the vac chuck. That is what I did before purchasing my adapter.

 

[TurningDog]

I know there are advantages to vaccum chucking to turn bottoms over cole jaws but doesn't take just as long to set it up as it would to change the jaws?

Help me get over that and a vacuum chuck may be my next project.

Frank

Actually the longworth while easier to use than cole jaws and certainly can be made in bigger sizes is a PIA to make. A compression chuck also know as a donut chuck can be made in 5 minutes aumming you know where your drill bits and box of bolts and it too has the advantage of being able to do natural edge bowls with ease.

My vacuum chuck can come on and off in less than a minute if I want to completely remove it. But most of the time I just unhook the vac line off the back end since my chuck and faceplate will scew on over the spindle side.

now that I have seen jakes post i will add I too use a spindle adapter on my oneway live center for centering the piece

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

OK OK OK I need a vac chuck

Guys you win. I just picked up a used coring system but I justified that with the sale of a $270 bowl. So my birthday is in July, if I don't have another big sale, I'll do the vacuum chuck then. Too bad God didn't bless us with kids I could get the vacuum set-up for Father's Day. I'll take that back, if I had kids I probably wouldn't have hobbies. Have a great weekend!

Frank

PS: I promise I will quit gloating about my big sale next week but I gotta tell you that that check in the mail on Monday really made my day!

 

[TurningDog]

if I had kids I probably wouldn't have hobbies.

actually you can only afford inexpensive hobbies and small cheap lathes...