I love my Nova G3 Chuck with the spigot jaws. The serrated jaws really grab and hold while transferring all the energy of my 1hp Nova Lathe to the wood.
For some projects, such as an espresso tamper however, a nicely shaped spigot is a finished part of the piece and it is tempting to re-chuck this spigot so I can cleanly finish the other side.
Here the serrated jaws are a disadvantage since they mar the spigot.
I have tried rubberized shelf liner but it doesn't really get the job done. The piece has a tendency to get loose, it may slip and discolor the spigot and usually I get some indentation anyway.
I think I have found the ideal material - foam rubber mouse pads. They don't have to be new and if you go to trade shows, county or state fairs, etc. you can sometimes get them for free. My employer has some promotional mouse pads that work great (don't tell anybody I said that).
Cut the mouse pad into a strip - 1 inch wide works just right for the Nova since the jaws are 1 inch deep. The length of the strip should be just slightly less than the circumference of the spigot (pi times diameter of the spigot). If the length is greater than the circumference, the strip will overlap which will cause the piece to be gripped off center. Use a steel straight edge and an exacto knife to cut the pad.
Put the rubber side in contact with the work piece and the cloth part in contact with the jaws for the best grip.
I have gotten pretty good results with this method. Try it an let me know how it works for you.
For some projects, such as an espresso tamper however, a nicely shaped spigot is a finished part of the piece and it is tempting to re-chuck this spigot so I can cleanly finish the other side.
Here the serrated jaws are a disadvantage since they mar the spigot.
I have tried rubberized shelf liner but it doesn't really get the job done. The piece has a tendency to get loose, it may slip and discolor the spigot and usually I get some indentation anyway.
I think I have found the ideal material - foam rubber mouse pads. They don't have to be new and if you go to trade shows, county or state fairs, etc. you can sometimes get them for free. My employer has some promotional mouse pads that work great (don't tell anybody I said that).
Cut the mouse pad into a strip - 1 inch wide works just right for the Nova since the jaws are 1 inch deep. The length of the strip should be just slightly less than the circumference of the spigot (pi times diameter of the spigot). If the length is greater than the circumference, the strip will overlap which will cause the piece to be gripped off center. Use a steel straight edge and an exacto knife to cut the pad.
Put the rubber side in contact with the work piece and the cloth part in contact with the jaws for the best grip.
I have gotten pretty good results with this method. Try it an let me know how it works for you.