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Recommendations for multi-jaw chuck

Rick Doganiero

Rick Doganiero

Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Messages
14
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4
Location
Wellsboro, PA
Hello All,

I am getting ready to upgrade my lathe. I am selling my older lathe with my older nova chuck (maybe one of the first supernova chucks, purchased at least 12yrs ago) I am going to purchase a new chuck. There are a lot out there to choose from (Vicmarc, Oneway, Nova, etc.).

Any recommendations or thoughts regarding these chucks?

Rick D
 
I have a SuperNova II and I really like it alot. I have the 50mm jaws that came with it, worm screw, wrench.....after awhile i a set of spigot jaws that expands from 1 /12 - 2 1/4 as i remember. I cant speak for other chucks because this is the first one i bought after i got my lathe on many recommedations and i have no complaints......very good support also for questions and suggestions....................Dan
 
I'm a Vicmarc fan. bought it for 2 reasons. The extended jaws which I use for small turnings are the second most solid on the market behind the Axminster. I can turn small turnings like finials for ornaments, much more aggessively with these jaws.
The second reason is the chuck key. It is a standard 10mm hex key. If you lose it you simply go to the hardware and buy another. There aren't any gears to strip.
I have 3 now and the only thing I would do is to buy a larger one. They also have a huge variety of jaws. Some are not imported by the US distributers but you can order them directly from Vicmarc.
 
While I use nothing but Teknatool chucks, is't it true that Oneway chucks are all stainless?

Also the better Grizzly chucks are reported to be clones of Vicmarc

PS, the new Teknatool (SN2, Titan, etc) are all Allen wrench ran

TTFN
Ralph
 
The Grizzly 3 3/4" chuck is very similar to Vicmarc's 3 1/2", including the index ring, which isn't listed as a feature in either one's specification. With pin jaws and dovetail jaws added, there's still a gap in the overall range, of about 1/4" differential radius. (My measurements, not theirs, and MIGHT NOT apply to Vicmarc). I haven't found that to be a problem, but I probably will as soon as this virtual ink dries. Each jaw set has an optimum diameter for sockets and tenons, which may (or may not) be the same as the machined diameter, and could vary with different woods too.

If you're upgrading to a larger swing, the larger Vicmarc would likely be ideal. Oneway's chucks are in between the other two.

Comprehensive specifications for comparison and contrast are scarce.

Joe
 
Joe Greiner said:
Each jaw set has an optimum diameter for sockets and tenons, which may (or may not) be the same as the machined diameter, and could vary with different woods too.
Click to expand...

I have never encountered any situation where they type of wood made a difference in how to fit the jaws. The name of the game is to get the greatest amount of metal in contact with wood as possible, so that the force on any point is not sufficient to cause permanent damage to the wood. Some types of jaws are designed to do permanent damage in the name of "grip," but I don't use them. I'm not a production turner, so "aggressive" cuts are not a concern, though I can't see where any similar set of jaws, all of which are stronger than the wood they hold, would make a difference there, either.

Any of the full-size chucks will handle large jaws or small, so pick the body with a good assortment and buy the types you need for the work you do. My favorite Teknatool jaws are the pin and 50mm in expansion, and the 75mm in contraction.
 
Another chuck question. Personally I don't think the brand of chuck matters. The "big three" (Vic Oneway Nova ) are great. I use Vicmarc because of the jaws they have. I would look at the jaws first then get a chuck that will hold the jaws you want.
 
You don't say what lathe you are upgrading to. If you are getting a Oneway lathe, their chucks will allow you to lock the chucks in place with set screws. This allows turning in either direction. A very big advantage.

Malcolm Smith.
 
Malcolm Smith said:
You don't say what lathe you are upgrading to. If you are getting a Oneway lathe, their chucks will allow you to lock the chucks in place with set screws. This allows turning in either direction. A very big advantage.

Malcolm Smith.
Click to expand...

All modern Teknatool (SN2, Titan, etc) have the same feature
 
If you have used a Nova chuck for the last 12 years, Why not stay with them? The G3 and Titan are very good chucks, and you should be acustom to the counterclockwise direction for compression. Or, is there something/s that you did not like about your last chuck? Also, what style of turning are you planing to do?

Aaron
 
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