Relative quality of Jacobs Chucks

[Mike Johnson]

Buying tools is like buying a car, if you can afford a luxury class sedan then you can
most likely afford to purchase quality tools. If you are driving a ten year old economy
model sedan with 200,000 miles on it, then you might be looking for what will work
for your immediate needs for the next few years.
If your tools are used for your main source of income you will want a reliable tool that
will provide reliable service. Some people consider tools as a consumable item, if you
plan on using the tool everyday then you might want the best, if you plan on using the
tool for one project then you might consider the cost vs the quality vs the return.
I have attended many contractor auctions over the years, some tools hold their value
other tools that are outdated do not fare as well. I can purchase a firearm for a $1000
and pretty much guarantee it will double in value in ten years. If I purchase a tool for
the same amount of money will I see the same return? Highly unlikely.

 

[Jamie Straw]

If you are driving a ten year old economy
model sedan with 200,000 miles on it, then you might be looking for what will work
for your immediate needs for the next few years.

11-year-old mini-van with 150K on it.😛 I think I'll just use the chuck I have. I tested it today on a 10" long piece of holly, using my Jet lathe instead of the Comet, and it drilled beautifully. Shot this month's wad on a couple of new drive centers (a mini and a 2-prong for bowls), a few miscellaneous things I've been wanting, and plane tickets to California.😎 Setting aside $100 for madrone burl fest that was cancelled due to snow, but will be rescheduled. Thanks for the tips, though.

 

[Odie]

11-year-old mini-van with 150K on it.😛 I think I'll just use the chuck I have. I tested it today on a 10" long piece of holly, using my Jet lathe instead of the Comet, and it drilled beautifully. Shot this month's wad on a couple of new drive centers (a mini and a 2-prong for bowls), a few miscellaneous things I've been wanting, and plane tickets to California.😎 Setting aside $100 for madrone burl fest that was cancelled due to snow, but will be rescheduled. Thanks for the tips, though.

Generally, it's not about how much money you spend, but how much effort you invest......

Well......to a point. If anyone is still using old files as scrapers, then for them.......it's time to spend a little money, and upgrade! 😀

 

[john lucas]

I have a whole set of files that someone ground into scrapers for turning. Found them at the flea mkt. I thought I had a photo of them but could not find them. They are thick and work really well. Now what I would use but it was fun playing with them. Maybe I'll make a shadow box and put them in there and make a sign that says, My first Turning Tools. 🙂

 

[Jamie Straw]

Generally, it's not about how much money you spend, but how much effort you invest......

Hence the purchase of the van -- the guy we bought it from ("guy" = ~65-yr-old) was very OCD about taking care of that car. Superb condition at maybe 95K. I always say: "If you go to try out a private-sale car, and you find the owner's manual highlighted throughout, you're off to a good start!"

 

[John Torchick]

Wonder how turning tools were made 200 years ago? I see old planes in antique shops and flea markets but never anything that could be classified as turning tools. Hmmmm.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Wonder how turning tools were made 200 years ago? I see old planes in antique shops and flea markets but never anything that could be classified as turning tools. Hmmmm.

200 years ago ??, before powered lathes or anything tools, it better cut easily and on green wood, so hammered out steel (Expensive) and bend into a curve was the most commonly used tool for turning bowls treen, or it was hollowed like clogs, same kind of tool but larger.

http://www.klompenmaken.nl

Of course some of the tools are specific for the making of here klompen (wooden shoes) that were not used to turn a bowl, and I would think more bowls etc. where hollowed by hand rather than on a lathe.

I have watched my dad make hatches, and axes from raw pieces of iron and steel, thai is at least 65 years ago, just after the WWII, as wood cutters did want these handmade tools rather than what was mass produced.

Things have changed a lot and did in a short time, I’ve still seen a lot of the old ways, as it was then again necessary to use the old ways.

 

[R Henrickson]

Wonder how turning tools were made 200 years ago? I see old planes in antique shops and flea markets but never anything that could be classified as turning tools. Hmmmm.

Robin Wood does it (although this video clip has some more modern aspects):
For making tools http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/the-craft/lathe-tools/

And turning:
http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-cr...takes-real-genius-to-make-things-simple-again.

He's researched how the wooden bowls and plates from the Mary Rose (which sank ca1540) were made, and turned reproductions the original way.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/shop/mary-rose-bowls-7-5-8/
http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/shop/mary-rose-dinner-plate-9-5/

 

[n7bsn]

Are there good, better, best Jacobs chucks? I'm upgrading some accessories and also would like to have more than one JC, so I looked in the Packard catalog thinking they might have a better one than what I have. But theirs seems generic, no brand-name. Are there some that are know to be a cut above in quality control?

Jamie, a couple years ago Dave-S had a recommendation for a "zero gap" keyless Jacob's that he really liked, then Scott told me that he picked one up from the Woodcraft over in Seattle.
I'll bet that if you dropped Dave a note he would recall the firm.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie, a couple years ago Dave-S had a recommendation for a "zero gap" keyless Jacob's that he really liked, then Scott told me that he picked one up from the Woodcraft over in Seattle.
I'll bet that if you dropped Dave a note he would recall the firm.

Thanks, I'll ask him. Will be going out to his place this month when the annual truckload of burl from Oregon. shows up. Was supposed to be this weekend, but too much snow to bring the truck up.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Truck load of burl, ummmmmmm burl, do they sell by the pound?
Which company offers the truck load deal?

 

[n7bsn]

Truck load of burl, ummmmmmm burl, do they sell by the pound?
Which company offers the truck load deal?

His a logger in Grants Pass and he brings a trailer-load of Madrone and Maple burls up about once a year (Seattle area). He also makes trips to Portland, etc.
It's all arranged through the local clubs.
We pay $1.50/lb for wet-raw blocks.

 

[Jamie Straw]

His a logger in Grants Pass and he brings a trailer-load of Madrone and Maple burls up about once a year (Seattle area). He also makes trips to Portland, etc.
It's all arranged through the local clubs.
We pay $1.50/lb for wet-raw blocks.

Ahhh, I finally figured out who you are, n7bsn.😎 Thanks for providing the details.

 

[Dennis J Gooding]

I have wondered also. Is N7BSN an aircraft call sign?

 

[Bill Boehme]

Ralph is a ham (N7BSN is his call sign). I'm WA5SOE, but haven't been active in a long time. As an indication of how long, my gear is all Heathkit. 😀

US registered aircraft tail numbers start with N followed by two to five digits and zero to two letters suffix.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

As to Jamie's original question about chuck quality....

Over the years I've accumulated quite a collection of drill chucks. With the Jacobs brand, and presumably others, there is one observation you can quickly make about a chuck's quality. If the chuck is medium to high quality, after the chuck is assembled the jaws are adjusted down to the smallest size and the jaw tips ground so they're all exactly the same length, the grind marks are very noticeable.

Yesterday I was looking through my chuck stash and noticed a 1/2" Jacobs "Multi-Craft" chuck without the grind on the jaw tips. The length variation was at least 1/16", plus the chuck doesn't have a quality feel or appearance.

Keyless chucks.....I have several Albrecht in sizes down to 1/8" max capacity. Obviously high quality with a price to match. But, there is one major drawback, they self tighten in use. I've only seen this in heavy metal drilling use, might happen with a large wood bit too though. Once over tightened there is no easy way to loosen it. Sad to say, I've seen people put a pipe wrench on the body to loosen them.

Another issue, they self loosen if the spindle is run in reverse to back a stuck bit out of a hole.