The compatibility of jaws between Vicmarc and Nova chucks comes up as a question from time to time on the discussion forum but any information that gets assembled on the topic then fades away into the background of the forum topics until it gets asked again. I though a posting here with what we know might work better as a reference point.
Fact 1: All of the Nova jaw sets are interchangeable on the standard Nova chucks.
Fact 2: Vicmarc has two sized chucks. Their smaller chucks are the VM90 and VM100 and they only fit the jaws specified for those. Their larger chucks are the VM120/140/150 chucks for which they have sets of jaws that only fit those. Their jaws are not interchangeable between their two ranges.
Fact 3: As far as I know there is no compatibility between jaws that fit the VM120/140/150 and any of the Nova chucks
Fact 4: There is limited compatibility between the jaws that fit on the VM90/100 chucks and the Nova, as follows...
Fact 5: The jaw screw hole spacings on the VM90/100 chucks and Nova are the same, but the screw size for the Nova are M6 and for the smaller Vicmarc they are M5. The VM90/100 jaw screw holes have to be opened up and an M6 screw used to attach to the Nova.
Fact 6: The ring sizes on the back of the VM jaws do not precisely match those on the Nova chucks.
I have used the following adaptors with a matching longer M6 screws to put the smaller VM jaws on Nova chucks...
I'm not sure you can buy those adaptors anymore, but there would be a nice little market for them if someone would like to make some!
As you can see from the side view in that last photo that there isn't much difference between the ring size that will take the back of the VM jaw and the larger locating ring recess on the Nova side, but the smaller VM jaws will not fit into the Nova ring recess without the adaptor.
Fact 7: It is a fact that I never knew, or have forgotten, if there ever was an adaptor for Nova jaws to fit VM90/100 chucks. They certainly wouldn't fit without an adaptor.
I understand that the jaws from some other manufactures also fit on VM and Nova chucks, but I don't have any of those so can't confirm any of that. Please list any of those here if you know that to be the case.
Fact 1: All of the Nova jaw sets are interchangeable on the standard Nova chucks.
Fact 2: Vicmarc has two sized chucks. Their smaller chucks are the VM90 and VM100 and they only fit the jaws specified for those. Their larger chucks are the VM120/140/150 chucks for which they have sets of jaws that only fit those. Their jaws are not interchangeable between their two ranges.
Fact 3: As far as I know there is no compatibility between jaws that fit the VM120/140/150 and any of the Nova chucks
Fact 4: There is limited compatibility between the jaws that fit on the VM90/100 chucks and the Nova, as follows...
Fact 5: The jaw screw hole spacings on the VM90/100 chucks and Nova are the same, but the screw size for the Nova are M6 and for the smaller Vicmarc they are M5. The VM90/100 jaw screw holes have to be opened up and an M6 screw used to attach to the Nova.
Fact 6: The ring sizes on the back of the VM jaws do not precisely match those on the Nova chucks.
I have used the following adaptors with a matching longer M6 screws to put the smaller VM jaws on Nova chucks...
As you can see from the side view in that last photo that there isn't much difference between the ring size that will take the back of the VM jaw and the larger locating ring recess on the Nova side, but the smaller VM jaws will not fit into the Nova ring recess without the adaptor.
Fact 7: It is a fact that I never knew, or have forgotten, if there ever was an adaptor for Nova jaws to fit VM90/100 chucks. They certainly wouldn't fit without an adaptor.
I understand that the jaws from some other manufactures also fit on VM and Nova chucks, but I don't have any of those so can't confirm any of that. Please list any of those here if you know that to be the case.
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