Shape Shifter Review

Hello All,

Looks like I didn't fix the link so that it would work. Here is another try: I hope it works this time.

Fred Holder

Very good review, as usual, Fred..

Question: Did you feel that the low turning speeds were due to the chuck being offset in the Shape shifter, or do you find this typical with eccentric chucks?

Did you buy or return it? I found this requirement a little cheap on the designers part, but I guess you can't give one to everyone..

I like the concept, but will wait until Dan or his competition come out with something a little more user friendly on the mounting end... As in availability of different spindle sizes as the chuck manufacturers do.. Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to offer one in 1-8 / 1-8 or 1 1/4-8 / 1

I don't think I would of bought my first chuck (Oneway Talon) if I would have had to buy a spindle reducer to use it.. YMWV

Thanks again for posting the review, Fred...

mac

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Smack on

Considering the cost of an eccentric chuck and the cost of this system, I think my cost-benefit would go towards spending the extra money for a dedicated chuck

Yeah, that, or a shop-made version..

I'd be interested in this one if I could use it without adapters and leave it in place most of the time in the "center" position... The inventor says that's doable.. But.. Using it with an adapter on each end just leaves the chuck hanging out there too far, IMO....

mac

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Hello Mac,

I just returned from the AAW Symposium, quite a blast! See if I can answer your questions. The turning speed was determined by the level of vibrations. When the lathe began to shudder, I backed the speed off until it settled down. All eccentric chucks present this problem, except when one uses counterweights to eliminate the vibrations. None of the other eccentric chuck that I own enable one to use a chuck with them, except one that I purchased in England. It was made of aluminum and caused a great deal of vibration with a chuck attached. How much vibration you get is directly related to the amount of weight of the offset piece. In this case, you have the weight of the wood and the weight of the chuck.

I have not make up my mind on purchasing the chuck or returning it. I probably will not purchase it since I've ordered one of the Vicmarc/ Escoulin chucks, which costs in the $500 range. It has a lot more capabilities than the Shape Shifter, but, of course, costs considerably more. I believe it has the capability of mounting a chuck onto the unit also.

If one has a lathe with 1-1/4" x 8 tpi, it is a simple matter to use that size of Nova Chuck insert and you can use an insert in your chuck to convert it to fit a 1" x 8 tpi spindle without having to add an adapter and extend the whole mechanism considerably. I change adapters in my chucks all of the time to either fit the 1-1/4" x 8 tpi spindle of my Nova DVR to to fit the spindle of my Vicmarc VL-100 evs lathe which is 1" x 8 tpi.

If I did not already own five eccentric chucks, I would consider the ShapeShifter a good choice. It has a great deal of capability, and one could use counterweights to balance the offset weight with a little bit of experimenting, perhaps a disk between the chuck and ShapeShifter with wheel weights on it to counter balance the load. I might even give this a try and provide another story on the ShapeShifter if Dan doesn't get in too big a rush to get the unit back.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Basically, one can do anything the eccentric chucks can do by jury- rigging things, by mounting between centers, and with homemade rigs. I've seen many demonstrators do eccentric turning by removing two of the jaws from their four jaw chucks. ShapeShifter does this a bit easier.

Fred Holder, More Woodturn> >

Thanks, Fred... I might consider the shapeshifter eventually... As you said, the Nova insert should make it fit the 1-1/4" x 8 tpi spindle, and I do have an 8-1tpi in the Talon chuck that lives on the Jet mini..

mac

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