Jacobs Chuck Search

Hi Richard

I don't think there is much of a difference, turning the wood or the drill, however it could be a problem holding the wood on the tailstock. As for getting a Drill chuck with the 7/8 X 14 thread that will be a problem, the biggest I can find is 5/8 X 16, and a 3/4 X 16, no 7/8 X

14, those chucks run $150.- US. You can have a machine chop make you an adapter so you can use a 1/2" chuck 5/8 x 16 they cost a lot less, approx. $70.- US.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Dorothy and Richard Shels> Hi all:

It seems I just recently read that a drill will wander less if the drill is stationary and the wood turns rather than the drill turns. I don't recall the source for that or if it really makes any difference but I thought I'd throw it out there to hear the comments.

That depends on what you are drilling. A pen blank held in a chuck can be aligned lots more easily than the other way around. The chuck centers one end while the free end is aligned with the drill bit or live center in the tailstock. But if you just want to use the lathe as drill press to hold a sanding disk, or buffer then the Jacobs chuck needs to be in the headstock., or for an occasional freehand drilling job (definitely not recommended).

Can't find that number on the Rockwell/Beaver lathe page at

it have a morse taper in the headstock for use with the driven center?If so, standard chucks can be purchased for use with the MT. Sounds like a#1 MT would be the one.http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=49251&cat=1,330,49238&ap=1

Hi Owen

The problem with the twist drills we use is that they cut not only on the front edge, but will also remove material like wood, on their side Also the drill has not a lot of mass to keep itself stiff and straight, it is made to get rid of the swarf, now if speed was not a problem with heat etc., than a very fast turning drill would tend to stay rigid more so than a slow turning one, turning the wood, rather than the drill, I don't see as making a difference. For drilling a straight hole a so called D drill works but takes forever to drill deep, you have to back out the bit very often, Dan Bollinger I think it was, showed an old drill that would drill long straight holes, it looks a bit like a pipe sawn in half lengthwise and a forstner like cutting end, I never seen one or how they stack up but I can see that it might work well.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Owen Lowe wrote:

Hi George:

Thanks for your message. The Lathe is old, probably mid 1970's so it is not likely to be listed on any active page. It IS listed on the Old Woodworking Machines page at the following URL

does not have a Morse taper in the Headstock, only the Thread mount Imentioned. It has a #2 Morse Taper in the Tailstock which is where Icurrently mount the Jacobs Chuck when I need to use it. Richard Shelson

P.S. You have yourself well hidden. I tried to reply to you through the backchannels so I did not visit this specific >

Sounds like that's the only place you'll be using it. The Rockwell Beaver/Homecraft lines were a step down from their shop quality machines, which puts them at least one step above the current crop. They made some compromises to keep the price down, one of which, the drive spindle, you have discovered. The only suggestion I have remaining is to get an adapter made by a machinist, similar to

had a local do a 1 1/4x 8 TPI to 1" pin chuck for me for $25 bucks.