Looking for chuck

A Stronghold will work just fine on your lathe. I ran one on an underpowered Cdn Tire lathe until I got my 20" General. Note that some turners like the smaller Talon because its size makes it less likely to be in the way when turning near it. I'll give the standard disclaimer that you don't really need a chuck but I'm sure glad I have one! Billh

I have both a standard Nova and a Super Nova (about the same as the Stronghold). I used them both on a 12" monotube for a couple years and now have a 14" Delta cast iron lathe. I think they recommend a certain size lathe that is what the manufacture rates the holding power of the chuck at, probably for the max size hunk of green, off-balance, wood that it will control.

Most of it is probably advertising, figuring if you can afford a bigger lathe, then you can afford a bigger chuck. :-)

That being said, the chuck I use the most is the standard Nova with 2" jaws. Not much that I have had any trouble holding. I have the big powergrip jaws on the Super Nova, but I usually switch back to the standard after roughing the outside of whatever I am turning. (I've never had a piece come off the standard since switching to a more robust lathe. The monotube used to regulary throw wood at me, I think mostly due to the lightweight headstock and spindle that allowed the piece to vibrate.)

I bought a second chuck primarily to avoid swapping jaws more than necessary and the Super was on sale, otherwise I'd have bought a second standard.

Woodchip Willie - aka Bill Berglin

"Blair" skrev i melding news:4EVjd.8147$ snipped-for-privacy@read1.cgocable.net...

I have a Stronghold and a Talon, and I am very happy with both. But with your lathe I suppose you would be most happy with the Talon, because of the size.

Remember that the Talon can use exactly the same jaws as the Stronghold, and the Talon has no problem securing anything up to 60 cm diameter or more when you put some work into presizing.

Only when you regularly handle the really big stuff is the Stronghold "neccessary". And then there are faceplates.

Bjarte

Axminster, Axminster, Axminster! Precision & the widest variety of jaws.

Your lathe will turn 12" and down, the chuck will turn 16" and down.

Where you don't want to limit yourself is in buying a prebored chuck. Although you could adapt it to a future lathe the clumsy way, it'll be much easier to simply change the insert.

All the talk about "holding" power depends on your turning style and the type of hold you use. Any of the chucks on the market will do, so look at future expense and variety of jaws before you purchase. I am particularly fond of the pin jaws on my NOVA chucks, using them to hold blanks for roughing outside, reversing to the 1" dovetail for inside, with the long tenon hold coming in handy for ornaments and, I would imagine, things like stoppers and such.

Talon jaws and Stronghold jaws are not exactly the same. You may be able to get the same profiles but the jaws are not interchangeable. Talon and the regular tommy-bar Oneway jaws are identical though. Billh

I only have Stronghold chucks. I use them on everything from my big pattern makers lathe which swings 38" to my Jet mini with spigot jaws turning bottle stoppers.. You can never have too much gripping power. You won't ever have to "upgrade" again...

Peter Teubel Milford, MA