Hello all. First time poster I own a Sorby lathe that I bought some years ago when Farris Machinery was a US distributor. Due to a move the lathe had been in storage for some years. Now that I have a shop I'm getting back into turning. I currently use a Oneway chuck and have generally turned smaller items...currently Christmas ornaments.
It has become annoying and time consuming to switch back and forth between the one inch and two inch jaws and have decided to make another chuck purchase to avoid the hassle. I've considered (a) another Oneway, body only, which would allow me to use the jaws I already have (just the 1 and 2 inch); (b) a cheaper Penn State scroll chuck that comes with a 1 and 2" jaw set, or, (c) upgrade to a larger chuck and use the Oneway as my secondary chuck.
Anybody gone through the same thing or have any words of advice? Thanks in advance for your help.
I recently bought a Vicmarc VM100 chuck plus a set of bowl jaws and a screw plate. The quality and workmanship on the chuck is top qualilty, everything you need is included and the follow up from the factory is great - I e-mailed them asking if they were planning to put their manuals online because I like to use a copy and keep the original clean, and they replied within 4 hours offering to post me a second copy. That is service!
The VM100 is the smaller of the two T-bar operated chucks that they make, but a guy at my turning club is using one to turn a Jarrah (Aussie hardwood) burl that's about 12 inches wide and about 10 inches long. They also make tommy bar operated chucks if that's your preference and they have a large range of accessories.
Check out:
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Cheers Paul
Unless otherwise stated all references to location refer to Western Australia
My advice is to get a Teknatool product - products are nice, support is good, very many different jaw sets available. At least that has been my experience. hth
We have Teknatool chucks at my club and to be honest I don't think they compare with the Vicmarcs - the Vicmarcs just seem a hell of a lot nicer. Cheers Paul
Unless otherwise stated all references to location refer to Western Australia
You've got the right idea. Stay in the family. It's a real luxury to be able to change chucks the way Norm Abram changes routers. As I have used the poorly thought-of Teknatool products for the last dozen years and couple thousand bowls, not to mention the other stuff, I can't comment on the "quality" of the others. My requirement is that they hold wood and be convenient, and repurchase of jaws you already own seems foolish.
Sanford, Some great questions, but you'll likely come to realize you've touched on an area where the discussion can often seem more like political rhetoric than a dispassionate appraisal.
I believe an objective analysis finds that the current generation of chucks coming from all the major manufacturers (Axminster, Oneway, Teknatool, Vicmark) are very good chucks of refined design. I would strongly encourage you to avoid chucks from anyone else, as they without exception are of lesser quality and poorer function. There is a lot of competition between the "big four" which has kept pricing in line with true manufacturing costs. Any major step down in price is reflected in a big step down in quality and performance (for example, nonhardened jaws, lesser materials, poorer machining--all of which will result in a decrease in precision and longevity).
You've already commented that you don't like changing jaws (I don't either) so I would suggest that you select your next chuck based on which can take the jaw set that seems to best meet your needs and compliments the jaw set(s) you already use most.
If you just want to have a seperate chuck for each of your existing jaw sets, then by all means get another Oneway, or get one of the Teknatool Chucks (they can all mount your Oneway jaw sets).
If you want to expand your capabilities, then chose the jaw set that most interests you first, then get a compatible chuck. For myself, I'm real partial to the Oneway pin jaws for smaller work and the Teknatool Powergrip Jaws for larger work, and the Oneway Vacuum Chucks used both with vacuum and as jam chucks. Your needs, of course, may lead you to other perferences.
If you go with a key operated chuck, you will find there is one area of difference between the different models. A chuck operates a lot like rack and pinion steering (in this case the rack is replaced with an intermediate ring that drives the jaw slide racks). The pinion gear that drives this can either be built into the end of the adjustment handle (the Oneway and old versions of the Teknatool Supernova) or it can be captured in the chuck housing with a square or hex shaped handle inserted into it from the outside (Axminster, Vicmark, Teknatool Supernova 2 and Titan). Both work equally well, but most find it much easier to use handles that fit into the captured pinions. The Vicmark has long been appreciated for its simple hex bar handle; the new Teknatool SuperNova 2 and Titan have slightly improved on this to use a ball ended hex shaft. I must fall into a slight moment of paritsanship to say that I really really like the new Teknatool handles and wish all my chucks had it.
Anyway,I've reviewed in the past the Oneway Talon and Teknatool Compac chucks, a recent review of the Titan can be obtained as a pdf here:
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I'll shortly have published reviews of the new Teknatool Supernova2 and Precision Midi
Hi Sanford I would go with the Oneway - body only; or even treat yourself and get the Oneway Talon - body only. I have chucks by all the major makers and they all work very well. If you stick to Oneway you are sure that all your existing and future accessories will fit and work well. With the same screws. Edward
I would like to make a suggestion that I think will help, regardless of which other chuck you buy, and will help even if you don't buy another chuck for a while.
When you take off a set of jaws, and install another set, you have to insert/remove 16 screws, usually. Get a rechargeable power screwdriver, set it up with the appropriate Allen wrench, and keep it handy. My second suggestion is to get one of those magnetic parts dishes that Harbor Freight sells. Put all the parts in the dish, and stick it to the ways below the chuck. This way, every part you are going to handle is right there, and if you drop a screw, it goes into the dish instead of onto the floor.
An extension of this idea would be to keep the jaws and screws in a magnetic dish on a shelf near the lathe, with the electric screwdriver. To change jaws, you move the dish to the ways, and you are started.
Good idea about the magnetic parts dishes. I think I'm up to five or so of them now -- have them on my drill press table, wood lathe, metal lathe, desk...
I just picked up two for $5.00 at the local H/F store. I was there for something else but...
Thanks to all of you...this is a great assortment of advice. I'm sorry I didn't reply to the group sooner but I have just returned from a weekend of travel.
It looks like the option of a cheaper scroll (e.g., Penn State) can be ruled out.
A couple of follow up questions....
I want to confirm that my Oneway jaws could be used on Teknatool products. I was in our local Woodcraft store last summer and purchased a set of Nova jaws for the Oneway as I was convinced (in the store) that these were the same as Oneway. However, when I tried them they wouldn't fit...are you saying they will go the other way? (Oneway > Nova, but not Nova > Oneway?) I looked at a close up picture of the Nova chuck and I don't see the safety groove for the pin in my #1 Oneway jaw. If it were to fit I might be tempted by the Super Nova 2, but, I also don't see a pin groove in its face that would allow my Oneway jaws to be used on it, either.
Second question...is the Talon up to the same grip level as the Oneway chuck? As I read it, this is a chuck for mini-lathes.
Sanford; No, No, the Oneway Talon is about the same size as the Onyway, only it uses a key to operate instead of two bars. Some turners find the key more convenient (or easier). The Talon and the Oneway have many jaws in common. There is no groove in the Nova body to accommodate the Oneway safety pin; it must be removed to put the Oneway jaws on a Nova body. I find the Nova a PITA to use. The floppy around key and now the floppy around T-hex key (on the Super Nova 2) is very annoying - you cannot let go of it to change your grip. Stick with one brand, you will save yourself a lot of hassle. Edward
The Teknatool Nova was the first four jaw self centering scroll chuck for woodturners. When Oneway decided to go into the chuck business, they basically copied the Nova design right down to the screw spacing and interface grooves of the jaws. The good thing about this is that any jaw that will fit on the Teknatool Nova will fit on the Oneway chuck and vice versa.
The difference in jaws and chucks that is pertinent to this discussion is how each achieve overstop protection so that the jaws slides cannot be expanded right out of their containment gearing. Teknatool in their Nova and original Supernova did this by a stop screw placed at the end of one of the jaw slides. Oneway incorporated it into their jaw sets by adding a pin to one jaw that was trapped in a groove in the face of the chuck. Either system works adequately.
To mount a Oneway jaw to the Teknatool you have to remove the stop pin, as their is not groove for it to go into and no need for it. A pair of pliers will pull it straight out without difficulty. Save it if you want to ever use that jaw on a Oneway again, and you can easily just press it back into place, seating it firmly with just the tap of hammer.
I generally don't recommend putting Teknatool jaws on a Oneway, as their is not provision for a stop pin. It would be possible to drill a jaw for one and insert it, but it would take some careful measurement, drilling, and a pin. Thus I usually state that Oneway jaws will fit on a Teknatool chuck, but not vice versa.
I have a Talon. I like it. It has a grip level a little greater than the lever bar Oneway chuck, but it does not have the grip strength of a Stronghold.
There aren't that many SuperNova 2s out there, it being a very new chuck, so I wonder how much experience some folks really have with the chuck. Mine came directly from Teknatool and I've had quite a bit of experience with two of them. It is an outstanding chuck, better than or equal to any chuck I've used. Lots of people have lauded the Vicmark chucks for their simple hex key handle. I agree. In my experience Teknatool has gone Vicmark one better in using a ball end on the hex shaft of their new handle. The ball end makes it a lot easier to have the end of the shaft self guide into the receptical even if you are slightly misaligned. It also allows the handle to be positions slightly off center to allow the handle to be angle if you have a big turning and need clearance to turn the handle. For me these are features and are a big plus, obviously others may have their own opinions, though I again wonder how much of those opinions are based on actual use of this new chuck.
Again, the Talon is a great chuck, though limited in jaw travel and number of jaw sets available. I use one regularly on my minilathe. The new SuperNova 2 is a great chuck, whith full jaw travel, an enclosed back, enclosed pinion gear, exceptional handle, and one of, if not the greatest range of compatible jaw sets available.
Sanford the basic Oneway tightens with the tommy bars, the Oneway-Talon uses the machined chuck key, has a better grip and is recommended for lathe work up to 16", the Oneway-stronghold is recommended for the larger turnings. The Talon jaws and other accessories do fit the basic Oneway and vise versa, but they do not fit the Oneway-Stronghold. Whatever fits the other chuck makes I am not positive about that
Yes, I did. I am the happy user of a Oneway Stronghold, but wanted a lighter chuck a.o. for cutting screw threads. Like Lynn suggested I looked for complementary functions of jaws first. In my case the range of pin/long nose jaws of the Vicmarc was the deciding factor. I ordered a VM 100 with several sets of jaws from Carrolls in Australia at a price that -including postage and taxes- was far below what is usual here in Europe. On arrival there was a problem with one of the jaws, wich was replaced promptly, without any cost to me.
I have been turning a lot of christmas ornaments this last month with the long nose jaws, a pleasure to be able to reach nearly everything from the headstock side.
I think the pin jaws are the handiest set you can get for a chuck, though mine are on a Nova. Nice thing about ornament work is that you can clamp up to a full inch square inside and have at it direct. I shank down squares on the bandsaw to take advantage of one-mount turning.
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