Qs: Economy Chuck/ Turning for Kids

Cal,

If you're going to spend $100 on a cheap chuck, I'd feel better (and it's not my daughter!) if you got a reputable chuck; a good one. If it costs more money, leave out a few stocking stuffers. I'm not saying the one you're asking about isn't good, I am not familiar with it, but this accessory is going to hold that chunk of wood from flying and it's a very important accessory.

As to projects for kids, there are a lot of fun things in Raffan's Turning Projects. However, if she's old enough to start turning, what's wrong with pens (like DJ's daughter, Rebecca), or bowls or mushrooms (tops, of course), and just about anything small that we all turn.

I just love it when young kids get interested in turning. They are a joy to teach because they do not pretend to know it all already.......at least not until they turn 13!

Have fun playing along with your daughter!

Ruth

Woodturners Logo My shop and Turnings at

Calvin,

You should check out the Nova Compac chuck at Woodcraft. Its about $80 and is a good chuck, just a bit limited in capacity. It uses two Tommy bars for tightening. I have one and it is a very good chuck for the money.

Barry

Hi Cal, I have used a cheap chuck before I got my Oneway Stronghold and yes, it did work but I tightened the devil out of it. For your daughter I, like Ruth, think that something a bit more along the lines of a quality chuck providing a better margin of safety is necessary. I suggest for your Jet Mini looking at the Oneway Talon. It has a key tightening mechanism which provides a mechanical advantage in tightening compared to the tommy bar method. The link below is for a Canadian site that has very good prices on Oneway stuff and with the exchange rate it may not be way more expensive than the $100 chuck. They are on Vancouver Island just across the water from Washington as you very likely know.

Ditto. A good chuck is the second most expensive single accessory for a lathe. Like Ruth, I have no experience with that chuck you are refering too, but I have used a Nova Compac chuck (approx $79US) and returned it within one hour. Totally unsatisfied with it. Consider at least a standard Nova chuck (I have one and actually like it better than the SuperNova....which I sold).

Peter Teubel Milford, MA

I did not know any better. When I started I did not want to spend $250.00 -

400.00 CAD to find out that I like woodturning or not. So, I bought an economy chuck at $65.00 CAD. I have used it for about 10-12 months. My comments are as follows: 1) The use of levers is awkward and it should be done with a single drive Allen key instead. 2) When doing the inside of a 10" X 5" wet red oak a deeper tenon is required. Re-tightening is often required with large and heavy wet blanks. 3) When finishing dried blanks the tenon left of the blanks before drying have to be trued and the anchorseal removed to provide an adequate concentric gripping surface. 4) It weighs about 6 pounds! 5) It come in size of 1" X 8 TPI and 3/4" X 16 TPI. No adapter is needed for my lathe.

When at the Moncton (NB) Woodworking show last week I learned that when purchasing known brands of chuck an adapter is needed. This adds to the cost. The accumulation of machining tolerances is increased by the addition of the adapter.

I soon learned that the use of face plates and glue blocks give me good results without the use of a scroll chuck. However I would like to experiment with these original designed chucks.

lathe. Like Ruth, I have no experience with that chuck you

eturned it within one hour. Totally unsatisfied with it.

better than the SuperNova....which I sold).

Do you ever watch "The Router Workshop" which is a Canadian show, on PBS down here? They demonstrate over and over again how to loosen and tighten two handles with one hand. With the standard Nova you get a pin spanner and a bar, which is a bit different, but entirely useable.

I prefer a dovetail recess and my tailstock for open face turning. Tenons are for endgrain orientation around my house. Peek at

for a nice and safe way towork. Kids up at school may catch, but don't lose blanks, and they're outof the disintegration zone, too.Leave the hole you used to mount the pin chuck or jaws on a pillar. Thatway you run the 1" bit down for the pin, or grab inside with the jaws toretrue the bottom. Once again, your tailstock helps you until your blank ismore stable and true. Dry is the same procedure as wet until the last. I'm too impatient to wait for glue, I guess, either that, or spoiled by the ease of a chuck. I use faceplates for jam chucks, and that's about it.

Thanks for introducing me to the pin chuck. I have added this site to my favorites list. I like the idea of the pin chuck and I will get or make one.

I read: "It is just a 1" cylinder of steel with a flat filed on it approximately 1/8" deep. Is the 1" cylinder of steel solid or is it a heavy wall cylinder? The flat is 1/8" deep on the cylinder and the brass welding rod is 1/8" OD. Would a larger OD cylinder and rod alter it performance. I am visualizing the use of a MT 2 machined to a 1" OD pin. It may not be a good idea? I am also anxious to get the glue to harden. Today, in my garage shop the temperature is 40-47F so it not bad for the hot melting glue to sets in. While I am waiting for the hot glue to be ready I work on furniture making.

Solid cylinder, and any machinist will recognize what a pin chuck is. It's a standard in metalworking. Reason I went to brass is that means I _know_ I can't find it with a magnet, and I don't waste time, but just cut a new roll pin.

Later this week, emergencies permitting, I'll pop up some pictures I took with the pin jaws versus the pin chuck.

Before going any further check out Grizzly's chuck. It is a very decent piece of machinery for $36.

Thanks for all the responses. I feel properly scolded for trying to be too cheap.

As well as safety, another argument to getting a better chuck is the ability to get the threaded insert for my lathe so that I can also use it. Are the pieces for the Oneway Talon and the Stronghold chuck interchangable, or do I end up with two chucking systems?

Cal

The Talon and Stronghold pieces are not compatible. I believe the Talon and the older plain Oneway chuck that uses tommy bars to tighten the workpiece have common jaws and insert. Billh