Lathe Chuck

[Kragax]

Hello Again, Another question. I should be picking my lathe up tomorrow. I pan on buy a Jacobs chuck at the same time for my tailstock. As far as a jawed chuck I'm kinda stuck at the moment. It seems that there are some inexpensive units in MT1 but not for MT2. All the lathes I have worked on (metal) were already tooled up so I've never had to deal with this. Is the an inexpensive MT2 chuck out there? I have seen conversion arbors but seems to me that the longer shaft would greatly effect the radial run out or do you change the shaft on the chuck? My lathe comes with the usual drive center and a faceplate. Is the a chuck that I can mount on the faceplate? If not I will wait til next month and see what I can afford then. SS is tough though.

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

I have two chucks from PSI: a utility chuck with the two bars to tighten it and a Barracuda 2 chuck with the 1 chuck wrench for my Jet 1014. They also have larger chucks. Their prices are good and I have had no trouble at all with these chucks. I am sure there will be plenty more responses but most of the more popular chucks are quite a bit more money. Mine work fine for me.

Edit to add: Mine are for M2 taper and 1X8 threads but adapters are available from them also.

Tim.

 

[monophoto]

I also have the PSI Utility Chuck with the tommy bars - it's fine for the kinds of applications that I have for chucks. It's native threading is for a 1?x8tpi spindle, but it comes with an adapter for 3/4"x16tpi spindles.

My suggestion is that before you spend a lot of money, invest in a copy of Ernie Conover's The Frugal Woodturner. There is a lot of very practical information in that book on how to get into wood turning without spending piles of money - including an entire chapter on alternatives to chucks.

 

[low_48]

Depends on what you want to turn. I would not buy a jaw chuck that is driven by a Morse taper. Get one that screws on the shaft. Lots of vibration with out of balance wood for bowl turning, and unless you use a drawbar, the taper will release. If you are familiar with metal turning, you already you know that you get what you pay for. I detest the two bar tightening chucks. They are horrible when you try to hold a bowl blank in place and then tighten two bars. I only have two hands for a 3 hand process.

 

[Kragax]

Well, I was interested in drilling pen blanks on the lathe. My drill press is very small as well as junk. I didn't know there we alternatives to chucks although I have been thinking about it.

 

[monophoto]

To drill pen blanks on a lathe, you need two things:
1. A jacobs chuck to hold the drill bit. It should have a morse taper that matches the taper in the tailstock of your lathe.
2. A four-jaw scroll chuck to hold the blank. You can buy special pen blank jaws, but I'm suspicious that the only truly unique purpose they serve is to increase revenue for the retailers who sell chucks and chuck jaws. You can mount a pen blank between centers, turn a tenon on one end, and then grip the blank between standard No. 1 jaws.

 

[LeeR]

2. A four-jaw scroll chuck to hold the blank. You can buy special pen blank jaws, but I'm suspicious that the only truly unique purpose they serve is to increase revenue for the retailers who sell chucks and chuck jaws. You can mount a pen blank between centers, turn a tenon on one end, and then grip the blank between standard No. 1 jaws.

I'd disagree about the pen drilling jaws serving no purpsoe other than as a revenue generator. I have two Nova chucks, and one is dedicated for drilling pen blanks using the Nova pen blank jaws. They are extremely useful. With two jaws, they will grab rectangular cross-sectioned blanks (i.e. not perfectly square), which you cannot do with a 4-jaw chuck. They are also quite long, and so they have an incredible gripping surface. They certainly save a step by eliminating any need to turn a tenon so that the pen blank can be conventionally chucked.

 

[longbeard]

I have the Nova midi chuck with the nova pen jaws, works great on all pen blanks, square or not.



Harry

 

[mredburn]

Here are some options

MT2 to 1 2 20 2MT Threaded Drill Chuck Arbor 2 Morse Taper to 1 2 20 Thread New | eBay
heres another
http://www.amazon.com/Morse-Taper-T...ll+chuck&pebp=1422400698714&peasin=B0007Q1Q32
and a drill and mt2 mount
6mm 1JT Heavy Duty Ball Bearing Drill Chuck Key Keyed 1JT 2MT Arbor MT2 JT1 | eBay

 

[Edgar]

I have both of these:
1/2" MT2 Mini-Lathe Drill Chuck

Buy Heavy Duty 1/2" Keyed Lathe Drill Chuck #2 MT at Woodcraft.com

The HF chuck is fine & is a little cheaper, but it has a tang on the end while the Woodcraft chuck has a threaded hole on the end for a drawbar which makes it a lot more flexible.

If you just use the chuck in the tailstock, the tang style is fine, but if you mount it in the headstock for things like bottle stoppers, a drawbar style is a must.

The Woodcraft chuck is on sale right now.

FWIW, I personally prefer keyed chucks, but you can also get keyless chucks if you prefer that type.

Edgar

 

[Kragax]

OK, stupid me again, what is a drawbar? I have only used a metal lathe that was already set up.

 

[Edgar]

OK, stupid me again, what is a drawbar? I have only used a metal lathe that was already set up.

No problem - it's a threaded bar that you stick through the head stock & screw into the female thread of an MT1 or MT2 tool, then cinch up to the headstock with a nut so the morse taper tool can't vibrate out of the headstock.

I believe the Woodcraft chuck that I linked uses a 3/8" thread. Some chucks have a 1/4" thread. You can purchase tooled drawbars, but I just bought a 12" piece of threaded bar stock at Home Depot for mine and used one of these to cinch it down.

Buy Knob, Four Arm with Through Hole, 3/8"-16 Insert at Woodcraft.com

 

[jewellmd]

I bought this chuck for my lathe:

Utility Grip 4 Jaw Chrome Lathe Chuck System: includes 2 sets of jaws and FREE 8 in. Jumbo Flat Jaws

Utility Grip 4 Jaw Chrome Lathe Chuck System: includes 2 sets of jaws and FREE 8 in. Jumbo Flat Jaws at Penn State Industries

My primary reason was to do drilling of pen blanks. My drill press only has a 2" draw and that doesn't work so well for pen blanks. I've used the jumbo jaws to turn a mug sleeve and that worked pretty well too.

For the price and the reviews on the site, it's decent for a starter. I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Kragax]

Thank you all very much. I got my lathe today and see how a chuck would mount to the headstock. I'm good. Next month I may ask about different kids of chucks though.

Thanks Again..........Craig

 

[lwalper]

I believe the Woodcraft chuck that I linked uses a 3/8" thread. Some chucks have a 1/4" thread. You can purchase tooled drawbars, but I just bought a 12" piece of threaded bar stock at Home Depot for mine and used one of these to cinch it down.

Yep, I've got the three-jaw from PSI. It has a 1/4" thread. For a drawbar I use a piece of all-thread (6" long for my headstock) with a wing nut brazed to one end. Works great and is a MUST have item if you're going to spin the chuck in the headstock. Don't kid yourself -- without the drawbar that thing WILL come out of there. :frown: