Originally posted by coach
<br />Thanks for the info bob! I will have to look into a scroll chuck. I have only turned pens, so it will be uncharted territory for me. Are they easy to figure out? Easy to use? Not too expensive? (I hope) Thanks again.
They're easy to use. I have a Oneway 4 jaw chuck with small jaws, costs around $150. There's a Talon chuck in the $100 price range, and I think Nova has a similar one. PSI sells some small 4 jaw chucks for around $50, don't know how good they are. I have one but have never used it. Can anybody else comment on the PSI low cost chucks?
Be sure to get 4 jaws, not 3, and self-centering jaws, not independently adjustable. And jaws that will clamp something as small as 3/8" outside diameter, or thereabouts.
By far the most accurate way to drill pen blanks is to have the wood spinning in a scroll chuck and the drill stationary in a Jacobs chuck in the tail stock. For a big hole in a small blank I always drill on the lathe. That's also how I drill the hole in a seam ripper handle.
Scroll chucks aren't just for turning bowls. With the right jaws they are very handy for all kinds of spindle turning. They're also a nice way to turn wine bottle stoppers.
Have a great weekend,
txbob in Marble Falls, TX, with sunny skies and 81 deg this afternoon.