Advice needed on which chuck to buy

[siric]

Hi,

I have decided to do my blank drilling on the lather rather than my drill press - think I would have better control with the VS.

I was think about getting the Large Dedicated Pen Blank Drilling Chuck from PSI, but then I thought about the Utility Grip 4 Jaw Chrome Lathe Chuck System which should allow me to drill blanks as well as turn bowls, etc.

And it is $10 less to boot and comes with a free Jumbo Jaws.

Does this substitution make sense? Anyone have experience drilling blanks with the Utility Chuck?

As usual, any advice would be appreciated...


Steve

 

[flyitfast]

Nova G3 with pen jaws +++ On sale at Woodcraft if you have a store nearby.
No experience with the PSI chuck.
gordon

 

[kovalcik]

The utility chuck with pin jaws will work, but you may have issues centering the blank if it is not perfectly square.

Other Choices:

From PSI:
Utility chuck (or Barracuda 2) + pen drilling jaws.

Other option:
Nova G3 + Pendrilling jaws.

Remember that the utility chuck uses 2 bars to tighten the chuck. Takes a little juggling to get things in sometimes. You get used to it, but a scrolling chuck like the Barracuda 2 or Nova is easier to use. The utility chuck makes a good second chuck if you go the PSI route. They all can share jaws.

 

[siric]

Thanks for the info. Think I'll go with the PSI chuck and Pen Jaws.



Steve

 

[bgio13]

Check out this thread. May give you some more info. www.penturners.org/forum/f30/nova-pen-plus-jaws-111668/

 

[scotirish]

My experience is limited, but that being said I found that by the time you use a Jacob's chuck to hold the drill and then add the drill it is extended far out. At this point it does not matter what chuck you use to hold the wood, the drill will flex. :at-wits-end::at-wits-end:

 

[WriteON]

I just purchased the large dedicated drill chuck and 1/2" Jacobs for the tail. I'm drilling into 2.5" square blanks. The bit flexes somewhat on cocobola but drills smoothly on acrylics. Have not trimmed other woods yet.

 

[ed4copies]

My experience is limited, but that being said I found that by the time you use a Jacob's chuck to hold the drill and then add the drill it is extended far out. At this point it does not matter what chuck you use to hold the wood, the drill will flex. :at-wits-end::at-wits-end:

I don't understand!!

If you drill on a drill press, you will have a Jacob's chuck holding the drill bit. What is the difference between that and the lathe?

The bits we use are usually over 7mm---if they are "flexing", try sharpening the bit. It should not take that much pressure to drill.

FWIW,
Ed

 

[Donnie Kennedy]

My experience is limited, but that being said I found that by the time you use a Jacob's chuck to hold the drill and then add the drill it is extended far out. At this point it does not matter what chuck you use to hold the wood, the drill will flex. :at-wits-end::at-wits-end:

I don't understand!!

If you drill on a drill press, you will have a Jacob's chuck holding the drill bit. What is the difference between that and the lathe?

The bits we use are usually over 7mm---if they are "flexing", try sharpening the bit. It should not take that much pressure to drill.

FWIW,
Ed

The only time I have trouble drilling on the lathe is when I've tried to use those 7mm brad point bits that come with the PSI branded mandrel set-ups... every other bit I own runs through nice and straight.

I think it's because a combination of them being (by a long shot) the longest bits in my possession, and they're probably not as sharp as they should be out of the box. Oddly enough, those same bits work fine in the DP though.

As for chucks, I have some G3s that I prefer over the few of others that I own or have owned.

 

[edstreet]

My experience is limited, but that being said I found that by the time you use a Jacob's chuck to hold the drill and then add the drill it is extended far out. At this point it does not matter what chuck you use to hold the wood, the drill will flex. :at-wits-end::at-wits-end:

I don't understand!!

If you drill on a drill press, you will have a Jacob's chuck holding the drill bit. What is the difference between that and the lathe?

The bits we use are usually over 7mm---if they are "flexing", try sharpening the bit. It should not take that much pressure to drill.

FWIW,
Ed

[sarcasm]
Gravity my friend, it's called gravity It tends to flex things downwards towards the trash can, er I mean the ground.
[/sarcasm]