Non-centering chucks-opine please.

[Fritz Lang]

I was looking at a 6" (I think) dia. non-centering 4[reversible]jaw chuck at Rockler yesterday...Sells for $69.00. Saturday they have a 25% off early bird coupon good for any one item in the store...This means I could get this chuck for about $55.00 including the stinking 7% sales tax...Question:Is a non-centering chuck that difficult to work with?
AND would you consider it $$$ well spent? I am also assuming that it is made in China...

The old Circut Rider

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Not at all. You can get a scrolling jaw chuck from PSI that's only $79.00. Granted it's not a 6" but you can mix and match jaws and go up to 8.25" with the flat jaws. It's just not worth the hassel.

Don't forget that they do come up on e-bay pretty often, keep an eye out there too. I just think that for the $25 saved you will be kicking your self for a long time.

 

[bjackman]

Agreed, I would not recommend a non-self-centering chuck unless you have a specific use for it.

 

[Chuck Key]

I like to keep a four jaw independent chuck around my shop. It will give you the ability to find the exact center of your work or let you put the center where you choose. With self centering scroll chucks, Beall type chucks and Jacobs chucks you end up with the center where the tool thinks it should be. However, if I could only have one chuck it would probably be a self centering type just for the sake of simplicity.

The Grizzly is around $55.00 with left and right hand thread adapters in several sizes available.

Chuckie

 

[bob393]

I only own one chuck it's self centering.

 

[hilltopper46]

I had some Dymondwood blanks with an unsquare cross-section that I wanted to center drill very closely last week as they were just barely big enough to make a cigar pen with.

So, downstairs to the metal lathe goes I, and used the 4-jaw independent check and dial indicated those puppies to center. Because the blanks were unsqaure, I could adjust the two jaws across from each other to center at a different spot that the other two jaws (I know what I meant, but am not sure you know what I mean []). It made it really nice and square.

Sometimes nothing takes the place of a 4-jaw independant chuck.

 

[Rifleman1776]

What do you mean by a non-centering chuck? Are you referring to an eccentric chuck?

 

[Dario]

I wouldn't recommend it unless you really want the capability of turning things eccentric.

 

[jeffnreno]

I have a self centering and a cheaper non self centering. I only use the self centering because it works so much better.

 

[alamocdc]

Frank, there are self-centering scroll chucks (like many of us have and use regularly) and there are scroll chucks that aren't geared to self-center. You have to "guess" or measure to get the piece centered in the chuck.

Fritz, I would only get one if I wanted to do eccentric turning. However, I recently saw a set of plans to make jaws for my self-centering scroll chucks that will allow me to do eccentric turnings w/o buying a new chuck. I just have to remember where I saw them.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Is this the chuck you are talking about?
http://tinyurl.com/ycyxnj

If so, you would be better off with this one
http://tinyurl.com/yg5q7y

Grizzly has one also you should check out

 

[Fritz Lang]

Thanx for all the input. I decided to wait and get a self centering chuck. in the mean time...I'll devise something else to hold the ornaments, etc...

 

[Firefyter-emt]

FYI, I just bought the Barracuda 2 from Woodturningsz for about $170.00 and it has 4 sets of jaws, a screw center and it's a geared chuck, not a tommy bar design. The whole package comes in a storage box too.

 

[stevers]

I had a freind give me one like this,,, http://tinyurl.com/ycyxnj . I could'nt say no to a free tool.
We can't all be as lucky as Lee and support our habbit through sales.[] Not yet anyway.
Waiting to see what you can do with that new chuck Lee.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

[] It will be here Thursday Steve! I have some pin oak just waiting for a nice firm grip!