precision matthews drill chuck

[MedWoodWorx]

hello all, a few days ago i ordered a new lathe and now i need a few accessories. I was looking at this drill chuck made by precision matthews. It is supposed to be ultra high precision and as such the pricetag is extra spicy (along with postage cost and duties i ll have to pay about 189 $). I don't mind paying more money to invest in a quality tool but i am not sure if it's worth it. Has anyone used it? Is there another high quality brand i should look at? Any feedback is welcome, cheers.

P.S. should i also buy a good quality live center or i can get away with something cheaper?

 

[randyrls]

Mike; Precision is a relative term. Metal lathes are high precision, wood lathes not so much. I drill precision holes on my mini-mill. Drill chucks can be upwards of $300 USD. You likely know this; A chuck may or MAY NOT come with the mount. The chuck likely will have a JT (Jacobs Taper) recess on the mounting end. You will need to have the correct adapter for your machine to mount the chuck. Common is MT (Morse Taper) or R8 (Milling machine taper with a keyway and drawbar). A drill chuck should always have a drawbar.

Precision Mathews are good lathes.

If you are doing pens, try for a CNC live center as the tip is smaller and easier to clear with a tool.

 

[Darrin]

I have a PM1030 and use a Jacob's chuck. I'm sure the quality of the PM chuck is as good.

 

[rherrell]

I have a PM 1340GT and it came with a 5/8" chuck. I've had it for 6 years and I see no reason to change , it's very good.

 

[duncsuss]

hello all, a few days ago i ordered a new lathe and now i need a few accessories.

Are you buying a wood lathe or a metal lathe?

If it's a wood lathe, I do not believe the extra cost of a precision drill chuck can be justified. I bought THIS keyless drill chuck with MT2 mandrel to fit in my tailstock and the precision is completely acceptable as far as I'm concerned.

For pens, once the material is turned down to fit into a collet chuck, I don't use a live centre in the tailstock any more so for me that doesn't need to be super-precise either.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

Thank you all for your input. First of all i didn't know that pm makes lathes, i thought they make only good quality parts. I am buying a midi wood lathe and i plan to make pens as well as small woodturnings. Is the precision of pm justified? Are not all live centers cnc made? Thank you guys

 

[MedWoodWorx]

Are you buying a wood lathe or a metal lathe?

If it's a wood lathe, I do not believe the extra cost of a precision drill chuck can be justified. I bought THIS keyless drill chuck with MT2 mandrel to fit in my tailstock and the precision is completely acceptable as far as I'm concerned.

For pens, once the material is turned down to fit into a collet chuck, I don't use a live centre in the tailstock any more so for me that doesn't need to be super-precise either.

I see what you mean, since this part is out of stock can you please tell me what to expect in terms of money spent? I ve seen drill chucks that cost about 30-40 euros while others more than 100. Is it worth it? I plan to try my luck in kitless pens, do i need high precision tools or these make sense only when used with a metal lathe?

P.s. i ordered a midi wood lathe.

Thanks again for your time and advice.

 

[randyrls]

Thank you all for your input. First of all i didn't know that pm makes lathes, i thought they make only good quality parts. I am buying a midi wood lathe and i plan to make pens as well as small woodturnings. Is the precision of pm justified? Are not all live centers cnc made? Thank you guys

Mike, I believe you are referring to my comment about a CNC live center. There are several styles of live centers depending on use. Most lathes come with a live center, but the point is sharper (more pointed) than 60 degrees. For most pens mandrels use a 60 degree live center like the first photo. But the sides of the center get in the way at the end of the blank. So I use a live center intended for "CNC machines". It looks like the second photo. This keeps the sides away from the end of the work. BUT they are very expensive! There are also live centers with replaceable tips. I would go for the one with replaceable tips.

 

[duncsuss]

I see what you mean, since this part is out of stock can you please tell me what to expect in terms of money spent? I ve seen drill chucks that cost about 30-40 euros while others more than 100. Is it worth it? I plan to try my luck in kitless pens, do i need high precision tools or these make sense only when used with a metal lathe?

P.s. i ordered a midi wood lathe.

Thanks again for your time and advice.

I don't know the prices in Europe, but since most of these are made in either China or India it should not be a huge difference. If you see one that you are considering, maybe post a link to it and somebody can advise if it is likely to work for you.

My only recommendations are (1) keyless, and (2) 5/8" (15 to 16mm) is better than 1/2" (12.5mm). A lot of times I need to drill 13.2mm (for example, making a fountain pen with M14x0.8x3 threads) and it is too large for a half-inch drill chuck.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

I don't know the prices in Europe, but since most of these are made in either China or India it should not be a huge difference. If you see one that you are considering, maybe post a link to it and somebody can advise if it is likely to work for you.

My only recommendations are (1) keyless, and (2) 5/8" (15 to 16mm) is better than 1/2" (12.5mm). A lot of times I need to drill 13.2mm (for example, making a fountain pen with M14x0.8x3 threads) and it is too large for a half-inch drill chuck.

So a chinese made part is ok for my cause and those expensive high precision ones are used mainly for metal working where ultra high precision is needed?
Thank you for your advice, cheers

 

[duncsuss]

So a chinese made part is ok for my cause and those expensive high precision ones are used mainly for metal working where ultra high precision is needed?
Thank you for your advice, cheers

I believe so. I recommend checking any reviews - my major concern would be if there are comments about roughness opening and closing the jaws, or "wobble".