Worm Screw / Chuck question - newbie

[Jon Prouty]

So I bought a chuck from Grizzly for Christmas (yay). The screw drive (worm screw/ whatever) is VERY long. For smaller bowls, can I put a spacer (1/2" MDF) in between the chuck jaws and the bowl blank? Been searching for similar threads and coming up empty. Thanks for the assistance!

Jon

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use spacers Jon all the time but when I do I make sure my tailstock is in place.

[Jon Prouty]

Thanks!

Jon

[Dick Sowa]

Be REALLY cautious of MDF as a backing or mounting material for your blanks. It is really too soft to provide a very secure mounting, and can fail dramatically if you get a catch. I would recommend using some scrap wood instead...poplar is a good choice, but any solid wood would be a better choice than MDF.

[Denis Puland]

Hi
When as a newbie I got my first chuck and I tried using the worm Screw thingy and did not like it and switched to mounting between centers with a Spur drive, rough turn the shape and make adjustments either at the tail stock or headstock end of the blank to achieve the most desirable orientation of the blank and make a spigot for the chuck to hold. Since then that has been the only way that I start almost all my turning projects.

I find this method so very handy for making adjustments to the blank orientation when roughing and mounting.

My preferences only as there are many ways to skin a cat so to speak.

Denis

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I do this frequently. I use a few pieces of "Radiata Pine" from the local Borg.

Yes it is Pine but it isn't super soft like the cheap 2x4 material at said store. Instead it is a nice straight grained and works really well.

For me I drilled the hole the right size and screwed it on. This seated it quite firmly. Once it is screwed on and in place I get what I am actually turning screwed on. Over time these "threads" from the first mounting have held up pretty well. But even if it doesn't last too long the whole 8' board was < $8. So I feel I am getting my moneys worth.

Just my $0.02.

Joshua

[Jon Finch]

I'm still a newbie but I'm not real fond of my worm screw. Smaller bowls I just place between centers as Denis suggests. On larger bowls I just flatten the face of the blank as best I can with a chainsaw and screw on a 5-6" faceplate.

[Fred Belknap]

I have a Oneway talon wormscrew and it has held fine. The problem is getting it unscrewed. There us no way to hold the chuck, and it will come loose before the blank does. I usually end up loosing the chuck from the wormscrew and then use a cresent wrench on it.
Fred

[Mark P. Brown]

I prefer to drill 2 1/8 hole 1/4 to 3/8 deep with a forstner bit on the top side chuck up the work piece turn a flat spot for the bottom drill again with the forstner bit on the bottom then run up the tail stock and turn.
Mark

[Thomas Canfield]

On my Talon and Stronghold chuck when using the screw I often will use a "washer" or two made from 1/4" or 1/8" masonite when needing to use less thread. I normally face for the chuck and screw using a 2 3/4" Fprstner bit to have a good surface and also allow for setting the orientation of the bowl.

I have also made a strap wrench using a 40" long piece of 3/4" wide leather strap replacing the rubber strap in a Harbor Freight strap wrench which will only do about 6" bowl. A piece of the rubber shelf lining also helps get a better grip on the turned bowl by hand or under the leather strap.

I am also a big believer in apply thin CA to the drilled hole to strengthen the wood the screw for soft wood and also green wood as an additional suggestion.