Inserts for every chuck ?

[Nick Mastropietro]

Is this a common practice or do you leave the insert on the headstock and spin on and off your different chucks?

[James Combs]

I am a novice turner also, mostly pens to date but I want to turn larger items eventually. I have a super nova 2 and it has a set screw that locks the insert into place. For what it's worth.:)


Is this a common practice or do you leave the insert on the headstock and spin on and off your different chucks?

[Bill Bolen]

For me each chuck is fitted with it's own insert...Bill...

[Frank Van Atta]

Each chuck has it's own insert. Depending on the variety of chucks you own, the inserts might be interchangeable, anyway.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nick - I have a Talon chuck and have removed the insert only a couple of times - it is not something that is fast to do. The insert fits very tight within the body of the chuck and you have to use a couple of screws to gradually back the insert out of the chuck. I believe it that tight so you don't have out-of-round problems with the chuck.

So, if you end up with more than one chuck - get the insert and leave it installed.

[alex carey]

agreed, get inserts for all of your chucks, getting them out can be a PAIN. I recently put a 1 1/4 insert on my talon and it took me 20 minutes to get the other insert off.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I leave the inserts in my chucks. I don't take them off.

[Toney Robertson]

I guess I need to get some inserts.

I have four chucks and one insert that I leave on the spindle the entire time. It stays in place with a set screw.

Toney

[Nathan Hawkes]

This is an impossible question to answer without caveats. Unless you're going to stick to a particular brand, getting only one insert is really going to limit yourself. You can't use oneway chucks like this; the insert screws down from the back. Tekna chucks--nova, supernova, titan, G3 all use similar inserts that you can screw on & off. Just make sure that those threads are very clean on the insert. The one teknatool insert I have experience with was quite tight in the threads; a little goop on them and it probably would have gotten stuck; I'm guessing they didn't mean for them to be used this way. Plus, without the insert on a given chuck, you lose the ability to crank on it with a big wrench if it gets really stuck on the lathe...

[phil harold]

I guess I need to get some inserts.

I have four chucks and one insert that I leave on the spindle the entire time. It stays in place with a set screw.

Toney

If one insert is working why change?

[Alan Zenreich]

agreed, get inserts for all of your chucks, getting them out can be a PAIN. I recently put a 1 1/4 insert on my talon and it took me 20 minutes to get the other insert off.

Alex, I had trouble the first time I tried to remove the insert from a Talon chuck. After being frustrated, I read the instructions. DUH, the instructions for removing the insert were brilliantly simple... use the screws as jacks in the auxiliary holes provided. Came right out, took 30 seconds.

So, if you're not using the screw technique to remove the insert, it's time to take a look at the instructions.

[Tom Giacomo]

I'm a don't pull out kind of guy. Leave it in.

[Jim Sebring]

I Locktite my inserts in, then Locktite the set screw, too. Blue Locktite, not red. ;)

[Jeff Nicol]

I have 4 chucks and 3 of them are 1"x 8TPI and the big Stronghold is
1 1/4" x 8TPI. I have an adapter from the larger thread to the smaller thread and that is the only thing that gets changed. I think changing the inserts all the time could lead to getting the chuck wobbly or not true to the spindle. But to each his own and luck to all.

Jeff

[Toney Robertson]

If one insert is working why change?

For the reason that Jeff states below.

I am getting some wobble, so I will try more inserts.

Toney

[Allen Neighbors]

I believe inserts were made to adapt, and dedicate, a chuck to a specific spindle thread, but were not made to interchange between chucks all the time. They make it less expensive than having to change entire chucks -- for the manufacturer and for the buyer.
The tolerance of the insert-to-chuck threads is much closer than the tolerance of the insert-to-spindle threads, which is why it's so much harder to screw in an insert, than it is to screw on the insert... Changing inserts every time you mount a chuck on the spindle will take you a lot more time than just spinning off a chuck and spinning on the next one, and will give you greater chance of increasing runout every time, too.
It's best to buy a chuck, buy the insert for your spindle, screw it in as tight as possible, and leave it alone. JMNSHO. :)

[Nick Mastropietro]

Thanks to all who have responded so far. Based on the feedback, I'm opting for an insert for every chuck, good common sense reasoning when considering the difference between chuck female threads per inch verses headstock spindle male threads per inch. It certainly is easier to start a fastener with a lower TPI than one with a high TPI. It's a lot easier to keep the threads crisp because they are easier to keep clean. I'll consider using the locktite after rinning without it for a while to see if it's absolutely necessary for me. Thanks again - good info from all.