Which Chuck

[Kirk Miller]

I have a Jet 1642 on order. I have a Oneway Talon for my current lathe 1012. It is nice but I would like to upgrade to something larger to maximize the capacities of the 1642. What chuck is everyones favorite and Why

[Alan Trout]

That Talon should be fine and is a real nice chuck. I have a Nova SN2, G3, and an original Nova chuck as well as a OneWay Stronghold. They are all good chucks. If you want a second chuck if you like the Talon get an other one. If you want a budget chuck it is hard to beat the Nova SN2 for the money which with proper jaws can hold a 30" piece. The Stronghold is closer to $300 as well as the Vicmarc's are in that price range as well they will all do the job.

That Talon will do 99% of what your lathe is capable of.

Good Luck

Alan

[charlie knighton]

ditto, you may have to change the insert

i use the stronghold, 1st and only one i bought, it has gone up $100 since i bought it

take the jaws off after each session espically turning green wood

[Sean Hughto]

I have a 1642. I use a stronghold as my main chuck and the Talon for smaller work. It kinda depends what you do. I like to make a lot of large bowls at the max of the swing capacity not to mention some tall bowl/vase type shapes where the extra mass of the Stronghold makes me feel more secure. If you don't plan on doing much that size/weight, the Talon should be fine.

[Jim Burr]

Still like my Barracuda:rolleyes:

[Ted Evans]

I have a Talon, a VM100 and a VM120. For me, the Vicmarc wins hands down.:)

[Mike Cross]

On my Jet 1642 I use a Vicmarc 120 and am considering getting a smaller chuck for smaller projects. Is the Nova G3 comparable to the Talon? I know the prices are different and the sizes are pretty close but what about performance? Anyone have any experience with both of these chucks?

Mike

[Montgomery Scott]

I have an Axminster chuck for smaller work and a Vicmarc VM120 for my 1642. Vic makes the highest grade chuck and I prefer the jaw selection over the Oneway's.

[James Combs]

On my new Jet 1642 I can use both my SN2 and G3. Instead of changing the adapter in the chucks I purchased a 1-1/4" 8TPI 1" 8TPI spindle adapter for the lathe. The adapter includes a MT2 through hole. Now I can use the chucks on both the 1642 and my Grizzly midi. The adapter came from "Best Wood Tools".

You can see the adapter in this photo. I made one mod to it by adding a set screw to lock it onto the 1642 spindle.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use a Vicmarc VM120 for large projects. I also purchased 4 of Grizzly $99 chuck for doing smaller stuff. The Vicmarc VM100 jaws fit the Griz chuck which is a clone. I don't like changing jaws. Really wouldn't need the VM120 but had it so use it with the big jaws.

[Clint Baxter]

I have two Talon chucks and two G3 chucks. I prefer the Talons over the G3 for a couple reasons. The Talon has a little more range of travel than the G3 and the jaws are more aggressive when gripping green wood. I also prefer my Talons adjustment mechanism as it is tightened by turning the key clockwise. The G3 chucks are backwards in that respect.

One nice thing about having both these chucks is that the jaw sets are all interchangeable. You only need to pull a pin out of the Talon set in order to install them on the G3 while the Nova jaws go directly on the Talon.

Essentially both are good products and work well.

Clint

[Steve Schlumpf]

I have a 1642 and for a chuck I have a Talon. Great chuck - does everything I have ever asked from it!

[Ron Bontz]

IMHO I think if you have the talon and really need a larger chuck go with the stronghold. Unless I am mistaken, you still run into the problem of one's jaws not fitting the other. The same is true with the Vic 100 vs 120. That is why I have two 120s and not a VM100 as a second chuck. I didn't want to buy another set of jaws. For the 1642 I would just buy larger jaws if you can and save the bucks for other spinny things. :)

[Terry Gerros]

I have a Powermatic 3520B. It has the same spindle size as the 1642. I use the Oneway Stronghold chuck. I also have the SN2 which has the 1 1/4 X 8 tpi adapter, so I use them both on my lathe. My go to chuck is the Stronghold though. It will hold a blank tighter than dick's hatband. They are easy to take apart and clean all the wood goo out, something I am sure everyone one here at SMC does with frequency. I am sure which ever chuck you end up with, you will like. I have often thought of buying a Vicmarc, but then I have to buy other jaws. Dare I say I have more than 1 Stronghold.

Periodically you will find Hartville Tools having a 20% off sale...good time to buy. This past weekend both Rockler and Portland's own Woodcrafter (not to be mistaken with Woodcraft) had coupons for 25% off. I just HAD to buy another chuck...$215.00 for a brand spankin' new Stronghold with all the fixins. Nothing better than new steel. Well, almost.......

[Chris Stolicky]

I have the 1642 and the talon has worked just fine. I have even spun 15"+ bowls with the #3 jaws on it. If you ever plan to upgrade to a larger swing in the future, or attempt outboard turning, then I think the stronghold is the better choice. All you have to do now is buy a larger insert and you are good to go up to about 10"/11" or so, and the #3 jaws larger than that. Note: This is my non-expert opinion and relatively limited experience. I would refer to Mr. Schlumpf who has more experience with the chuck than I do.

[Reed Gray]

I have the Vicmark chucks. Love them. I did get an adapter when I first got my PM, and gave it away. Simply, it extends the headstock spindle another inch or two, which for big bowls adds to vibration problems. Much more efficient for production work to have different chucks than to be changing out adapters or jaws.

robo hippy

[Prashun Patel]

Did you see this?

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=152518

[Harry Robinette]

I have a Nova Titian for my Vega also SN2 for it to.I have 2 original SN for
my 18 in. General and my mini lathes.Have original Nova with tommy bars that had cole jaws on for years now it has pin jaws for small stuff because I have vacuum chuck now.
I really like Nova chucks they have more jaws and are quick to change inserts and I think they hold very well if used right.But whatever you buy think ahead about adding more chucks and jaws so they all work with each other.

[Jake Helmboldt]

The Talon is reccommended for up to 16" swing so it is fine for the 1642. I use a Talon on my 1642 and have never felt like I needed something larger. I have turned several pieces at capacity without a problem.

If you are set on a bigger chuck I might be interested in buying the Talon.

[Philip Rodriquez]

I'm in th same boat as the OP. I just purchased a Jet 1642 (2 HP), I am completely new to turning, and I would like to add a chuck to my new collection. I've already blown most of my budget... but I can always swing another 300 or 400 bucks to get started.

Can someone help me decide between the Stronghold and the Talon? Is there a reason to have both?

Thanks,
The noob :o

[Alan Trout]

Phillip,

I use the smallest chuck I can get by safely using. The smaller chucks offer more room around the chuck. If you are going to be doing under 16" pieces the talon is more than enough. If you are doing pieces bigger than than I would go with the Stonghold.

Good Luck

Alan

[Philip Rodriquez]

Alan,

Thanks for the reply ;)! I am totally new to the lathe world and I hate to waste money.

[Hilel Salomon]

My vote is for the vicmarc 120, but strongholds are good.

Hilel

[Jake Helmboldt]

Phillip, the Talon is much more versatile for the 1642. The Stronghold is overkill and being larger, gets in the way when turning close to the chuck (say the foot of a bowl).

I honestly see no reason for a Stronghold on the 1642 as the Talon is recommended for up to 16", and honestly you can go bigger on the few occaisions you might do that (turning off the end). Save the extra money and use it to get another set set of jaws.

FYI, if you go with Oneway they have their profiled jaws and more traditional jaws. I am personally not a fan of their profiled jaws, but some people love them.