Chuck or chuck jaws that can hold a drill bit

[Staffan Hamala]

I have been watching Richard Raffan's DVD about wood turning, and saw an interesting chuck he uses. It seems to be usable both for holding drill bits and smaller objects (like the ferrule of a tool handle):
329615

329614

Where can I find such a chuck? Or are there jaws available for my chuck to accomplish this? I have a Sorby Patriot chuck. This would be interesting as I would be able to use larger drill bits.

Unfortunately, my lathe does not accept any Morse taper accessories, so I'm looking for other ways to solve problems.

[carl mesaros]

Staffan, It looks like he's using a Vicmarc 120 chuck. I have a set of jaws like these for mine. Look at the Craft supplies catalog or website and you'll find them.
Never thought of holding a drill bit with them though!

[Michael Mills]

The smallest I saw in the Sorby was the Pin jaws which closed down to 9/16. IIRC the Nova jaws fit the Sorby chuck and their pin jaws closed down to 7/16. I have the Nova and the 7/16 spec probably means true circle which has 2mm removed, I'm sure I have held 3/8 with no problem.

Hurricane also has a set that looks very similar to your pic and the closed down to zip but I don't think they will fit your chuck.
http://www.thewoodturningstore.com/products/Extended-Dovetail-Jaws-for-Hurricane-HTC100-4-Jaw-Chuck-147.html?cPath=5_9&sid=64167e2a2064afbc66bd0bf64dc33f72

[Hal Taylor]

Use chuck from a surplus or trashed drill, tap whatever size drill rod is required for the chuck and your Patriot chuck, then you have hopefully successful 3/8 chuck.

[Marvin Hasenak]

What is the thread size do you have on your spindle? There are drill chucks that will screw on to some spindle threads. If your threads are 1-8 it is easy to find them, even PSI sells them.

[Russell Neyman]

Use chuck from a surplus or trashed drill....

Everyone has an old drill around the shop. Take it apart and grab the chuck assembly. If it's small enough, it might also be fitted into your drill press jaws, too.

[Sid Matheny]

For small items I use collets from " Little Machine Shop" with a draw bar.

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1752&category=

[Geoff Whaling]

The chuck is a Vicmarc VM100 with V00647 Long Nose Jaws.

Visit http://www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=509 and down load the "Vicmarc 4-Jaw Chuck Manual"

Another very handy chuck is the Vermec ER25 or ER32 Collet Chuck which are available in the USA from http://woodworkersemporium.com/shop-by-category/woodturning/chucks/collet-chucks/

Bothe Vicmarc & Vermec are Australian (Queensland) family owned businesses that make high quality gear.

[Clint Bach]

Harbor freight sells a replacement chuck for 1/2" drills for about $9. Get a 1/2-20 bolt and cut the head off to fit in your chuck. You may have to use stepped down shank drill bits... Fostner bits, flat spade bits, and silver and deming bits will work. I'm not sure about run out...

C

[Staffan Hamala]

Thanks for all replies!

I have an old chuck from a cordless drill that might be usable. There's a screw in the bottom (inside of the chuck) that might be usable for connecting it to something my chuck can grip. I'll look into that.

I found the following jaws that might be something similar:
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/chucks/patriot-chuck-system/lrsjz-zero-jaws

Not sure if the inside is dovetailed or straight - if dovetailed, it won't grip drill bits that well (or not straight anyhow).

[Geoff Whaling]

The chuck is a Vicmarc VM100 with V00647 Long Nose Jaws.

Visit http://www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=509 and down load the "Vicmarc 4-Jaw Chuck Manual"

Another very handy chuck is the Vermec ER25 or ER32 Collet Chuck which are available in the USA from http://woodworkersemporium.com/shop-by-category/woodturning/chucks/collet-chucks/

Bothe Vicmarc & Vermec are Australian (Queensland) family owned businesses that make high quality gear.

Should be real cheap over there with the AUD at $0.69 US and heading to $0.60 US according to the experts.

[Joe Kieve]

"I have an old chuck from a cordless drill that might be usable. There's a screw in the bottom (inside of the chuck) that might be usable for connecting it to something my chuck can grip. I'll look into that."



Staffan....regarding that screw in the bottom of the old cordless drill chuck, IIRC that screw has "left hand threads". It's there to keep the chuck from coming unscrewed when the drill is in reverse. So, unless you're capable of tapping left hand threads, the screw is probably useless. You can still use the chuck, however, just without that screw.

[Bill Boehme]

Should be real cheap over there with the AUD at $0.69 US and heading to $0.60 US according to the experts.

The price of any merchandise is like a barbed hose connector -- meant to go only one direction. :D


"I have an old chuck from a cordless drill that might be usable. There's a screw in the bottom (inside of the chuck) that might be usable for connecting it to something my chuck can grip. I'll look into that....

Nobody has mentioned just gripping the drill chuck with your scroll chuck. The admonition against having something bottomed out in you woodturning scroll chuck applies to wood because it is a compressible material that can easily be deflected by a catch. If you use your scroll chuck to hold the drill chuck try to use scroll chuck jaws with a diameter that closely matches the diameter of the drill chuck. Obviously, holding one chuck in the jaws of another means alignment errors will be added together. However, changing chucks during any part of a turning is going to create some misalignment. For that matter, alignment is even a problem when removing and reinstalling a piece in the same chuck to hold the drill chuck.

Craft Supplies sells a special drill chuck in which the the sharp edges of the three jaws have been machined to make them smooth so that they are less likely to mar the wood.

[Keith Westfall]

Do you just need a drill chuck? Get one from a drill press with the right taper, and away you go. Or buy the correct taper with a thread on it that will fit any drill chuck.

Don't reinvent the wheel when there are so many already out there...

[Bill Boehme]

Do you just need a drill chuck? Get one from a drill press with the right taper, and away you go. Or buy the correct taper with a thread on it that will fit any drill chuck.

Don't reinvent the wheel when there are so many already out there...

I think that the man said that his lathe spindle doesn't have a MT socket and therefore he needed an alternate to the otherwise obvious way.

[Staffan Hamala]

I've now tried holding the old drill chuck in my scroll chuck. I cut the old shaft (from the cordless drill) with a hacksaw, and screwed it back onto the chuck. There's a thicker part a bit down the shaft that has a flat face, that I can use to reference on the back of the inner jaws on my scroll chuck. It's a bit fiddly, but when I hold it like this, the drill chuck does run true!

This works, but is not (yet) perfect. But now I know how to solve this.

I have a friend with a metal lathe, who should be able to make a new shaft that you can hold like this:
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/chucks/patriot-chuck-system/lstbchuck13-steb-drive

[ron david]

why not just get a 3 jaw chuck to fit your lathe. if it is 8 x 1 there are tons of them around
ron

[Bill Boehme]

I've now tried holding the old drill chuck in my scroll chuck. I cut the old shaft (from the cordless drill) with a hacksaw, and screwed it back onto the chuck. There's a thicker part a bit down the shaft that has a flat face, that I can use to reference on the back of the inner jaws on my scroll chuck. It's a bit fiddly, but when I hold it like this, the drill chuck does run true!

This works, but is not (yet) perfect. But now I know how to solve this.

I have a friend with a metal lathe, who should be able to make a new shaft that you can hold like this:
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/chucks/patriot-chuck-system/lstbchuck13-steb-drive

Great idea. I face a Oneway spur drive for their chucks that works on the same principle.

[Keith Westfall]

said that his lathe spindle doesn't have a MT socket

I need to read more carefully... :(