help me pick first chuck...

[Mike Kees]

I have limited lathe experience( school shop 30 years ago). I would like to buy a chuck for my lathe but have no idea which one to get. I would like to use it for bowls and my son wants to turn a shift knob for his first car. I have an old rockwell lathe that I rebuilt,the threads are 1'' x8t.p.i. I think. What would you guys recommend for a good all purpose chuck that I wont have to replace down the road ? Thanks ,Mike.

[Doug W Swanson]

I'd go with something like a Nova G3. Be sure to get one with the replaceable insert so if you ever upgrade your lathe you'll just need to change your insert. The Nova chucks are nice quality and you can buy a whole mess of different jaws for them.

Pretty soon you'll get tired of changing jaws so you'll buy more chucks (I have 5 chucks with different jaws :eek:)!!!

https://www.amazon.com/WOODLATHE-CHUCK-WOODWORM-SCREW-INSERT/dp/B003CECDZG

[Leo Van Der Loo]

A high quality Chuck set that will last you and your son for a lifetime, and can be adapted to other lathes for a mere $24--, good for bowls up to 16”, then a Oneway Talon chuck is for you, made in N.America, not China.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=45612&cat=1,330,69091&ap=1

[cody michael]

I second the two post above get a scroll chuck, works like a drill bit chuck, you use a wrench or tool to spin it to open or shut the jaws, I started with the other style where you need two metal rods to open or shut the jaws it was a pain.

[Louis Harvill]

I second Leo's post on the Talon. I have two of them and have done many 12"+ bowls with them.

[Chance Raser]

I recently bought my first Chuck and after lots and lots and lots of reading I ultimately went with the hurricane htc100 and couldn't be happier. Bought it for price, reviews, jaw options, and insert adaptability to future lathes.

It has held everything I've put in it without any loosening. Very happy.

[Matt Schrum]

I've loved my HTC125 (there is also a slightly smaller HTC100). Seems to be a solid, well built chuck that is a good bang for your buck. If you search a bit on the forum, most mentions of the HTC chucks I remember have been quite positive.

[Mike Kees]

Thanks for all the replies. Consensus is a scroll type chuck with adapter, so I can keep using the same chuck if I upgrade my lathe. I have a choice of oneway or a brand called axminister. My only source to buy is Lee Valley. Where do you order chucks from ?

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Thanks for all the replies. Consensus is a scroll type chuck with adapter, so I can keep using the same chuck if I upgrade my lathe. I have a choice of oneway or a brand called axminister. My only source to buy is Lee Valley. Where do you order chucks from ?


https://www.amazon.com/Oneway-TPI-Talon-Chuck-Package/dp/B000E0DU8A

https://oneway.ca/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_69_99

http://www.rockler.com/oneway-talon-chuck-system

[Bill Jobe]

I guess I'm somewhat confused about chucks. I've been waiting for a discount coupon to buy a G0766 which has a 22" swing.
The opinions posted here refer to chucks (seemingly) incapable of such large bowls.
Do I need to lay out a much larger amount of $$$ for a chuck capable of turning 18-22" bowls?

[Mike Peace]

Yes. Something like a Teknatool Titan or Oneway Stronghold. The G3 or Talon might be ok for bowls up to about 12". Some folks would advocate a faceplate for larger bowls.

[Olaf Vogel]

I second Leo's post on the Talon. I have two of them and have done many 12"+ bowls with them.

I’ve used a few different ones, but my favourite is the Oneway Stronghold.
Despite a lot of hard use, the occasional drop onto concrete and little maintenance, this chuck has been awesome.


In one (inadvertently) extreme situation, I had been hollowing this piece using a steady rest. When I stopped to check my progress, I realized that the bottom wheels on the rest had disintegrated due to the weight. So the entire weight was being held by the chuck!!!

347816

[Mike Kees]

[QUOTE=Leo Van Der Loo;2624817]https://www.amazon.com/Oneway-TPI-Talon-Chuck-Package/dp/B000E0DU8A

https://oneway.ca/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_69_99

http://www.rockler.com/oneway-talon-chuck-system[Thanks, Leo. I will order it tonite.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I guess I'm somewhat confused about chucks. I've been waiting for a discount coupon to buy a G0766 which has a 22" swing.
The opinions posted here refer to chucks (seemingly) incapable of such large bowls.
Do I need to lay out a much larger amount of $$$ for a chuck capable of turning 18-22" bowls?

Bill if you wan to turn the max size bowls, you do need the larger chuck, a Oneway Stronghold is called for.

For bowls up to 16 inch and 5 inches deep the Talon with the number 3 jaws will work fine.

I have several Oneway chucks, Talon and Stronghold, done larger pieces than 16 inch with the Talon, though I start normally with a faceplate, round the piece and shape the outside, straighten the backside and take some of the wood out of the back while I’m turning there.

After taking the faceplate off the piece gets mounted in a chuck, could be a Talon or a Stronghold, whatever is handy and sometimes that has been the Talon for large turnings, and all of these I turn without the help of a tailstock, as on the outboard of my large lathe I don’t have a tailstock.

Here’s roughing out a 24” Sycamore blank, first held with a 4” faceplate and then with a Stronghold chuck.

347826 347827

[Olaf Vogel]

[QUOTE=Leo Van Der Loo;2624924]

I have several Oneway chucks, Talon and Stronghold, done larger pieces than 16 inch with the Talon, though I start normally with a faceplate, round the piece and shape the outside, straighten the backside and take some of the wood out of the back while I’m turning there.
/QUOTE]



IMO thats the best way to rough out large pieces. By the time you take off the faceplate, the bowl should be much lighter, decently balanced and ready for a chuck. I also tend to keep the tailstock in place for as long as possible. So, I’ll be hollowing out the bowl, from the outside, while keeping a centre piece for tailstock pressure.
http://www.olafvogel.com/uploads/4/7/6/2/47621777/2710029_orig.jpg

[Clint Bach]

I have a g0766 and use grizzlys large chuck with the 1 1/4 inch to 1 inch adapter. It runs true and handles a 20 inch bowl (finished size) very well. Zero problems.... It comes with lots of jaws.

Why pay more?

big sturdy chuck for best price...

clint

[John Beaver]

Almost all the options for modern chucks are good. I use Vicmarc, but Nova, Oneway etc are all fine.

Think long term. Most likely you will want more chucks in the future, and probably different sizes. It's very helpful to have all the same brand, as you can interchange parts and use the same keys. Nova tightens counter clockwise, everyone else clockwise. It can lead to problems if you mix that up.

Think about what you like to turn, and anticipate that you will most likely want to expand your repetoire and grow in size. Take your time, do good research and make a smart decision that will pay off in the future.

[Steve Arnold]

Unless I missed it, I don't think anyone has mentioned a Vicmarc chuck yet.

The VM100 is built like a tank and will last you forever.

I had a Nova G3 for a while, but sold it because it didn't hold my pieces securely enough. I know others really like them but it didn't work for me. I've never had a problem with my Vicmarc.

[Reed Gray]

I prefer the Vicmarc as well. I bought through Craft Supplies USA (pretty sure they can ship to Canada) almost 20 years ago, and they are still rock solid after turning production bowl for most of that time. Oneway is good, and the Nova are well thought of.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

I guess I'm somewhat confused about chucks. I've been waiting for a discount coupon to buy a G0766 which has a 22" swing.
The opinions posted here refer to chucks (seemingly) incapable of such large bowls.
Do I need to lay out a much larger amount of $$$ for a chuck capable of turning 18-22" bowls?

Bill, note that you can turn a large bowl entirely with a faceplate. Chucks are a huge utility but a relative newcomer in the history of woodturning. I visited Lissi Oland a few times in Brasstown before she moved back to Denmark (we have a mutual friend). She uses a faceplate for bowls so big it takes a tractor and a chain hoist to get them on the lathe. Her lathe is *massive*. She also cores with a chainsaw! This video might be interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PMEJ7rirso

Look at her page "largest bowl yet":

http://www.olandcraft.com/largest-piece-yet.html

I have an extra new set of her "big bowl" turning tools. Anyone interested? (I'm happy turning smaller things)

JKJ

[Bill Jobe]

Bill if you wan to turn the max size bowls, you do need the larger chuck, a Oneway Stronghold is called for.

For bowls up to 16 inch and 5 inches deep the Talon with the number 3 jaws will work fine.

I have several Oneway chucks, Talon and Stronghold, done larger pieces than 16 inch with the Talon, though I start normally with a faceplate, round the piece and shape the outside, straighten the backside and take some of the wood out of the back while I’m turning there.

After taking the faceplate off the piece gets mounted in a chuck, could be a Talon or a Stronghold, whatever is handy and sometimes that has been the Talon for large turnings, and all of these I turn without the help of a tailstock, as on the outboard of my large lathe I don’t have a tailstock.

Here’s roughing out a 24” Sycamore blank, first held with a 4” faceplate and then with a Stronghold chuck.

347826 347827

Yeah, that's the kind of bowls I want to turn. I have a number of large sections of crotches drying, one being an Osage Orange piece, as well as several burls that I'd prefer to turn as one piece rather than cut it up.
With the jaws you are using in the photo, how small of a piece cam you turn? I'm guessing I'd need at least 2 sets in order to turn smaller than 14 or so.
When you wrote that the wheels burned up do you mean with the large 16"+ that there is an attachment that affixes to the bed for additional support?

[Bill Jobe]

Bill, note that you can turn a large bowl entirely with a faceplate. Chucks are a huge utility but a relative newcomer in the history of woodturning. I visited Lissi Oland a few times in Brasstown before she moved back to Denmark (we have a mutual friend). She uses a faceplate for bowls so big it takes a tractor and a chain hoist to get them on the lathe. Her lathe is *massive*. She also cores with a chainsaw! This video might be interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PMEJ7rirso

Look at her page "largest bowl yet":

http://www.olandcraft.com/largest-piece-yet.html

I have an extra new set of her "big bowl" turning tools. Anyone interested? (I'm happy turning smaller things)

JKJ

Thank you for the links. That's amazing how she goes about preparing the piece. It would never have occured to me to do the majority of the inside with a chainsaw, and that leaves her with another blank.
I have an electrical hoist but I really think I'd feel safer with a had hoist like we had in the shops, block and tackle I think they are called.
She has an amazing system figured out.

[Bill Jobe]

I have a g0766 and use grizzlys large chuck with the 1 1/4 inch to 1 inch adapter. It runs true and handles a 20 inch bowl (finished size) very well. Zero problems.... It comes with lots of jaws.

Why pay more?

big sturdy chuck for best price...

clint

Thanks. I'll have to check out their chucks.

[Bill Jobe]

Almost all the options for modern chucks are good. I use Vicmarc, but Nova, Oneway etc are all fine.

Think long term. Most likely you will want more chucks in the future, and probably different sizes. It's very helpful to have all the same brand, as you can interchange parts and use the same keys. Nova tightens counter clockwise, everyone else clockwise. It can lead to problems if you mix that up.

Think about what you like to turn, and anticipate that you will most likely want to expand your repetoire and grow in size. Take your time, do good research and make a smart decision that will pay off in the future.

Yes, with a new 766 lathe it would be frustrating to not have the ability to turn 16"+ right away.

[Bill Jobe]

Bill, note that you can turn a large bowl entirely with a faceplate. Chucks are a huge utility but a relative newcomer in the history of woodturning. I visited Lissi Oland a few times in Brasstown before she moved back to Denmark (we have a mutual friend). She uses a faceplate for bowls so big it takes a tractor and a chain hoist to get them on the lathe. Her lathe is *massive*. She also cores with a chainsaw! This video might be interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PMEJ7rirso

Look at her page "largest bowl yet":

http://www.olandcraft.com/largest-piece-yet.html

I have an extra new set of her "big bowl" turning tools. Anyone interested? (I'm happy turning smaller things)

JKJ


I understand. With my current lathe, a HF 10x18 mini that's all I ever use. The chuck that came with it is junk. It takes longer to set up the chuck which is not self centering and difficult at best to adjust, turning a bowl takes less time. Usually I put the piece in with just a bladed center in the headstock and a live center in the tailstock, face the tailstock end, clean up the area at the very center where the tailstock held it, the mount the piece on a faceplate.
I don't care much for that method.

[Barry McFadden]

Bill, note that you can turn a large bowl entirely with a faceplate. Chucks are a huge utility but a relative newcomer in the history of woodturning. I visited Lissi Oland a few times in Brasstown before she moved back to Denmark (we have a mutual friend). She uses a faceplate for bowls so big it takes a tractor and a chain hoist to get them on the lathe. Her lathe is *massive*. She also cores with a chainsaw! This video might be interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PMEJ7rirso

Look at her page "largest bowl yet":

http://www.olandcraft.com/largest-piece-yet.html

I have an extra new set of her "big bowl" turning tools. Anyone interested? (I'm happy turning smaller things)

JKJ

I'm rather surprised at her lack of a face shield..... not a good example to be showing people in a video!!

[Larry Copas]

Once selecting a brand you should plan on staying with it forever. I have Vicmarc although I liked Oneway almost as well.

One of my lathes is an old Rockwell that I also re-conditioned and brought up to date with a VFD. I should mention that Rockwell spindles of the time, did not have a shoulder for the chuck to seat on when tightened. Your chuck may or may not run perfectly true due to this, but it is of no real consequence. Also make sure there are enough threads on your spindle to properly engage the chuck adapter since new chucks have a mating recess for the spindle shoulder.

[John K Jordan]

I'm rather surprised at her lack of a face shield..... not a good example to be showing people in a video!!

Yeah, you'd think. I think she told me her safety glasses worked for chips but if a piece that size came off a face shield wouldn't help. I don't judge.

Lisi is a wonderful, friendly person. Treated us like family, invited us in for tea and cakes, showed us all around, loaded up my vehicle with wood.

I forget the details but her late husband Knud was instrumental in starting the woodturning at John C Campbell in the '70s or so. The variety of pieces in here gallery was incredible. I think she mostly did large work, Knud did a lot of smaller things too. After one visit I made a duplicate of a little lidded box of his, just because.

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

Once selecting a brand you should plan on staying with it forever. I have Vicmarc although I liked Oneway almost as well.

Are you saying you like the Vicmarc better than the Oneway? Any specific reasons?

I mostly do smaller things but I've thought of adding one heavier chuck for the occasional larger turning. I have all Teknatool chucks now, but the brand consistency you mentioned doesn't matter much in this case since I keep each set of jaws on its own chuck.

To save me the research, which jaws do you recommend for larger bowl blanks, pieces up to 20" diameter? I use the PM3520b. Thanks.

JKJ

[Marvin Hasenak]

What model is this Rockwell lathe?

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Yeah, that's the kind of bowls I want to turn. I have a number of large sections of crotches drying, one being an Osage Orange piece, as well as several burls that I'd prefer to turn as one piece rather than cut it up.
With the jaws you are using in the photo, how small of a piece cam you turn? I'm guessing I'd need at least 2 sets in order to turn smaller than 14 or so.
When you wrote that the wheels burned up do you mean with the large 16"+ that there is an attachment that affixes to the bed for additional support?

The nice thing with the patented jaws from Oneway you do not need to have a lot of sets of jaws as with other chucks, they will hold from the smallest to the largest that the chuck will open up.

Another thing is the Oneway's are nickel plated so not rusting like the other chucks, hardened base jaws and a manganese phosphate coated scroll.

Here’s a link to the Talon chuck info
https://oneway.ca/pdf/ow-talon.pdf

and this one gives you the Stronghold info
https://oneway.ca/pdf/stronghold.pdf

It was Vogel who wrote about that the wheels on his steady burned up and the chuck was carrying the whole weight of that large bowl, sorry it was not me.

The chuck does come with the #2 jaws and is good for holding small turnings like 6 inches and up to over 16, with the #3 jaws on the Stronghold you can go right over what your lathe can handle, and I think Oneway now has even larger jaw sets.

Oneway has al kinds of info, just have a look.
https://oneway.ca/

[Peter Blair]

I second this, as a matter of fact I have just ordered another direct from Oneway.

[paul cottingham]

I have limited lathe experience( school shop 30 years ago). I would like to buy a chuck for my lathe but have no idea which one to get. I would like to use it for bowls and my son wants to turn a shift knob for his first car. I have an old rockwell lathe that I rebuilt,the threads are 1'' x8t.p.i. I think. What would you guys recommend for a good all purpose chuck that I wont have to replace down the road ? Thanks ,Mike.

I have a Rockwell lathe with an 1" X 8 tpi. I use a Oneway Talon Chuck on it, and am very happy with it. And I can use it on an new lathe, if I ever decide to upgrade.

[Mike Kees]

So I ordered a oneway talon tonite from lee valley. After Leo recommended it and several others seconded that choice I did some more research and no one anywhere had anything but good to say about oneway chucks. Done. Also for me as a Canadian they are actually cheaper here than U.S. pricing . So I will probably end up being a oneway life customer. Thanks for all the advice and help, Mike.

[paul cottingham]

Yeah, you'd think. I think she told me her safety glasses worked for chips but if a piece that size came off a face shield wouldn't help. I don't judge.

Lisi is a wonderful, friendly person. Treated us like family, invited us in for tea and cakes, showed us all around, loaded up my vehicle with wood.

I forget the details but her late husband Knud was instrumental in starting the woodturning at John C Campbell in the '70s or so. The variety of pieces in here gallery was incredible. I think she mostly did large work, Knud did a lot of smaller things too. After one visit I made a duplicate of a little lidded box of his, just because.

JKJ

Yes, I suspect after watching that that nothing would protect you from a piece coming off that lathe that was intent on doing you harm.

[Barry McFadden]

Yes, I suspect after watching that that nothing would protect you from a piece coming off that lathe that was intent on doing you harm.

Sorry...I don't buy that way of thinking....it's like saying if you have a crash at 60 mph on a motorcycle a helmet won't help so don't bother wearing one anyway...it will still protect you from a small accident....

[Steve Arnold]

So I ordered a oneway talon tonite from lee valley. After Leo recommended it and several others seconded that choice I did some more research and no one anywhere had anything but good to say about oneway chucks. Done. Also for me as a Canadian they are actually cheaper here than U.S. pricing . So I will probably end up being a oneway life customer. Thanks for all the advice and help, Mike.

Congrats on a great choice!

You'll be very pleased with your chuck for years to come.

[paul cottingham]

Sorry...I don't buy that way of thinking....it's like saying if you have a crash at 60 mph on a motorcycle a helmet won't help so don't bother wearing one anyway...it will still protect you from a small accident....
Yes, she is wearing glasses, though.

[Barry McFadden]

Yes, she is wearing glasses, though.

Which does nothing for your face or neck or forehead .......