Chuck spur recommendations

[Prashun Patel]

I am looking for a good chuck spur to use for roughing bowl blanks (12-18") between centers.

I have a Supernova2 Chuck. Normally I use a faceplate, but there are times I'd prefer to use a spur center.

I own a Oneway 2027A (1") spur, but it's a little narrow and slips when I get to the rim on anything wide.

Is a Oneway Big Bite chuck spur appropriate? will it fit? Other recs?

[Bruce Schoenleber]

I have a Oneway Big Bite, it works well with the supernova2.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Prashun, I highly recommend using Jerry Marcantel's chuck plate. He wrote an article on how to make your own. Check it out: Chuck Plate (https://sawmillcreek.org/content.php?129-Building-a-Chuck-Plate)

[Prashun Patel]

Haha, Steve. I have his chuck plate. I do love it and it works well. However, it is sized for my smaller 50mm jaws, and I'm looking for something that I can use in my 100mm jaws.

Also, the set screws require fidgeting to get them to seat flat.

I should experiment more with this, though.

Bruce, how large / thick a blank do you feel comfortable using the Big Bite on?

[Bob Bouis]

I've used the "big bite" on asymmetrical natural edge bowls that I had to trim to fit on the PM 3520b. It does a great job of biting on blanks that'd be impossible to mount without it.

The thing is pretty solid. I'd trust it with anything that fits on the lathe.

[Fred Belknap]

I mostly use pin jaws on oneway chucks, I have oneway the pin jaws for both the talon and the stronghold chucks. I drill a hole in the blank that is a little bit larger than the minimum with jaws closed all the way. It holds period, no slipping unless I forget to tighten up the jaws. If doing NE bowls make sure you get through the bark and into solid wood. Most times I pretty much finish the outside before reversing the bowl. I have several spur drives and they don't seem to hold as tight as I prefer. I prefer the stronghold jaws on larger blanks as the talon jaws only have one screw per jaw. It is secure enough to clean up the tenon without the tailstock in place.

[Bob Bouis]

I prefer a spur type drive for natural edge bowls because of how easy it is to reposition the piece. You can tilt it, change the center, etc., right there on the lathe. Irregularly shaped pieces are hard to do any other way -- for me at least.

[Bruce Schoenleber]

It will take a big chunk of wood, I can't give an estimate on wood size, mass would probably be a better metric. I have probably gone 50 pounds or so without feeling I was near the margin.
I just went out and measured the unit since you state you want to use it in the 100mm jaws. It is (inches) 1/4 thick, 3-7/16 wide and 1-3/4 deep. The 3-7/16 probably is not wide enough to clamp in the 100mm jaws. I have always used the 50mm jaws with it.

[Ryan Mooney]

I use the Oneway Big Bite in the SN2, works fantastically. I've used it for things as large around as my PM3520 can fit, although I don't usually go super deep/long with pieces like that.

[Joe Kaufman]

Another option.

http://bestwoodtools.stores.yahoo.net/tespdrce1.html

Well made - in Texas.

[Don Frank]

I also have and love the Big Bite. Because of how wide it's footprint is it works great and I've used it on some pretty big and heavy pieces.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I was going to recommend the Oneway Big bite as well, at 3 and ¾ inch it will drive pieces of 24 inches, but I don’t know if it fits your Nova chuck, I only have Oneway chucks.

https://oneway.ca/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=453

378476

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I use a 2" 2 prong from Best Wood Tools. I've used it to turn 500 lb plus logs works great.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I’ve used a Big Bite for at least 6 years - pretty much exclusively when roughing bowls. It works great, allows repositioning to center the grain when necessary, and has handled very wet and heavy blanks as large as 24” without a problem. They’re used with Oneway chucks and work with nearly all the jaw sizes I typically use. I’d assume that as long as the tang fits into the chuck center it would work on most chucks.

I did just buy an Elio drive but haven’t put it to much use yet. Looks like a good solution, too. Three sharppoints each independantly adjustable. Thought it might be useful on multi-axis pieces.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, guys. I ordered a Big Bite.

FWIW, the 1" Oneway chuck spur (2027A) fits in my SN2 chuck, but it does not spin absolutely true. It's a tight fit...

[Reed Gray]

I drill a 2 5/8 recess in the top of the blanks and expand my Vicmark chuck into that. I have refined it to drilling deeper than the jaws so the blank can sit on the face of the jaws if my chain saw work isn't as good as I want...

robo hippy

[Prashun Patel]

Reed,
The Forstner won't drill a dovetailed recess. Is that an issue? I have shyed away from this method for this reason.

[John Keeton]

I use a drilled 2 1/16" recess (for the 50mm jaws), as well, but I do keep it less than the jaw depth. However, I am not a brute like Reed is, so I can't get my chuck as tight!!!:D But, nonetheless, it works fine.

[Reed Gray]

I have been doing it for 15 years or so, no problems. You are using it to drive/spin the wood. I do crank down on it more than I do a finished recess. On bowls in the 12 or so inch range, I will attach the tailstock for roughing, but remove it to do finish cuts. I use a tooled recess on the bottoms of the bowls that I turn, so the same chuck stays on the lathe the whole time and no drive center to do the off/on thing with...

robo hippy

[Bert Delisle]

I just watched a live demo last night on natural edged rectangular bowl from a log. The demonstrator used the Elio Drive to hold the work. It worked great as the center pin allowed one to rotate and adjust the piece to get the log centered properly and the once in place the other "dog screws" were tightened into the work piece. Very impressive and simple tool, it is now on my "need to get one" list. It fit in a #2 morse taper and was about 2 1/2" diameter, other sizes are available.

[Glenn C Roberts]

Thought I saw face plate full of the dog screws as you described (at about 1:50 mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvPjOEZRVgo&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share
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