Live center chucks

[Bill Jobe]

I'm wanting to purchase a drill chuck for my G0766 so I can use Forstner bits to hollow bowls and vases.
Has anyone bought from big box stores for both the chuck and drills and consider them to be of good value?
What about HF?
Thank you.

[Barry McFadden]

I use the drill chuck and Forstner bits from Lee Valley....

[John K Jordan]

I'm wanting to purchase a drill chuck for my G0766 so I can use Forstner bits to hollow bowls and vases.
Has anyone bought from big box stores for both the chuck and drills and consider them to be of good value?
What about HF?
Thank you.

Jacob's chucks? I have several but I bought them from woodturning dealers. That way they come with the #2 Morse taper mandrel to fit into the tailstock and headstock. If you get them from elsewhere you might have to find a mandrel that fits. I'd get one threaded for a draw bar so you can use it in the headstock spindle too.

A Jacob's chuck is useful for many things, hate to be without it. But for drilling on the lathe with Forstner bits I generally use something a lot simpler, quicker to use, takes less space, less weight, and potentially more precise, made to hold end mills for machining:

379483
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXSP25W

This holds the Forstner bit with set screws. I bought the 3/8" size since I have several sets with 3/8" shanks. It was only about $13. It is much shorter than a big Jacob's chuck too.

BTW, I don't think you actually want a live center chuck since to drill from the tailstock you don't want the bit to spin.

JKJ

[Mark Greenbaum]

I've been using a cheap Chinese HF Jacob's chuck for about 6 years, and for $8 it works fine. Looks as though the price must've gone up to $15: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-mt2-mini-lathe-drill-chuck-42340.html

I also bought their Forstner bit set for maybe $10 for 7 bits, and they're ok, too.
https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-1-in-forstner-drill-bit-set-with-38-in-shanks-7-pc-62361.html

[Peter Blair]

I too use a dedicated chuck with a Morse taper, mine just happens to be a Jacobs. I do know that for some process accuracy and ease of use are considerations. I do like the look of the Keyless type.
I used to use Forstner bits but now use a reground Speedbore with a rounded end like the attached photo. Sometimes I start the hole in a box or hollow form with a Forstner then move to this type to get a rounded bottom which I find much easier to finish to.
379488
For more information you might enjoy this post on my Blog.
https://woodbowlsandthings.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/the-best-wood-lathe-drill/

[David Delo]

If I'm just hollowing out something like a bird house or similar, I just grab the cheap HF keyed Jacob's chuck. If I'm drilling out a vase from 9" to 13" deep, I've been very satisfied with the Carter Strongbore. MT2 taper with set screws hold the forstner bit. Usually had problems going that deep with an extension on the Jacob's chuck. Either the bit or the MT2 taper would slip so I switched over and problem solved.
379494

[Brice Rogers]

I have a couple of HF MT chucks. They both were cheap, work fine and are likely to last a long time. I use them with both common twist drills and Forstner bits.

BTW, your title was "Live Center" chuck. Typically when I think of a live center I think of something with a bearing. There is actually such a thing as a live center chuck and is used to hold the end of something that spins. Kind of like a steady but it locks onto the piece. If you tried to use it for drilling, it would just spin unless you put a key in the hole - - which probably isn't a good practice.

[Bill Jobe]

John, Peter...nice catch. Just seeing if you're paying attention.:rolleyes:

Neither Menards nor Farm&Fleet had a tapered shank.

[John K Jordan]

John, Peter...nice catch. Just seeing if you're paying attention.:rolleyes:

Neither Menards nor Farm&Fleet had a tapered shank.

I've bought three excellent keyless chucks at a good price from VM Woodworking:

Mike Hare 404-610-1503, Smyrna, GA
Vmwoodworking1982@yahoo.com

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot find a drill chuck with an M2 taper that does not spin. The one I have is “live” and I have to grip it with a vise to drill with it.

I can’t discern from online product descriptions whether they spin live or are stationary.

Can anyone point me to a proper tailstock drilling chuck that is stationary?

[John K Jordan]

I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot find a drill chuck with an M2 taper that does not spin. The one I have is “live” and I have to grip it with a vise to drill with it.

I can’t discern from online product descriptions whether they spin live or are stationary.

Can anyone point me to a proper tailstock drilling chuck that is stationary?

Prashun, the VM Woodturning source I mentioned has them.

Be it known that any MT shank Jacob's chuck will turn in the tailstock if it encounters too much rotational force from drilling such as aggressively drilling large and deep holes. What I and many others do is hold the chuck with my left hand while advancing the tailstock. The large diameter keyless Jacob's chucks with a knurled exterior are the easiest to grip - it doesn't take much grip. If the bit grabs too hard I quickly back off the tailstock, stop the lathe, and free the bit.

Some people do prevent the MT from turning by using a wrench or vise grips. I do that when boring very deep holes with long twist drills - I just hold them in the vise grips and forget the chuck.

It would be nice if there were a way to use a draw bar to hold the chuck in the tailstock but that would prevent advancing with the crank.

Another option is to remove the work from the headstock, chuck/faceplate and all, and mount it on the tailstock in a MT spindle thread adapter - I got one with a 1-1/4x8tpi from Best Wood Tools and another from Nova. Then mount the Jacob's chuck in the headstock spindle and hold it securely with a drawbar and crank the work into the spinning bit. You still have to keep the work from spinning if you force the bit but that's usually easier with the large diameter.

379560
http://bestwoodtools.stores.yahoo.net/onepihetachr.html

You can make a drawbar from a piece of all-thread. I made them in 5/16" and 1/4".

Another thing I prefer to use when drill holes, as long as I have the right size, are taper shank bits. They have the Morse taper built in and eliminate the chuck completely (more compact, less chance of tolerance problems):

379562 379563

The smaller bits come in #1MT only but a precision adapter is cheap.

JKJ

[Barry McFadden]

I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot find a drill chuck with an M2 taper that does not spin. The one I have is “live” and I have to grip it with a vise to drill with it.

I can’t discern from online product descriptions whether they spin live or are stationary.

Can anyone point me to a proper tailstock drilling chuck that is stationary?

I use this one from Lee Valley... http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=49251&cat=1,330,69091&ap=1 ....it doesn't spin..

[Tim Tibbetts]

I second David's approach. Cheap Jacobs chuck when you just need to hog out wood or set a rough depth. Carter Strongbore for more accurate deep holes. I tried a couple other cheap extensions first, but the Carter is much better. Have been wanting go try out the taper bits John recommends, but they haven't made it to the top of the "next purchase" list yet.

[John K Jordan]

...Have been wanting go try out the taper bits John recommends, but they haven't made it to the top of the "next purchase" list yet.

I lucked into a closeout deal and bought a drawer full for $1 each. Probably never see that again!

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

Thank you, Barry and John.!

[Damon McLaughlin]

I'm wanting to purchase a drill chuck for my G0766 so I can use Forstner bits to hollow bowls and vases.
Has anyone bought from big box stores for both the chuck and drills and consider them to be of good value?
What about HF?
Thank you.


I have the same one as JKJ and am very happy with it. I also have a smaller one that came with a previously owned lathe, not sure the brand of it, but I'm also happy with that one as well.

[Dan Hunkele]

I have been finding bits with the Morris tapered ends at the flea markets for good prices and sharpen them in the Drill Doctor.

[Bill Jobe]

I recall many years ago the guy next to me had a live center multiple drill head on the turret on his lathe. At that time it looked like the strangest lathe accessory I'd ever seen. The lathe pressed the spring loaded multi-drill head against the piece in the headstock causing it to rotate drilling every hole in a flange at one shot.
Not sure what that would be equivalent to today. That was close to 50 years ago. Probably something much simpler.
Since retiring I'm rarely around machinery.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

BusyBee online store carries a ½” chuck for $16.99 Can$ (order #B045)and the threaded MT2 arbor at $6.99 Can$ (order # B110D)

https://www.busybeetools.com/products/arbor-draw-bar-type-mt2-jt6.html

[Bill Jobe]

Thanks Leo.

[Bill Jobe]

Whoa. I get a "site cannot be reached".

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Whoa. I get a "site cannot be reached".

Better try that again Bill, it works for me right now.

[Bill Jobe]

Dang, Leo. Got in but arbors are sold out.
What advantage does a drawbar style provide? Do they work with collets?

[Don Frank]

I have switched over to what John mentioned. A couple a dedicated bits with a #2 morse taper to fit my tail stock . I found a selection of sizes and lengths on Ebay for about 20 cents on the dollar. I went with a 7/8" diameter. There were some as long as 20". I like this much better than dealing with forstners . I use them for drilling a pilot hole in hollow forms and even on bowls because it is so quick and easy. I haven't used my jacobs chuck once since I switched over. The only use I see for the Jacobs in the future is if there is a need to drill a large precise forstner hole in something.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Dang, Leo. Got in but arbors are sold out.
What advantage does a drawbar style provide? Do they work with collets?

That’s too bad, they weren’t when I looked, Lee Valley has them to, but is quite a bit more expensive.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=49251&cat=1,180,42334

The threaded arbor is needed if you want to use the chuck in the headstock to hold some wood or metal you want to turn without the tailstock keeping pressure on it, as the chuck can/will come loose and fly out, possibly damaging you and or the lathe.

Also the regular arbors have a flat tail on them and this often interferes with fitting them in a lathe, headstock or tailstock.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have switched over to what John mentioned. A couple a dedicated bits with a #2 morse taper to fit my tail stock . I found a selection of sizes and lengths on Ebay for about 20 cents on the dollar. I went with a 7/8" diameter. There were some as long as 20". I like this much better than dealing with forstners . I use them for drilling a pilot hole in hollow forms and even on bowls because it is so quick and easy. I haven't used my jacobs chuck once since I switched over. The only use I see for the Jacobs in the future is if there is a need to drill a large precise forstner hole in something.

Of the top of my head I recall the largest drill with a MT2 shank is ⅞”, #3 mt would be 1¼”, if you are lucky you can get a couple of theses bits for the price of a good drill chuck on ebay.

Wanting to go smaller than ½” or larger than ⅞” and you will need something beside these bits, so a good chuck would be advisable IMO

[Brian Holcombe]

I’m new to turning so I’ll draw from experience with other machines, I setup my lathe with this experience in mind.

Under 3/8” (actually I believe 10mm) I use a chuck with Morse 2 taper. Above that size specific collets in most machines with a taper or drill bits with a taper. Basically the fewer variables the more accurate.

For prep in using collets or fine chucks I am careful to remove any burrs that have developed on drill bits from my Jacobs chucks.

[David Munyak]

I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot find a drill chuck with an M2 taper that does not spin. The one I have is “live” and I have to grip it with a vise to drill with it.

I can’t discern from online product descriptions whether they spin live or are stationary.

Can anyone point me to a proper tailstock drilling chuck that is stationary?

Prashun,
My Jacobs chuck is a Golden Goose brand that I think came from Craft Supplies. It is NOT a live chuck. It only rotates when it slips in the morse taper, which does happen more often than I'd like.

My my way to overcome that problem was to drill and tap a hole for a set screw in the tail stock quill. The set screw seats on a small flat spot ground on the shaft of the chuck. When a punch-mark on the chuck shaft and one on the end of the quill are aligned, I know the flat spot is in the right place and can tighten the set screw.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, Guys. I purchased on from Harbor Freight. Works as expected.