My compression chuck...

[Chip Sutherland]

Finally built me a compression chuck. I've limited myself to recessed chuck holes for my bases but no more...

The funny part of this story is that I built this the hardway by reverting back to my flatwork days. I spent more time tuning up the bandsaw, changing the bandsaw blade from resaw to fine tooth and setting up the circle cutting jig than it took to assemble, turn the edges and cut the tapered hole. I made this with 15/32 plywood because I had some handy. I didn't feel like going to the Borg to by the 3/4 I really should be using. Anyway this one is ~11 inches in diameter. When I get the 3/4, I'll build one for the full capacity of my 1442. I have a small walnut bowl in there for show. I basically followed Bill Grumbine's version.

[Andy Hoyt]

Nicely done, Chip. Is it user friendly, or a tad awkward?

[John Hart]

Well...Ain't that cool! So simple...and I've been fighting with this aspect for quite a while. I guess I'll have to copy you now!:)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Well done Chip.

Been meaning to do that one myself from the B.G. site.

Ernie

[Chip Sutherland]

Just remember that the hole in the top piece is done on the lathe and has a taper as if you were doing a dovetail recess for a SuperNova...except you plow through the top ply. I glued and screwed the bottom scrap piece. The face plate is now dedicated to this jig.

[Chip Sutherland]

It is user friendly. Of course, you have to watch out for the wing nuts while building it. I mounted the walnut bowl with relative ease. It was well balanced on the first try...not perfect but good enough. The tapered hole definitely plays a big role. Took me a few attempts to screw the top ply evenly. Not a problem but my sense of balance was affected when the top was not on evenly. Weird but it was mighty distracting at 450rpm.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Chip, just thinking on this... it seems like you might need several top plates with different sized holes. I guess you could bolt several pieces of plywood together and turn them all at once. You could dovetail all the pieces on the same angle with a parting tool. Of course the initial cut would be straight in to remove what would become trapped by the dovetail cut if it weren't removed. This might be too much of an angle though to get each top plate hole progressively large enough to make a difference. I guess though that you could remove each top plate as it was done to start on the next. At least bolting several together and turning them all the same OD would eliminate guess work for a second or third one with larger or smaller holes.

Uhoh, I'm thinking and writing at the same time:eek: Better stop before this gets too long.

Ernie

[Dennis Peacock]

Chip,

Congrats on a chuck well done.:D

How are you getting past the motor with the bolts coming through the back of the CC? I tried this on my jet 1236 but the screws/wingnuts contact the motor. Did you just add enough wood faceplate to extend it away from the motor?

Ernie, yes....with this setup, You will need a "small" hole plate, "medium" hole plate, and a "large" hole plate. Also, add some rubber padding in there on both parts of the compression chuck to protect your bowl from getting dinged in some fashion.

[Keith Burns]

Nicely done Chip:) :)

[Chip Sutherland]

I do expect to make several tops with various size holes. I actually have 4 blanks set aside for just the occassion.

I avoid the 1442 motor, I turned a piece of 2x6 which gave me 1 3/4+ extension from the face plate.