Help! I can't use my New SuperNova2 Chuck! [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

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Brad Kimbrell

11-04-2006, 9:50 PM

Guys,

I've never owned a nice chuck before so today when I left the Breeders' Cup races (with $300 of their cash :cool: ) I stopped at Woodcraft and purchased a SuperNova2.

I have it assembled and have the insert screwed in.

Now I can't get the Grubscrew in that holds the insert in place as the hole in the outside of the chuck is slightly off-center from the screw hole. I have tried pushing the black plastic covers around to line them up but they don't budge.

I've called tech support but it rings in New Zealand and no one is home right now.

I see a split ring on the back of the chuck but am a little afraid to start taking the thing apart without knowing if that's that right thing to do.

Any ideas?

Ken Fitzgerald

11-04-2006, 10:19 PM

Brad............I've got a SuperNova2 on my Jet Mini. I'm in the house but I'm on the way to my shop. I'll get my SN2 and reply momentarily.

Ken Fitzgerald

11-04-2006, 10:29 PM

Brad.............Both the access hole in the outer part of the chuck and the hole where the grub screw goes align on my SN2 line up with a gap in the black cover. I vaguely remember having the same problem you are and IIRC I inserted an allen wrench through the hole and moved the black cover. That cover is just a dust cover I believe and I don't think you'll hurt a thing by moving it.

Brad Kimbrell

11-04-2006, 11:10 PM

Ken,

I had stuck a punch in the hole and pulled pretty hard, but I'm going back out there and pull a little more. I just didn't want to tear it up the first day out of the box! LOL..

I even put a wooden block against it and hammered on it to try to push the ring around in the housing. No luck with that either.

But I'm going out there and get a little more firm with it now.

Thanks for your suggestion. I'll let you know how it goes.

Brad Kimbrell

11-05-2006, 2:40 AM

Ken,

I could not get the cover to move enough to get the Grubscrew started from the outside, so I took the insert out and backed the Grubscrew in from the inside.

This required using a "cheater set of pliers" on the allen wrench to force the screw to cut it's way back out of the edge of that plastic cover and then insert the little fiber washer behind it. :mad: :confused:

Then I was able to screw the insert back into the body and tighten the Grubscrew down to hold the insert in place. :D

The long way around, and took me entirely too long to come to the final solution, but I've already turned a bud vase out of some pear that I was able to force to do a little spalting.

The chuck is very versatile and I'm sure that I iwll be happy with it now.

Thanks to all for the recommendations. I hope to be turning some small bowls tomorrow and look forward to joining in on some of your enthusiasm very soon! :D :p

Maybe now I can graduate from turning pens on this little Jet Mini.

Frank Fusco

11-05-2006, 7:58 AM

"block of wood?" "hammer?" "cheater pliers?" "force?" :eek:

Oh, the joy of high priced 'quality' stuff. :rolleyes:
My $80.00 PSI knock-off presented none of those problems. :)
Just an observation, folks.

Brad Kimbrell

11-05-2006, 5:51 PM

Yeah Frank, I really was cursing that chuck before it was over!

Looks like for $200 plus with the insert they could align them better. I'm just glad that it's over now!

And you can't beat that tech support....call the U.S. number after hours, it transfers you to New Zealand...where it rings for a long time, then you get a recording telling you to press zero....then another 3 minutes on hold then it hangs up on you..."if you would like to make a call, please hang up..."

I'm sure the chuck will be a great addition to my Jet Mini and hopefully I can make a few nice things for the SWIMBO before Xmas.

Frank Fusco

11-06-2006, 8:49 AM

George Conklin

11-06-2006, 9:17 AM

I've already turned a bud vase out of some pear that I was able to force to do a little spalting.

Ah-hem! I don't see any pear bud vase that was forced to do a little spalting, here?

I'm sure glad I didn't have any of the troubles you described with my SN2. Glad you got the bugs worked out of yours.

Now... About those pictures...:D

Brad Kimbrell

11-07-2006, 12:33 AM

Well, the kinks are worked out with the chuck.

Being a pen turner all of my short turning life, I have learned how to produce a CATCH :eek: when trying to hollow out the box that I've decided to turn.

I switched to my spindle gouge and it grabbed and created a huge catch as well...so the box is a little shorter than I had planned!

So I resorted to scraping the inside after I bored a 2" hole with a forstner bit.

I don't like the finish that the scraping leaves, but after many very light passes I have a smooth finish inside the lid.

Now I'm working on the base and can see that I need some different tools to reach so far down into the box and complete the hollowing operation.

Or am I going about this the wrong way? :confused:

Ken Fitzgerald

11-07-2006, 12:42 AM

Brad..........I typically am able to do most of my box turning with my spindle gouge and resort to the round nosed scraper just for straightening the inside wall of the box and rounding the corner where the sides and bottoms meet and of couse, taking out the "dimple" at the middle of the bottom. But 90% of the box I'm able to turn with my spindle gouge. I don't normally drill the center but you can.....I just align my toolrest sligtly below center of the end and plunge the spindle gouge into the center and it will make the initial hole. I then using scraping cuts to cut away until I get the majority of the box done. If you have fast internet service you might consider going to the Woodcraft site....look under education....How To Videos......Sorby had a box making video there that was a great help to me.......I think that's where I went.....I also have the Raffan videos but I think the Woodcraft site has one.

Good luck!.....BTW....what's a catch?:eek: :rolleyes: :D

Brad Kimbrell

11-07-2006, 1:48 AM

I think that maybe I need a different shaped gouge. I have seen those that are shaped like a "U" but I don't have one of those.

I have a set of Freud tools that are numbered 1 - 8 (no 6 in the set) that came in a wooden box with the Freud name painted on it. I think that I paid about $75 for them 20 years ago. I've only turned about 4 bowls but would like to "expand my horizons" past the pens.

My gouges have a very shallow "scoop" to them and the corners stick up just waiting to catch...There are 2 of them - one is about 1" and heavy and the other is about 3/4" and much lighter steel.

The steel in these tools is not as heavy as the Sorby's and other quality tools that I see in the catalogs. Maybe I should look into buying a different gouge?

Also, how do you hollow out a box that is 4" deep? I've seen those bars with side tools sticking out (sort of look like a carbide tool for a metal lathe) attached at an angle - do I need one of those?

I will take your advice and get a video or two. I have 2 of Raffan's books and one by Malcolm Tibbets on Segmented Turning, but those videos are probably worth a thousand words.

Thanks for the advice Ken. I'll post a picture when I get it done...

Ken Fitzgerald

11-07-2006, 2:01 AM

I just went to the Woodcraft site. They have a free "How To" video you can watch online if you have a high speed internet connection on turning goblets which is an "end grain" turning. The techniques used for the interior of the goblet should be compatible. I also have "Turning Wood" and "Turning Boxes" with Richard Raffan. They are a great help. I don't know that my spindle gouge is anything special. It's a 3/8" Robert Larson that I have ground to a "detail gouge" shape. The front is a fairly low angle....I'd guess 35-45 degrees and the sides are ground back a little. Nothing really special.

Good luck and don't get to upset. Boxes are a kick in the pants!

Dennis Peacock

11-07-2006, 9:41 AM

Funny you should even need to tighten the grub screw......I had to put my chuck in a vise, put a wrench and cheater-bar on it to get my insert to seat well. I called them about it and that's what they said to do. I've never tightened a single grub screw on my chuck to this date and that's been 3 years now.

Glad you got it fixed. Now...get you a good 1/2" bowl gouge and let's see some lathe curls!! :p :D

Chris Chavis

11-07-2006, 11:18 AM

Funny you should even need to tighten the grub screw......I had to put my chuck in a vise, put a wrench and cheater-bar on it to get my insert to seat well. I called them about it and that's what they said to do. I've never tightened a single grub screw on my chuck to this date and that's been 3 years now.

Really? Did I do mine incorrectly then? I just twisted it on by hand and tightened the screw. Does it really need to be that tight? :confused: I saw someone mention something about a fiber washer too - is that the little red disc that was in the bag?

Charles E. Martin V

11-07-2006, 1:43 PM

Yes, the little red disk that almost everyone throws away.

Brad Kimbrell

11-08-2006, 12:24 AM

I was digging thru some old VHS WW'ing videos this morning before work, and viola...there it was...Turning Boxes with Richard Raffan. I was lucky enough to spend a few hours with him about 2 years ago at Marc Adams School of WW'ing in Indy.

Mr. Raffan is very production oriented and really agressive with his cuts. He did a one-hour demo for us during the class-swap tour that Marc does every session. We got to spend time with Mike Mahoney this year.

I see that I need a square and curved heavy scraper as well.

I also see a lathe class in my future.

I now understand what you guys mean when speaking about "getting sucked into the vortex..."

Thanks for all of your great advice - I'm sure I'll need more of it as I move down this path!

Joe Fisher

11-08-2006, 3:15 PM

Yes, the little red disk that almost everyone throws away.
What red disk? :o

:D

And for the record, I went through 2 PSI chucks and 3 adaptors for them (not to mention an horrific customer "service" nightmare), and they were all way out of round. The one SN2 I bought was perfect out of the box. So it can happen to anyone, not just the "high priced" ones.

-Joe

Joe Fisher

11-08-2006, 3:17 PM

I see that I need a square and curved heavy scraper as well.
"Need" is, of course, subjective. I don't own either, and I have turned (what I consider) pretty nice bowls up to 15 1/2" in diameter. I use my 1/2" bowl gouge for just about everything. I may get/make a big scraper eventually, but haven't found it necessary for me.

The part about taking a lesson I agree with. I took one with Bill Grumbine and loved every minute. Especially dinner :)

-Joe