PSI issues

[TYLER WOOD]

I am going to both rant, and ask advice so please help a brotha' out. I don't want to spend money on shipping if I don't have to ship the stuff back.

I ordered all this PSI stuff in one order, a Barracuda chuck and spindle adapter, as well as their 60 degree live center from amazon.com. I am having issues with all of it.

The live center is agitating me the most. It has a screw on backing plate to cover the bearings and hold the head piece on. Does any one else have the problem of it screwing off while you are turning? Mine does. I have tightened it up as much as possible and then within 2-3 minutes it has worked it's self back off.:mad:

The chuck and spindle adapted just have waaayyy too much run out. I tried turning a small vase about 6-8" tall. It was so much run out that the rim on one side was 3/16" thick, the other quadrant had no rim left. Is there something I am doing wrong. I have a pen mandrel that I got from Rockler and it runs true. Could it be the thread on the lathe, or is it the spindle adapter and chuck.

I can return all this stuff, but I hate to if it is something that I am doing wrong. Thanks in advance for your advice!!! I have used PSI products in the past including the B4 chuck and was pleased. But these things have made me question reordering. Please help!!!

[JerHall]

Maybe a little of the removeable flavors of Lock-Tite would do it with the loosening screw. Auto supply stores stock it.

[TYLER WOOD]

it also looks like I may not have gotten what is pictured. Does the B@ have the square key inserts? Mine has a hole in the side for the key to reach into the gears and actually uses the gears to tighten and loosen it up. Kind of like a key chuck for a drill. The picture on both PSI and Amazon have the square inserts. Did I get an old version? Or something else. Now I'm really ticked!!!

[Wayne Bitting]

I've had the same problem with my live center coming apart (same one from PSI). A little bit of thin CA and it seems to work well, but not so well that you can't undo it if need be. Amazon will pay for return shipping if there is a defect.

[Bonnie Campbell]

I know I'm going to be VERY careful in what I order from PSI anymore. Yesterday I had another utility chuck go to pot. I've had numerous problems with them and have had it up to here on their lousy tech support. Cheap is as cheap does. I warned hubby I'm in the market for a decent chuck soon!

[robert hainstock]

I must be old and foggy, but my various tools from PSI work fine. I don't have their tailstock, but have not encountered problems with my barracuda,(two handle) chuck. pen mandrel, or buff system.
???????????? I remember them as the co. afilliated with AMF who built the Sears cheap lathes that some of us used. if you can afford the higher priced stuff, you should buy it first, then you won't have to replace it. :eek: Bob

[Tom Keen]

Had a similar problem with my baraccuda chuck. I called it a "wobble". PSI sent me a new adapter. But, I think the problem was the mating surfaces on both sides of the adapter were dirty. I made sure the new one was clean and flat on both sides. I found some built up crud on the spindle mating surface. Cleaned that up with a little 600 grit paper and everything ran perfectly. No problems since. If you do this, I suggest you put a couple of drops on CA on the adapter when you remount it to the chuck.

Tom

[Jason Clark2]

Tyler, The chuck with the square drive key is the older model. PSI shows the new style in their catalog and the online catalog but still shows the old style on their webpage. The older model was also threaded to accept an insert for 1X8 or 3/4 X 16, the newer model is direct threaded for 1X8 and requires an insert for 3/4 X 16.

I used my Barracuda2 for about 18 months, but had problems with the key inserts stripping out on the gears and then had at least 1 of the jaw screws strip out the threads on a jaw slide. When I got My PM 3520b I grabbed a pair of Supernova 2's and haven't looked back.

Jason

[Nancy Laird]

For what it's worth, I've heard more and more people complaining about PSI products, from chucks to pen kits to everything else. It would probably be a great idea to get a catalog from Craft Supply and order from them and let PSI get their QA act together.

Nancy (18 days)

[Marvin Hasenak]

I have no idea on the live center, but I have 2 of the chucks. You do have to keep them clean and you have to keep the spindle threads clean and to get the chuck to seat properly.

A lot of times run out is really operator error, simple things like keeping the MT clean and the threads clean. If you think it is bad on these try it on a metal lathe, a small piece of metal filing can create havoc on tolerances.

Marvin

[Tony Wheeler]

dont know what you paid for these chucks but woodcraft has nova G3 on sell for 119 with insert or super nova 2 139 but it needs an insert for it but all the jaws will interchange

[Dean Thomas]

In the FWIW department, PSI has usually pretzeled itself when folks are unhappy with their products. I know more than a few who have returned three or more Barracuda chucks (on PSI's shipping nickel!) because of poor quality. And once they got a good one, they were very happy.

So, Tyler, my suggestion would be to email them what you've told us, including the fact that you're getting more and more unhappy with what you received and ask them to either replace the items or to refund your money including shipping. Their past performance shows that if you're willing to work with them, they'll work with you.

There is NO EXCUSE for a live center coming unglued fresh from the provider, and there should be nothing that you have to do to it to make it work. That's just wrong. They need to make good on this, and if given the opportunity, I'm sure that they will. Let us know how you make out.

Also, for the record, I tend to agree with Nancy on this, that one e-trip to Craft Supply might change your mind about "bargain hunting".

[Phillip H Smith]

Just to chain on...and ask a question...

I have the PSI Baracuda II chuck, which - thankfully - works OK. As mentioned, it's a good idea to keep it clean. I've not experienced any runout. But I did have one of the jaws fly off while turning. It was the #4 jaw, which as a small screw to keep it in place if open to its maximum diameter. I guess I cranked it too much and the small screw snapped. Quite a surprise to hear that hunk of steel smack my wall! (Thankfully, it went AWAY from me!)

The question... I note that the Craft Supply "Apprentice" chuck looks strikingly similar to the PSI model mention above. Does anyone know if they're the same? That is, are the jaws interchangeable?

[Brian Weick]

[quote=TYLER WOOD;709262]I am going to both rant, and ask advice so please help a brotha' out. I don't want to spend money on shipping if I don't have to ship the stuff back.

Does any one else have the problem of it screwing off while you are turning? Mine does.


Tyler,
If anything on or anyone around my lathe is screwing off it's grounds for getting kicked out of my shop - I have no tolerance for troublemakers-:D

seriously, Tyler, I hope you get your problem solved -
PS: Sorry I couldn't resist the pun on words :p
Brian:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

The apprentice chuck is the same as the Baracuda as far as I can see. A turner friend of mine has one of each. Jaws interchange. I had one of PSI's chucks and after sending it back 3 times I just got my money back and bought a Vicmarc. Haven't looked back since. I have the VM 100 and the VM 120. I also have 3 of the $99 Grizzly chucks which are the same as the VM 100 and all the jaws fit the Griz chuck. All 3 work great.

[TYLER WOOD]

Thanks for the help guys. I am sending all the stuff back to amazon, and getting my money back. I have already placed an order for the supernova2 chuck from woodcraft. Should have done that in the first place. I will have to get more jaws later down the road. But the live center will just have to wait for a while. C`est la vie.

[joe greiner]

Quality of the chuck and adapter may be part of the problem, but 3/16" runout at 6-8" cantilever may not be corrected by replacement of the chuck and adapter alone. At that distance, just a light nudge can produce wobble, even with a really tight high-quality chuck and tough-as-nails tenon. I'd suggest adding a steady rest for better fixturing, and to allow more aggressive cutting.

Joe

[TYLER WOOD]

Hey Joe, thanks for the thoughts to this. I have had a friends chuck on and done a 12" vase with no problems. The chuck without anything on it has some major run out that you can feel thumping your fingers up and down when you try to hold you hand on the chuck. It's not just the piece that wobbles. Looking at the piece, my first thought was "crud I bumped it out of the chuck. Looked and the tenon shoulder was right flush with the jaws. Not the problem, just the run out on the entire system that I received. I think it was a little of both that had run out. I tried my friends adapter on my chuck, it helped a little. Put my adapter on his chuck and it made his worse. It's just both together that make it too much to work.

[John Hart]

My live center unscrews itself too. Or...at least it used to. I got irritated one day and braced it and screwed on the backplate by tapping it with a center punch and hammer. It hasn't loosened up in a few months. I just figured that I had to live with it. Never occurred to me to return it or complain. :o

[TYLER WOOD]

I was doing the same thing with mine with the center punch. Except I was just holding on to the point while the other end was in the vise, and having a friend hit the punch with my mallet. Still would come out. Never dawned on me to put the point end in the vise. Oh well being shipped back today at amazons expense.

[Harry Goodwin]

I am sorry you have had trouble with PSI products. I have had great service and some of my favorite products and usually get the quality level I pay for. I have been told that other stuff is better and when I ordered it was just as variable as PSI. Harry