Lathe Chucks?

[Bob Yarbrough]

I have a jet mini(?) and am wondering about the most "bang" for your buck in a chuck system for it? At this point I turn pens for pleasure, have screwed a few small pices of wood to the supplied faceplate and turned small "vessels" and I'm looking to expand my horizons. Any suggestion on an initial set up to go with this size lathe, pros, cons, quality, etc. Thanks for any help.

Bob

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bob I have 3 of the $99 Grizzly chucks now for 2 1/2 yrs and for the money I don't think they can be beat. The jaws of the Vicmarc 100 will fit it. I do have the Vic 100 and yes it is a better chuck but like I said the Griz chucks are pretty good. I bought the 3 for just a little more than I gave for the Vic. The reason for 3 is I am lazy and don't like changing jaws.

[John Yogus]

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking at the ones from Griz and the Baracuda line from PSI. It received pretty good marks in a relatively recent (past year or so I beleive) Wood Magazine. There are some better chucks out there, but they come with a higher price tag. Worth it, yes. But on my budget, I'm looking for the most bang for my buck (and have some money left for wood w/out sacrificing my marriage/kids).

[tim mathis]

check out e-bay . there is a seller in canada that has the teknatool nova g3 for $109.00 shipped free and it includes the teknatool insert . it will take all but 1 set of nova jaws . he also has deals on other chucks with free shipping. i have purchased from him before with no problems.
tim m.

[Curt Fuller]

I think the PSI Barracuda chucks are a pretty good buy for a smaller lathe like you Jet. They come with 4 sets of jaws so it makes them pretty versatile. But check out Amazon for the best price. They seem to beat Penn States price for whatever reason and usually include free shipping.

[marty purselley]

I think the PSI Barracuda chucks are a pretty good buy for a smaller lathe like you Jet. They come with 4 sets of jaws so it makes them pretty versatile. But check out Amazon for the best price. They seem to beat Penn States price for whatever reason and usually include free shipping.

One of the larger etailers had the Nova G3 on sale-I have one on my Jet 12-20 and find it to have outstanding build quality and it is very versatile.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I have the barracuda chuck. It's okay, but I wish I'd saved my money a little longer & gotten a "real" chuck, or at least one with more jaws available. I don't really like the serrated jaws of the barracuda. They really mar the surface of the bowl's recess, and I think they bruise a lot more than the dovetailed jaws. The pictures of it show smooth dovetail jaws, but they did NOT come that way. Also, their "cole jaws" are a joke. They didn't even line up right, and there are definitely "in between" sizes that just barely fit between adjustments of the buttons between fully closed & fully open positions. Bummer when I found that out!. I'll probably get one of the grizzly/vicmarc copy chucks eventually so that I can get some bigger jaws.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bob,

I have a Jet VS Mini. The folks who gave it to me were kind enough to buy me a SuperNova 2 chuck. When I upgraded to my PM3520B, it was just a matter of buying another adapter and now the SN2 works on either of my two lathes.

[Dean Matthews]

I must be the only person that bought a OneWay Talon for his Jet Mini... =) My thinking was that when I go to a big boy lathe I can swap out the adapter and use it over there.

So far I have been very happy with the OneWay. The only other set of jaws I have for it right now are the mini-Jumbo Jaws... I LOVE those things. It is how I have been turning the foot for any bowl that I make.

and just as a side note... I also purchased a beal wood tap for my Jet. I have used a "glue chuck" once or twice for very small things. With the tap I can just put threads right into the wood and mount it on the lathe instead of having to mess with any face plates.

[Jim Becker]

I'm with Dean if you can swing the budget. A chuck like the Talon or small Vicmarc provides very nice capability that can follow you to a larger lathe later due to the spindle thread inserts. The wide range of jaws is also nice. If you consider this a long-term investment, then the higher initial cost can be more easily justified.

My Talon has been with me since I had a OneWay 1018. (10" swing) It's now my only chuck for my Stubby 750. (16" swing with the bed "up" and 30" inboard with the bed retracted) While I would be hesitant to use it for something bigger than 16", I'd be more comfortable with it in those circumstances than I would with with a typical "value" chuck. I know that Talon will stay secure.

[Fred Conte]

Hi Bob,

I have the PSI chuck on my Rikon mini which I think is the "best bang for the buck" at only $170 you get alot of extra jaws with it also. I'm very happy with it!

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/csc3000c.html

On the recommendation of Steve Schlumpf and others on this forum I got the Oneway Talon chuck with the #1 and #3 jaws and an adapter from Hartville for just under $400 wih free shipping for my 3520B. If you mention that you belong to the Woodnet forum you'll get 15% off their price.

HTH - Good Luck!
Fred

[Bill Kesler]

I bought the SN2 for my Jet mini and when I upgraded to the Jet 14-42 it just moved right over. I feel, get the best you possibly can afford.

[Dennis Puskar]

I have the Baracuda and I am very well pleased with it.

Dennis

[Rick Huelsbeck]

they have a chuck by pinnacle for $89 comes with #2 jaws, but the #3 were $29 and the flat jaws were $25 when I bought them a few months ago. Most people don't like using the 2 tommy bars to tighten a chuck; however, this one has a knurled ring and is easy to grip and turn. I also have a Barracuda 2 and like it as well. Bought the flat jaws for it too. As for the 4 sets of jaws that come with it in over a year I've only ever used the #2, #3, and flat jaws. Just something to think about.

[Sean Troy]

The Vicmarc VM 100 is probably the best one out there for the money. It would last your turning career.