A slightly different chuck question: Talon or Stronghold? Leo anyone?

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Hey Creekers,

I have a slightly different chuck question than what is normally asked. Not what is the best chuck but rather what those of you that have them would actually recommend.

I bought a mustard monster earlier this year and I am just finally getting the shop to the point where I can actually set it up. So up to this point I have been using my PSI chucks on the HF lathe out in the garage. They are all a 1x8tpi for the spindle thread.

Well the new 3520b needs a 1 1/4x8tpi. So I bought an adapter a little when I bought the lathe. Something to go from the lathe to the chucks I already have. With the thought that I would get a better chuck once things settled down. Well the CSUSA sale is so good on Oneway chucks that I am planning to drive down this afternoon and just buy one now rather than waiting.

So the question is... Most of what I turn is 10" or less now because that is what my lathe would handle. The biggest blank I have ever had is a 16"x6" maple burl. But with the bigger lathe this could on occasion change. I actually kind of hope it will in some ways. At least more big bowls of the 16 size. So given the specs on the Talon versus the Stronghold. What would those of you that have them recommend. Do I really want/need a strong hold or is a Talon going to be enough.

I had at one point thought about getting a PSI Barracuda 4 chuck which has similar inserts and will adapt to the new lathe's spindle threads. But it is at the moment only about $8 cheaper than the Stronghold and more than the current sale on the Talon. So why would anyone do that?!!? :)

So any recommendations from those in the know?

Thanks!
Joshua

[Neal Addy]

I'm a Talon owner and like it but then I do mostly small pieces.

This is a question which I've tried several times to find an answer to. The chuck vendors only speak in terms of max diameter but the question should really be more about max weight. I would be hesitant to swing anything on my Talon that weighs more than 10 to 12 lbs. It might easily handle more but without knowing...

[Mike Vickery]

I have a lathe the same size as your and own three Talon chucks. Like you I do not max my lathe out very often. For really large pieces ( 15 to 20 inch) I have a pair of number 3 tower jaws for my Talon and it seems to work just fine.

So I recomend the Talon.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I prefer Vicmarc myself. They have a lot of jaw variety.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Joshua - I have the Talon and honestly think it would do just about anything you want. This past week I turned about 10 blanks that were all in excess of 35 pounds - course I used the tailstock while roughing out!

I have heard of a number of folks getting the stronghold for larger turnings but if you are going to be doing mostly 16" and smaller I have to believe the Talon would be all you need.

[Neal Addy]

35 lbs? That's good to know.

I'd still like to know what the max weight capacity of the Talon is.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Good question Neal! The larger blanks I turned all had about a 1/4" tenon on them and I used only the #2 jaws. Would have to think the size of the tenon would make a little difference also.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Joshua

I have (2) Strongholds for my 3520B can do everything I want. BUT sometimes on smaller work they get in the way - would love to add a Titan to the mix.

Comment on the '16" plus' dreams.
1) Big logs are quite often hollow, so that blank for the really big bowl is a bit of an ellusive item.
1a) Really big blanks are really heavy, you can easily find out you are not as young as you think you are.
1b) Really big blanks require a really big chain saw to be cut well and tackling a 40" dia log with an 18" chain saw is an afternoon of frustration.
2) IMHO - Somewhere around 14" a wood bowl strats to get impractical, platters might go to 18". Really big just doesn't sell, because face it, people say that is beautiful but where will I put it. I met a Canadian guy awhile back at a regional symposium that made a living selling giant bowls intended to set in the middle of big corporate board room tables, and lobbies, so I am proving myself wrong but the exception is a pretty special application.

So definately try it and enjoy it. Turn a couple big bowls but don't fill your shop full of 20" dia. rough outs. This is a 'phase' I went through and still venture back to from time to time. Learn from my experience and step carefully into the 'Tub' turning zone.

Others who have over done the the oversized with out success chime in and maybe we can save Josh from spending his turning money at the chiropractors office.

Frank

[Gary Herrmann]

I moved from a Fisch to a 3520b. I bought new inserts for the bigger lathe and have continued to use my Talon. I may pick up a Stronghold at some point, because some of the trunk sections I've salvaged are 24" in diameter.

[Dale Miner]

Get the stronghold, you already have some smaller chucks.

At some point you may want to core larger blanks, and for that, the larger chuck will provide a little more grip if/when you hang the coring knife.

Later,
Dale M

[Jim Becker]

I also run a Talon on my Stubby 750 and it is suitable for pretty much anything I've turned to-date. I got the Talon when I was running a OneWay 1018 and just upgraded the insert when I upgraded my lathe. I have multiple jaw sets and change them to optimize the grip 'sweet spot' for the particular tenon size appropriate for the piece I'm working on. That said, if I started to turn things larger than about 16", I'd consider getting a Stronghold with larger jaws to dedicate to that kind of task.

I do like the Vicmarc chucks, especially their key setup, but prefer the serrated jaws of the OneWay chucks.

[Mike Spanbauer]

My decision was a bit easier as I really have no choices... my PM90 is a 1.5" x 8TPI..

SO, I placed my stronghold order earlier with the oneway 1" spur center accessory.

mike

[Charles Drake]

Don't mean to start a big argument-just share some interesting "expert" opinion. Attended a Stuart Batty class recently and he really doesn't like chucks with "teeth" like the Oneways--he prefers the dovetail type. He claims that if the tenon is not perfect in length, there is a chance that let's say on one jaw, three teeth will grip the tenon while another jaw, maybe only two teeth will grip which can "pull" the tenon to one side or the other and prevent the jaws from seating properly on the shoulder. Just for your info-please don't kill the messenger.:D

[Jim Becker]

Charles, it sounds like a reasonable argument, but I've never experienced that. And what's to help a person make that tenon to the correct angle to match the dovetail jaws since that would set up the same problem in a sense...a less secure grip.

[Jerry Rhoads]

Like Frank, I have a lot of large roughed out bowls. Finished ones, highly admired but a fluke when I finally sell one. The first core out of my large bowls sell first. The 12"/13" to (14" if not to tall) sell well.
Making larger bowls is mostly only showing that you can do it.
Large platters are nice though, bussines people like to put them on their table in the waiting room.
If only one quality chuck, the smaller one will probaly serve you better.
The bigger one is nice if you do coring. But the small one will work with larger jaws. about a third the price of getting the larger jaws, plus switching back and forth.

Jerry

[Jeff Nicol]

I have a small Nova chuck that I have put thrugh the paces on all three of my lathes. I did buy an adapter to go from 1 1/4" on the PM3520b to the 1" x 8tpi on the little nova. I use the Stronghold for a lot of roughing and finishing and have never seen the teeth create any problem. When roughing it really does not matter and I will usually finish the piece to completion when it is dry and rechucked. So once it is trued back up the teeth are where they are. I just ordered a PSI Barracuda 2 just because it had some different jaws and I needed another chuck, or should I say I wanted another chuck!! The LOML is out of town so che can't scold me yet!! If you know another turner near you or there is a turners club around maybe you could see a number of different chucks in action.

Good luck and it's only money!!(I hope all the stuff on e-bay sells!!)

Jeff

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Charles I think quite frankly that is a bunch of crock, if a tenon (which I seldom use) in not properly made so the chuck could not hold it properly that would count for a dovetail just as well, I've turned many bowls both big and small, and I have never had the chuck not hold where a dovetail would have, and by the way the Oneway chucks do have dovetail jaws for those that think it is the better jaw to use on the chuck :D
Oh and the other thing about some chucks having more different jaws than the Oneway, well there is a good reason for those chucks NEEDING all these jaws, as they first of all do not have the amount of travel that the Oneway chucks do have, and also because their jaws don't have the patented jaw shape that the Oneway jaws have :eek:.

Oh for the question of what the Talon chuck can hold, I would suggest more than the wood is able to support, meaning the wood would rip out well before the chuck would give out, so as Steve suggested use the tailstock to keep the other end up, Oneway suggest 16 or 17" is safe, well many have proven that it will easily handle a 20" bowl.
Take care and have fun

If you like to see what my chucks hold without tailstock support, have a look, :D
http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum4.html

Oh by the way I do sometimes hollow out smaller bowls like 10-12" with my chuck holding just a 1/8" deep/long recess or tenon, the Oneway chucks are just the greatest :D :D :D

[Philip Morris]

I have the Stronghold and used it on my Oneway 1640. I turned a few 30-40lb blanks. Never had one leave the lathe because of the chuck (did have a tenon fail and have the hole in the ceiling as a reminder).

I know that the focus right now is on bigger lathe and bigger turnings. I agree with many here that the Talon will probably handle most of what you will want to turn on a routine basis.

Let me offer an alternative perspective to consider. Which chuck will provide the greatest flexibility if you decide to go smaller? I know that you have the smaller chuck from your other lathe, but once you get used to the Oneway quality, you may not want to go back. I bring this up because the selection of jaws that fit the Talon seem to broader. I understand that the Nova jaws fit the Talon and with an adapter plate even the Vicmarc jaws will fit.