Longworth or Vacuum or both?

[James Tibbetts]

The title pretty much covers my question. If you have either one do you need both? What are your preferred uses for each?
On the Longworth style the sizes are listed by diameter. Is this the maximum diameter piece it can hold or the true diameter of the discs?
For a 16" lathe would I buy a 16" chuck?
Thanks in advance folks.

[Tom Giacomo]

I have a longworth chuck but have found that I prefer a standard chuck with extended jaws like those offered by PSI. I also have a vacuum chuck and it grabs a lot of things a longworth won't they are really two different animals.

[Thomas Canfield]

I only recently got a vacuum chuck system and am still learning about it. The vacuum will work with the odd rim/natural edge piece and some deep pieces with adapters. The vacuum will not work on "holy" pieces or porous woods. The longworth chuck needs a flat rim to fit against the face and be grabbed by the posts. I do not have a longworth or see one in my future, but do have a set of cole jaws for up to about 8"D seldom used and a homemade donut chuck that will handle up to 16" D on my 20" lathe. You will loose some diameter if you clamp to the outside, and normally bowls will have too much inside slope to allow expanding the inside. Are you confused yet? My preference before the vacuum system was to use a friction jam with rubber shelf lining and that worked for bowls up to 19"D and also hollow forms and natural edge pieces.

[Don McClure]

I have both, but use the vacuum 99% of the time. There are limitations to it's use as noted above. But I would buy it first.

[Thom Sturgill]

I don't own a longworth chuck, but do have cole jaws which I did not like. They were from PSI and the posts were too straight. I next built a doughnut chuck and it worked well until I needed to do a natural edge bowl. I could have done it by adding a piece in the center to hold the top edge off the backing plate. Later still I made a vacuum chuck and now use it most of the time.

Two issues with the VC - porous wood and thin wood. Porous wood can be gotten around somewhat by sealing the wood first with sanding sealer. If you have turned too thin the vacuum can damage the piece DAMHIKT. The vacuum chuck give FULL access to the bottom of the bowl out to the rim, while a doughnut only gives access to the bottom and part of the lower portion of the bowl. Longworth chucks and cole jaws give more access than a doughnut, but less than a vacuum chuck and do not work well if the piece has started to move.

[Steve Rollinson]

Vacuum works best for me.

[David Delo]

If your speaking of the Ron Brown version, yes you would get the 16" version for a lathe with 16" swing. You can hold a bowl 14"D in compression mode and 16"D in expansion mode. I use cole jaws that can do just a bit over 10" in compression mode and vacuum and sometimes a jamb chuck. Use vacuum more than anything but as an example, just did a 10" cherry bowl that I posted in another thread. Didn't feel like running the air compressor for my vacuum chuck since it was the only piece I was doing, so I used the cole jaws. Also, I use the tailstock for support until I get down to the last little nub on the bottom.

[Steve Schlumpf]

James, I think a vacuum chuck, a donut chuck and your ability to make your own jam chucks are all just part of what you need in your tool arsenal. I started out with Cole jaws for my Talon chuck. Didn't really care for it so eventually used them to make my own donut chuck - which I still use depending on what I am turning. I did build my own vac system and love it. Sure, there are limitations in any one system, including the vacuum one, but the one thing I love about it is the same thing that Thom mentioned - you have total access to the bottom of the piece you are finishing. May not sound like much but if you use a donut or Longworth style chuck, you will eventually have to blend in (sand) the area where the chucks held the wood. That can be a real pain to deal with, especially is you are used to power sanding.

Any chance you belong to a turning club? If so, check to see who has a vacuum chuck system and also a donut or longworth style chuck and then give them a try. I think that once you try a vac system, you will have your answer.

[Paul Williams]

I have a longworth chuck but if I had it to do over again I think I would not have bought it. It does hold fairly large bowls, but only if they have a straight even rim, and a fairly thick side wall. You need the tail stock for support in most cases. I am planning to build a vacuum system.

[Len Mullin]

James, have you ever given any consideration to building your own, there's all kinds of patterns on the net that shows you how to go about building one. I think that you could build both for less then it would cost to but them.
Len

[James Tibbetts]

[QUOTE Are you confused yet? [/QUOTE]

My normal state! Makes me feel right at home!

[James Tibbetts]

Many thanks for information and experience. It certainly looks like the VC is the way to go. My cole jaws will can become a donut chuck when necessary.
Any suggestions for parts suppliers to build my own VC, or should that be a seperate thread?

Thanks again folks.

[Dwight Rutherford]

James,
Do a search on this forum for "vacuum chuck" or variations of "vacuum". You can also check U-Tube for clips.

[Thomas Canfield]

I picked up a vacuum pump and kit at SWAT last summer from Frugal Vac http://www.frugalvacuumchuck.com/ I made a couple of rotating adapters (about $8 for parts each), one for Powermatic3520B and one for little Nova CometII midi lathe, and made different size threaded block/PVC coupling fittings for each. System and chucks work well.

[Justin Stephen]

I have a longworth chuck but if I had it to do over again I think I would not have bought it.

I second this. I do not personally use the tailstock with it most of the time but I do tape the bowl to the chuck with several long pieces of tape because, frankly, the Longworth just doesn't hold very well.