Live center chucks

[Damon McLaughlin]

I'm wanting to purchase a drill chuck for my G0766 so I can use Forstner bits to hollow bowls and vases.
Has anyone bought from big box stores for both the chuck and drills and consider them to be of good value?
What about HF?
Thank you.

I have the same one as JKJ and am very happy with it. I also have a smaller one that came with a previously owned lathe, not sure the brand of it, but I'm also happy with that one as well.

[Dan Hunkele]

I have been finding bits with the Morris tapered ends at the flea markets for good prices and sharpen them in the Drill Doctor.

[Bill Jobe]

I recall many years ago the guy next to me had a live center multiple drill head on the turret on his lathe. At that time it looked like the strangest lathe accessory I'd ever seen. The lathe pressed the spring loaded multi-drill head against the piece in the headstock causing it to rotate drilling every hole in a flange at one shot.
Not sure what that would be equivalent to today. That was close to 50 years ago. Probably something much simpler.
Since retiring I'm rarely around machinery.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

BusyBee online store carries a ½” chuck for $16.99 Can$ (order #B045)and the threaded MT2 arbor at $6.99 Can$ (order # B110D)

https://www.busybeetools.com/product...e-mt2-jt6.html

[Bill Jobe]

Thanks Leo.

[Bill Jobe]

Whoa. I get a "site cannot be reached".

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Whoa. I get a "site cannot be reached".

Better try that again Bill, it works for me right now.

[Bill Jobe]

Dang, Leo. Got in but arbors are sold out.
What advantage does a drawbar style provide? Do they work with collets?

[Don Frank]

I have switched over to what John mentioned. A couple a dedicated bits with a #2 morse taper to fit my tail stock . I found a selection of sizes and lengths on Ebay for about 20 cents on the dollar. I went with a 7/8" diameter. There were some as long as 20". I like this much better than dealing with forstners . I use them for drilling a pilot hole in hollow forms and even on bowls because it is so quick and easy. I haven't used my jacobs chuck once since I switched over. The only use I see for the Jacobs in the future is if there is a need to drill a large precise forstner hole in something.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Dang, Leo. Got in but arbors are sold out.
What advantage does a drawbar style provide? Do they work with collets?

That’s too bad, they weren’t when I looked, Lee Valley has them to, but is quite a bit more expensive.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...at=1,180,42334

The threaded arbor is needed if you want to use the chuck in the headstock to hold some wood or metal you want to turn without the tailstock keeping pressure on it, as the chuck can/will come loose and fly out, possibly damaging you and or the lathe.

Also the regular arbors have a flat tail on them and this often interferes with fitting them in a lathe, headstock or tailstock.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have switched over to what John mentioned. A couple a dedicated bits with a #2 morse taper to fit my tail stock . I found a selection of sizes and lengths on Ebay for about 20 cents on the dollar. I went with a 7/8" diameter. There were some as long as 20". I like this much better than dealing with forstners . I use them for drilling a pilot hole in hollow forms and even on bowls because it is so quick and easy. I haven't used my jacobs chuck once since I switched over. The only use I see for the Jacobs in the future is if there is a need to drill a large precise forstner hole in something.

Of the top of my head I recall the largest drill with a MT2 shank is ⅞”, #3 mt would be 1¼”, if you are lucky you can get a couple of theses bits for the price of a good drill chuck on ebay.

Wanting to go smaller than ½” or larger than ⅞” and you will need something beside these bits, so a good chuck would be advisable IMO

[Brian Holcombe]

I’m new to turning so I’ll draw from experience with other machines, I setup my lathe with this experience in mind.

Under 3/8” (actually I believe 10mm) I use a chuck with Morse 2 taper. Above that size specific collets in most machines with a taper or drill bits with a taper. Basically the fewer variables the more accurate.

For prep in using collets or fine chucks I am careful to remove any burrs that have developed on drill bits from my Jacobs chucks.

[David Munyak]

I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot find a drill chuck with an M2 taper that does not spin. The one I have is “live” and I have to grip it with a vise to drill with it.

I can’t discern from online product descriptions whether they spin live or are stationary.

Can anyone point me to a proper tailstock drilling chuck that is stationary?

Prashun,
My Jacobs chuck is a Golden Goose brand that I think came from Craft Supplies. It is NOT a live chuck. It only rotates when it slips in the morse taper, which does happen more often than I'd like.

My my way to overcome that problem was to drill and tap a hole for a set screw in the tail stock quill. The set screw seats on a small flat spot ground on the shaft of the chuck. When a punch-mark on the chuck shaft and one on the end of the quill are aligned, I know the flat spot is in the right place and can tighten the set screw.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, Guys. I purchased on from Harbor Freight. Works as expected.