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Thread: Does anyone make full use of their Step Jaws?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Milwaukee, WI
    Posts
    351

    Does anyone make full use of their Step Jaws?

    Vicmac & Tekantool offer step jaws which in theory will let you hold a number of different tenons with the same jaws.

    Does anyone out there make use of all the sizes? I've found the inner jaws to be too deep for holding bowls - the upper jaws would hit the side of the bowl.

    So in my little herd of chuck sizes I just use the biggest tenon...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Melbourne Australia
    Posts
    100
    David, you don't say which size and on which chuck. That said, I have the two step for my VM100 chuck and use both inner and outer jaws. I really like them when I'm roughing green bowls that have just been cored from a large chunk of wood. As the bowls go down in size, I run smaller spigots and use the appropriate sized jaw for them. When the jaws are approximately 3mm apart, the jaws form a perfect circle, with green wood I make my smaller spigots 46mm and 57mm, which allows for the slight compression of 2mm for green wood down to a near perfect circle. This also allows you to further tighten if the wood is quite elastic by a few millimetres more.

    For the larger green wood cored bowls, I use my VM120 chuck, I don't have stepped jaw sets for that chuck, just a wide range of different sized jaws.

    You are right, it is tight with the smaller inner jaws. For a short time I made boxes and I used the inner jaw set for them, clearance wasn't an issue. I sort of don't do boxes these days.

    Mick.

  3. #3
    My Oneway step jaws are the inverse of the Vicmarc ones you linked to David. I can see that the Vicmarc ones might not be all that useful in holding bowl blanks at any but the largest size, but I think they could be very useful in holding different-sized spindle blanks!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Haubstadt (Evansville), Indiana
    Posts
    1,294
    I had step jaws and never really liked or used them. They were for my SuperNova2 chuck that I have since sold the chuck and jaws.
    When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    sykesville, maryland
    Posts
    861
    I have a set of tecknatool step jaws. I don't like them. They pretty much stay in the box. They step down for different spigots. To use the smallest setting you have to clear the wider steps unless your piece is small enough to fit inside the next size up. And to use on a mortise, requires a pretty big mortise. Probably OK for bigger bowls, if you like to leave a mortise.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Milwaukee, WI
    Posts
    351
    I have the 3-step jaws for the VM100. Perhaps my problem is that I typically look to make my bowls as wide as possible given my log, reducing the clearance between the lower wall and tenon.

    Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

  7. #7
    Mine are lost in the shop some where collecting dust. The only time I used them, other than after I bought them, was when I needed a bigger recess than what I need for my more standard bowls. Because they step down on the inside, that interferes with working the bottom part of the bowl. I asked this same question on another forum and got the same response.

    robo hippy

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kapolei Hawaii
    Posts
    3,236
    Hmmm... No new posts? I also don't know where my step jaws are. As mentioned, good theory, not good practice. Multiple sized spindles (cylinders) would work, but for bowl turners, no. I was thinking this is the only set I need.
    I think I use them for ballast on the lathe since they probably in the bottom of my parts tool box.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    David,

    I bought the Teknatool step jaws some years ago and after looking at them I have not used them once. I'd give them away but I'd hate inflict them on anyone else.

    JKJ

  10. #10
    Glad to see this post - I was considering buying a set after reading Raffan’s book - he mentions them and has several pictures making them seem useful.
    Maybe I’ll just have to buy a(nother) SN2 instead....can’t ever have enough chucks!
    Tom

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