AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lazurus on June 23, 2020, 12:09:43 PM
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I recently contacted the Tool post as I required some additional jaw carriers (Axminster flavour) for the Versa chuck, Felix tells me there is no stock and no time frame for new stock to various reasons - does anyone know if there are any other distributors of the Versa chuck and accessories?
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I don't think so, as this was Peter's own design.
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Blimey a bit stuffed now as I need some more carriers !!
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You could try fleabay? It's a bit of a long shot, I know.
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Yes I did try the selling sites but to no avail hence my post on here. gues I will have to wait for Felix to get a production run going. They seem to have some issues recently as the last couple of enquiries I have made with the toolpost have been negative?
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Surely wooden copies would do for light duties. Their life expectancy could be extended by regular true ups and super glue reinforcement before use. Got to be worth a try I would have thought.
Brian
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Surely wooden copies would do for light duties. Their life expectancy could be extended by regular true ups and super glue reinforcement before use. Got to be worth a try I would have thought.
Brian
Brian Its the actual jaw carriers i need, i have plenty of jaws and could certaily not fabricate the carriers themselves.
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The carriers have some kind of flat snail thread on them, which (together with a suitable counterpart in the chuck body) enables the scrolling action. Without the right kind of machinery they would be
a) very difficult to make, let alone with any degree of precision and
b) prone to breaking even if made from a really tough wood due to lateral stress put onto the thread when tightening the chuck.
You'd probably be better off trying to train an army of beavers to gnaw the kind fo shape you want.
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But if its a choice between experimenting or throwing the chuck away (chucking a chuck?) I would move heaven and earth to find a way. Thinking outside the box will be called for, of course. For instance a cut off and filed screw or two will, almost certainly, follow the scroll with no precision engineering or circus skills required.
Brian
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I would decide that the Versa chuck was less versatile than it previously was, stick to a limited number of jaw options that I already had carriers for, and go spend some of the money I haven't been spending down the pub on a second chuck...
I have 2 chucks mostly configured with large gripper jaws on one, and dovetail on the other this reduces the amount of time I spend switching jaws, but I would not object to having a third or 4th chuck. ;D
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Have you had a word with your local blacksmith or engineering shop??? Might be an easy job for them
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Hmmmm they seem a tad complicated for a small batch to be financially viable.
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What seems complicated to us isn't to a blacksmith or an engineer! In any case, if you don't ask, you don't know!
I see you're in North Norfolk, so try Buskell Engineering up in Happisburgh and ask for Phil Buskell. Call on 01692 650604.
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But if its a choice between experimenting or throwing the chuck away (chucking a chuck?) I would move heaven and earth to find a way. Thinking outside the box will be called for, of course. For instance a cut off and filed screw or two will, almost certainly, follow the scroll with no precision engineering or circus skills required.
Brian
Yes, a screw will follow the scroll, but in order for the jaws to close to a near circular shape (required to get a good grip), you would have to place those screws with quite some precision. Not an easy job.
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What seems complicated to us isn't to a blacksmith or an engineer! In any case, if you don't ask, you don't know!
I see you're in North Norfolk, so try Buskell Engineering up in Happisburgh and ask for Phil Buskell. Call on 01692 650604.
Very close to me is he a relative?
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Don't know if this is still available or will be of any use... but at £65 it has to be worth a look
https://martins-supplies.co.uk/presta/various-used-workshop-tools/1105-versa-lathe-chuck.html
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That one appears to be a collet chuck of some sort not a scroll chuck, but thanks for looking though ;)
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Lazarus,
I have at least one set of Versachuck carriers for Axminster jaws but not having used the chuck for a few years now, I don’t know which ones they are. Can you let me have the code number off the side and I will see what I have, then you are welcome to them. If you are interested in another Versachuck then I have one for sale.
Dave
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pm SENT Thank you
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You would need a Machinist not a Blacksmith or Engineer. As a one off set though it wouldn’t be cheap.
For anyone interested:
https://youtu.be/sveMC39lpUE
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Lazarus,
I have at least one set of Versachuck carriers for Axminster jaws but not having used the chuck for a few years now, I don’t know which ones they are. Can you let me have the code number off the side and I will see what I have, then you are welcome to them. If you are interested in another Versachuck then I have one for sale.
Dave
Thanks Dave, appreciated.
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You would need a Machinist not a Blacksmith or Engineer. As a one off set though it wouldn’t be cheap.
For anyone interested:
https://youtu.be/sveMC39lpUE
Everyone needs a Stefan near them. I have watched nearly all of his videos he is very precise in all of his work
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I have a couple of these, threaded to suit my two lathes and I just swop over jaws and have therefore great versatility with only two Chuck bodies.
The last body I bought took ages to get, and the set of jaws didn’t really fit very well to both chucks.
The jaw holders are complex, if you see them you will know that a local blacksmith or even a CNC machinist would find them very difficult to make. All four are different too!
Sounds as though Toolpost are not able to supply, can they respond, please?
John
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I think they are made as a single piece and cut into the 4 sections after the scroll thread is cut onto them, probably not that expensive if you are ordering 5000 but prohibitive for one or two.
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As the Versachuck was likely sourced on the open market as a simple four jaw self centring chuck I wonder whether jaws may still be available if you know where to look?
Spare jaws are available for these two. They would need the faces of the jaws machining to suit the wood carriers but much easier than starting from scratch.
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Chucks/Lathe-Chucks/4-Jaw-Self-Centring-Cast-Iron-Lathe-Chucks-Chinese-Origin
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Chucks/Lathe-Chucks/4-Jaw-Self-Centring-Cast-Iron-Lathe-Chucks-Indian-Origin-by-Zither
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I seem to remember the Versachuck being made in India so those Indian links look as though they may be likely.
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The Toolpost still have standard engineering jaws to fit the Versachuck. Handy to have for some jobs?
https://www.toolpost.co.uk/product/engineering-jaws-internal-external-versachuck-8-pc
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Why not just contact Felix and ask him where the jaws came from?
Dave
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Willy Vanhoute in Belguim has the Versa Chuck in his catalogue but not sure if he has the different carrier jaw types.
For those looking for a solution may be worth a contact.
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I see Beaufort Ink have the Verse Chuck and Jaws on there web site, no stock yet but waiting for delivery.
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I have contacted Phil from Beaufort Inks and can confirm that hopefully he will have some replacement stocks of some of the Versa Chuck bits and pieces as he has taken them on as well as some other stuff which the Toolpost did.
So you will have to wait to see what he has as and when it is added to the website
https://www.beaufortink.co.uk/ (https://www.beaufortink.co.uk/)
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Versa chuck now in stock, mine arrived yesterday, well packaged and fast service.
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Thanks for that, very useful information.
Stay safe
John