what is so special about certain chucks?

[seventhdevil]

for years now i've seen some people rave about different makes and told others to even avoid some manufacturers so what makes any of them good or bad???

i've only ever had two different chucks in my 15 years of turning life. the first i ever had was a RS patriot chuck (that thing with the red rubber band around it) all my others have been the old clubman 4" chucks from axminster both new and second hand (i've a few of the 5" goliath size too) but i've not noticed these to be different for better or worse than the other.

these days i see prices rocketing and people still saying the same old stuff about each manufacturer.

are new ones actually better or not?

just curious to see what peoples thoughts are on the subject.

[Derek]

Like you I only have had two makes of chuck one being the Robert Sorby Patriot which I have three of and they have seen good service, the other being a versa chuck again with good service. I think I have enough for my needs so have no need to look for more whether it be one like the existing or possibly a different make.
My look on things are if it does a good job it is for me if it lasts then again it is good for me, I can only recommend these chucks as I have nothing else to compare them with if I thought either rubbish I would say so and also would have kicked them out of the workshop

[John Peachey]

I have only used two makes of chuck - Nova and Axminster. I originally started out with Axminster, because of their in house numbering system. for instance they advertise the lathe with a T04M thread so it was easy to buy the chuck with the corresponding label - useful when starting out. I bought the Nova as it had a set of jaws that Axminster didn't have at the time.

The Axminster chucks are used 98%  of the time, the Nova only occasionally. Which is better? Not sure how I could answer that. They both do the job asked, and are robust. The Nova does irritate me, as it opens/closes with the key in the opposite direction to the Axminster!

I think most of the chucks on the market are of similar quality, and as Derek says, if they were useless they would be out the door! I do agree there is  a lot of rubbish out there about which is the best make. I would if choosing a new stick to the known manufacturers, but would stick to the two makes I currently have, as the cost of jaws seems to be also creeping up

[otterbank]

I have used the Axminster chucks for years. Bought one new and picked up others from eBay.  Over the years I had accrued numerous jaws and thought there was no point in changing to a different make as I had no issues. I did invest in a new SK114 when it first came out and  did think it was an improvement but not a game changer, still happy with the old chicks too.
During lock down I purchased a Vicmarc VM120 and I have to say it is a very nice chuck and I do use it a lot. I doubt I’ll be buying a big selection of jaws for it but if I was to start again I would be very tempted to go all in on the Vicmarc.
My view is they are all perfectly serviceable chucks and they will all see me out.
Michael

[Wood spinner]

My preferred chuck is the Oneway Stronghold Chuck

[Bill21]

Most chucks seem to have their pro’s and con’s. The current Axminster chucks are stainless steel which is a pro. At the last count Axminster also offer twice as many accessory jaws than virtually any other manufacturer. If you have a Sorby, RP SC3 or SC4, a Nova or a Charnwood Nexus then I believe the accessory jaws share the same mount. Unfortunately many of them are just slightly different versions of the same thing. One chuck that I know many folks avoided was the Nova as it tightened the opposite way to all the others - I noticed some time ago that they’ve now given up on this idea and latest versions tighten the same way as other makes! I’ve seen chucks with quick change  jaws but sadly with very few jaw options. Different features appeal to different turners and obviously price is a factor. I’ve had a couple of SK100’s and can’t fault them. I did a while ago buy a little RP SC2 and it’s also a very nice little Chuck but RP don’t make many different jaws for it. My advice is to look closely at the accessory jaws available to see if they suit your needs. Some makes of jaws also seem to be better designed than others. Is there also a locking screw so you can run the lathe in the other direction?

[Twisted Trees]

The chuck itself is just the driver, the important thing is the jaws with some caveats, I started with RS Patriot later added the Nova, then changed lathe so new spindle size caused a refocus. I had been using various chucks at the club, chose Axminster simply because they had a range of jaws that exceeded my perceived needs, I like the swap out carrier method of switching jaws, and the compatibility over years was a good plus.

I have used many different chucks over the years, most I have given little thought to as they had a set of jaws on them and I made a mortice or tenon that fitted used the chuck key to fit to the wood and cut, any failures in the years I have been turning have been my fault not the chucks.

I don't know about the more recent appearance of "cheaper" chuck kits, but if they are well made and grip the work piece then they get the job done.

[Bill21]

A couple of points I missed out. The Axminster and Sorby chucks are made in the UK, so supporting Jobs here. Other makes appear to be made in the US or China. Some chucks are direct threaded, often in M33 x 3.5.
I bought a Chuck that required an insert and found that in use the chuck was not perfectly concentric with the spindle. This may not be an issue if you are turning large bowls etc but is not good if you need to rechuck something like a small box. Vibration can be an issue as well. If I decide to buy another Chuck of any make then it will only be a direct threaded version - M33 in my case.
For some strange reason Australian lathes seem to have a slightly different version of the M33 x 3.5, often called M33 short I believe? It’s a bit of a minefield for newcomers to the hobby isn’t it! 

[seventhdevil]

that's a good point about the inserts.
i think i had forgotten that the old RS chuck was a threaded insert one, but then again it was only a 3/4" 16tpi lathe that i had back then, the SIP 01940.

once i upgraded to the Jet 3520B i started to buy the clubman chucks (one with the lathe) and acquired 3-4 over the years.

not sure i need any more chucks now as i think i have all my jaws mounted on their own chuck body.

[Paul Hannaby]

I started with an Axminster "woodturners" chuck 20-odd years ago and when I upgraded the lathe, I bought a Super Precision chuck, which I think the Toolmex/Bison versions are the best chucks Axminster ever sold.
Since then, Axminster discontinued the line and brought in the Evolution chuck which in my opinion, will never be as good as the Super Precision so I have bought several SP chucks second hand and now have enough to see me out! 

Although none of my chucks are stainless or plated, I have never had a problem with rust on any of them so to me, that one is a bit of a red herring.

Apart from the 4" scroll chucks, I have a collet chuck and a mini 2" chuck which get used occasionally but with a good selection of jaws for the SP chucks, it isn't often I need anything else.

[Bill21]

My current workshop is pretty good at keeping rust inducing humidity quite low. In spite of this though I noticed one of my engineering chucks and a spin indexer stored in a cupboard had some surface rust on them the other day. My previous two garage workshops were not so kind to my tools so a stainless steel chuck is not such an insignificant feature as you suggest. Some chucks are plain steel and will readily rust if not protected. My little RP SC2 is plain steel so I keep it in a clip lock box with some rust preventative paper.  Some chucks like the OneWay and Nova are Nickel plated so obviously rust protection is considered important. With plating though you need to allow for the thickness of the coating during manufacture and it can flake off.

[jay]

    I would agree with  Twisted Trees  about the availability of jaws and accessories . My chucks are all Multistar  both Duplex and Titan  in the two sizes  both inboard and outboard to fit my Canadian General 260 and Graduate . Most important to me has been having originally  (30+ yrs ago ) and obtaining secondhand  a full range of jaws and other accessories   cole jaws ,hollow centres ,various prong drives ,a very good live centre  etc . This has meant that  I have seldom had difficulty in work holding even when I made a living turning at it . An added bonus as far as I am concerned it was all developed and manufactured in the UK when the company was owned by John Lovat  a great engineer who had a continuous QC process that checked each stage of manufacture before progressing to the next stage. This resulted in a very low rejection rate at the final stage 

[seventhdevil]

just realised that i've got a pic of all my chucks on the wall.

don't use the wooden jawed ones but they are there if i need to.

seems i have three goliath chucks one with the 16" jaws and the two to the right with the goliath and mega jaws. the big one gives me something like 7" of grip. very handy for doing big stuff...

[paragon428]

Hi

I am about to start using an |RP300 collet chuck - any advise appreciated.