Chuck Fail

[VicParticipant @vic]

What happens after a wood turner attempts to clean a chuck. 😄

 

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Have they just put the jaws in at random, or is there scroll breakage?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I have seen many a metal worker do it too when they don’t know the jaws have to go in a certain order or put them in the wrong slots.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Take them out and start again look for numbers on the jaws and the face of the chuck. or unwind and then turn in a bit from the release point and try again – you will get it right in the end and then mark the jaws ! Noel.

[Mick B1]

On Mick B1 Said:

Have they just put the jaws in at random, or is there scroll breakage?

That would be my guess. Many wood turning chucks have well labelled jaws making reinstalling them straightforward.

Two of mine are like this but one just has small dots to distinguish them

[Phil BoylandParticipant @philboyland37326]

Looks perfect for off centre turning

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Console yourself that with just four jaws, you have only about five chances of getting it wrong

(4x3x2) / 4 if my maths is correct (Of the 6 possible arrangements, one will be correct)

If the jaws and chuck body are not numbered, would ikt be worth lining themall up, with the “teeth” showing, so that they can be shuffled around until the Teeth are in the right order, (As you could do with a 3 jaw chuck)

Once sorted, i would then mark the chuck body and the individual jaws, to save pain at any future date.

Howard

[VicParticipant @vic]

Two of my wood turning chucks are clearly marked. The other one I have isn’t, but you can’t remove the chuck jaws (wood turners call them carriages, travelers or carriers 🤣) anyway without taking the chuck apart.

[An OtherParticipant @another21905]

I have two of these chucks – the ‘outer’ sections (held on by the countersunk allen head screws) must be fitted to the correct moving jaw part in the chuck body – the segments are numbered as are the moving jaws. Obviously, the moving jaws must also be in the correct slots – corresponding to the stamping on the chuck body.

The ‘outer’ sections shown are for gripping an internal cavity in the workpiece, and can be changed for pieces designed to grip the exterior of the work, which is why they are removeable – just like the inside and outside jaws of a metalturners 3-jaw or 4 jaw chuck.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Err – How are the jaws adjusted ??  I have a similar chuck which has a coiled spring holding the 4 jaws together towards the centre. The jaws are expanded outwards by screwing the chuck further onto the spindle. The jaws have “dovetail” outside faces which grip onto a “dovetail” recess in the back of the bowl to be turned.

Just as An Other explained…

Bob

[An Other]

On An Other Said:

I have two of these chucks – the ‘outer’ sections (held on by the countersunk allen head screws) must be fitted to the correct moving jaw part in the chuck body – the segments are numbered as are the moving jaws. Obviously, the moving jaws must also be in the correct slots – corresponding to the stamping on the chuck body.

The ‘outer’ sections shown are for gripping an internal cavity in the workpiece, and can be changed for pieces designed to grip the exterior of the work, which is why they are removeable – just like the inside and outside jaws of a metalturners 3-jaw or 4 jaw chuck.

This is incorrect. I have Axminster, Record Power and Nova chucks. It makes no difference which chuck jaw goes into which slot, they just need to be installed in the correct order. Same with the top jaws, it doesn’t matter which chuck jaw each one is attached to, they just need to be attached the correct way. After turning, the top jaw assembly is numbered and then cut into four parts. It just makes things easier for users if manufacturers number everything, but not all do.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

I beg to differ. In precision chucks, the jaws are internally ground after assembly, so it is important they go back into the correct slot. Of course, they can be fitted – in the correct sequence – into any ‘starting’ slot, but accuracy can’t be assured.

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Don’t forget we are talkimg about woodworking chucks here, so ‘high precision’ does not really apply. As Vic says, they just need to be fitted in sequence to ensure they end up concentric, but you obviously need to know which one is 1,2 & 3. Which slot in the body you start from is irrelevant for this application.

Mike

[Kiwi Bloke]

On Kiwi Bloke Said:

I beg to differ. In precision chucks, the jaws are internally ground after assembly, so it is important they go back into the correct slot. Of course, they can be fitted – in the correct sequence – into any ‘starting’ slot, but accuracy can’t be assured.

You can beg as much as you like but we’re talking about wood turning chucks here where most wood turners work to the nearest 1/8”! 😆

It may well be the case for expensive precision chucks but I can assure you that’s not been the case with any of my metal working chucks.

I did read some years ago that it may be worth checking the runout on a three jaw hobby chuck with the jaws in different positions to see if it showed any improvement. I did this on one of mine and the difference was marginal but I did put a centre punch mark on the body for the number one jaw. We’re only talking about .001” or so, so not really much difference for what I do. I use a collet chuck for most jobs if I can.

[VicParticipant @vic]

For those not familiar with wood turning chucks, these are the jaws from one of the more popular chucks on the market. More than adequate for the job but hardly what most might term precision?

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I’ve not seen any chucks of this type, but going by a normal 3 jaw chuck, I would think if you moved the two on the right hand side, to the left hand side of the two that are on the left hand side in Vic’s photo above, you would then have them in the right sequence, and put them in that order starting with the one at the new left hand side.

Regards Nick.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

It helps too, actually to ensure the scroll really does pick up the first “tooth” on the jaw…

Many’s the time when changing between external and internal jaws I’ve had to take them all out and start again. I do it now by carefully feeling each jaw drop into the start of the scroll – oh, and number-for-number.

[An OtherParticipant @another21905]

Vic – quote “This is incorrect……”

Why do you assume everyone has the same chucks as you? It is a fact that if I put the wrong jaw in the wrong place (they are numbered on my chucks), then they are misaligned. Also if the outer pieces (internal or external grip) must similarly be mounted on the correct jaw (also numbered), otherwise they are misaligned.

If you can think of any other reason for numbering each jaw/piece uniquely, then please tell us.

 

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Why is everyone so upset?

Vic posts a random woodchuck pic for the entertainment of the forum.

And then the sky falls in.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Sounds like the Internet to Me.

[An Other]

On An Other Said:

Vic – quote “This is incorrect……”

Why do you assume everyone has the same chucks as you? It is a fact that if I put the wrong jaw in the wrong place (they are numbered on my chucks), then they are misaligned. Also if the outer pieces (internal or external grip) must similarly be mounted on the correct jaw (also numbered), otherwise they are misaligned.

If you can think of any other reason for numbering each jaw/piece uniquely, then please tell us.

 

I have three different makes of wood turning chucks and I can place the number one jaw in any slot provided the others are placed in the correct sequence. Same with the top or accessory jaws, these just need to be mounted in the correct order.

As I’ve already stated, some chucks are NOT numbered.

My Axminster chuck has numbering on the chuck body, chuck jaws and top jaws.
My Record Power chuck body is not numbered, only the chuck and top jaws are numbered.
My Nova chuck only has numbering on the top jaws.

As I’ve already said, I suspect that Axminster have numbered everything on their chucks to make it easier for users? Other manufacturers don’t seem to bother.

 

“Why is everyone so upset?

Vic posts a random woodchuck pic for the entertainment of the forum.

And then the sky falls in.”

I don’t know either, it was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek until “an other” started talking about precision chucks?!

 

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Don’t have a woodturning lathe (Have very occasionally turned wood in a metal working lathe) and suspect that “precision” is a slightly less exacting task where woodturning is concerned than with metal, where the limts might be a lot tighter.

Can’t imagine trying to turn wood to within a thou, but might be wrong

(Metal doesn’t seem to change size with humidity in the same way that wood does)

The makers and erectors of Cormish beam engines probably considered 1/16 of an inch to be precision, where in modern fuel injection, a lapped fit would merit the same description.

Howard

[An OtherParticipant @another21905]

Vic – Quote “I don’t know either, it was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek until “an other” started talking about precision chucks?!”

I also took it with tongue in cheek, and my post was simply to provide a bit of extra information for those interested, only to be told I was wrong. You are very lucky to have three wood-turning chucks – I hope they bring you great pleasure, as mine does when I have time to use it – but mine is made in New Zealand, and has no name on it, so all I wanted to do was offer my experience for others to use as they see fit – instead, I am accused of providing ‘incorrect’ information, then of describing a “precision” chuck, which I have not done in any of my posts – my chuck is stamped with numbers, so I described that – I assume for a purpose.

I joined this forum to share information, but am fed up with having to read and re-read any posts I make in case I tread on anyones over-sensitive toes inadvertently, which seems impossible to avoid. Goodbye.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I think mark costello 1 summed it up nicely

Sounds like the Internet to Me.

If the Internet does this to rational grown-ups … just think what it must be doing to the children.

[ My comment might get censored as ‘Political’ but I feel obliged to include it. ]

MichaelG.

[An Other]

On An Other Said:

 

I joined this forum to share information, but am fed up with having to read and re-read any posts I make

in case I tread on anyones over-sensitive toes inadvertently, which seems impossible to avoid. Goodbye.

It would be a pity to lose you. Why not stay and ignore the more sensitive? I felt exactly this way when I joined (perhaps it’s just this site’s way of sounding you out. You are not obliged to justify yourself.)

dave8

[Author]

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