My First Chuck?

[sacherjj]

My PSI Turncrafter Pro will be on the front porch when I get home tomorrow. I have been cutting up all that Cherry for sacrifice to the turning gods with slow gouging and skewing. I have some really nice green bowl blanks and wanted to rough turn them for DNA drying. I haven't figured out how to do this with only centers and a face plate. So, as all of you said, I need more stuff.

I am looking for a chuck that is enough quality that I won't regret saving money, but I'm not looking for top of the line. After searching through the posts here, I am thinking about the Grizzly H6265 4 Jaw Wood Chuck. This seems like a good started chuck that is a decent copy of the Vic. Is there a better option to start or should I go with this one?

Also, Grizzly has way too many drill chucks. I don't really understand what I need to mount that into the tail stock. Someone mentioned that I can just use the chuck from my drill press, but they look like they are only $20-30. For that, it wouldn't be worth removing it each time.

Now, the more important question. Should I call in sick to work tomorrow?

[gerti]

Thanks for the bike tips, Joe! I can't comment on the chuck. It looks nice, and not having to deal with tommy bars is a plus. Looking for a low cost chuck myself, additional jaws for my Talon are just way to expensive.

Drill chuck: The tail stock likely has a morse taper with the same size as the headstock. A drill chuck is just pushed in there and holds by friction. Your lathe has a #2MT taper at the headstock, so likely that is also what it has on the tailstock. BTW just in case the manual does not mention it: The live center/drill chuck/whatever comes out of the tailstock if you retract it all the way using the handwheel. I didn't know that, so I used the knockout bar and damaged my live center :-(

Hope that helps.

PS: About calling in sick: A day won't cut it...

[Tom Hintz]

I also am a big fan of the Talon because it is first rate in quality, has great holding power (very important) and comes with the best woodscrew design in the business, a crucial point when spinning a bowl blank in front of your face.
I have a review of th Talon at the link below with photos and more details.
I would spend a few more bucks and get the best. I have had cheaper chucks before the Talon and would not sacrifice the safety of this piece for anything now.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/onwytlonrvu.html

[Jim Boyd]

Tom, have you seen a Griz 6265 chuck?

[wassaw998]

Joe, since you asked about the Grizzy chuck, I have the Grizzly H6265 Chuck - to me it is a very nice chuck at a great price. I've heard it is a mirror copy of a much more expensive Vicmark chuck, that part I can't confirm. I paid $89 for the Griz, looks like it has gone up $10 and is now $99. Frankly, my lathe did not cost me as much as some of these chucks and I could not see at the time putting that kind of money in a chuck so I took a gamble based upon some reviews I read (some of the guys here included) and went with the Grizzly, absolutely ZERO regrets. But I have nothing to compare it to. Try a search on this forum for the H6265, think you'll get some info. I will say I have no intentions of upgrading my chuck so that means I am satisified.

Also, WOOD mag a few years back did a review on one of the PSI chucks and they loved it (Think the model # is no longer avail), so there are always other options to consider.

I also picked up a (don't laugh) HF lathe drill chuck with the proper Morse taper (mine uses #2) for my lathe. Works great and was (of course) priced right, but those are pretty cheap anywhere and to me not worth taking the chuck off your drill press.

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product...1&location=L4S
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/chkdrill.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42340

[sacherjj]

I have no doubt that the Talon is a better chuck. I'm trying to decide if it si twice the chuck. I'm seeing it for $209ish, vs $99.50 for the H6265.

I was also considering getting H6269 jaws for securing larger pieces. I have some 8" diameter by 16 inches pieces that would make a very nice vase or similar. I don't think the stock jaws would have enough to hold that once the tail support is removed for hollowing. Anyone use those jaws?

[Tom Hintz]

Jim,
I have not used the Griz chuck personally.

sacherjj,
I have turned some very large stock in the Talon (standard jaws) and had no problem removing the tailstock after rounding the piece (outside) out. I recently did a bowl from a hunk of an oak tree that my yard sacrificed during an ice storm and had to trim some of the corners with a hand plane to get it to miss the bed so it would turn on my 14" lathe. I rounded it, cut a mortise and hung it on the Talon with the jaws expanded inside the mortise. I used the tailstock until I got the front flat everywhere except where the live center was, then gouged out the interior with it on just the chuck with no problems.

[sacherjj]

I will have a 10% off coupon from Woodcraft, after the last turning class. That would put the price under $200 with tax. Shipping from Grizzly adds on a little, so the difference is less than $100.

Are you using the #2 or the #3 jaws with the large bowl? Do you find the texture in the center of the jaws to be a problem when you want to reverse chuck for finishing?

[jl]

... wanted to rough turn them for DNA drying. I haven't figured out how to do this with only centers and a face plate. So, as all of you said, I need more stuff.

Here is a method to rough turn between centers. It works very well.

http://www.aroundthewoods.com/roughing.shtml

I have used this method quite often. Sometimes though I turn a tenon during the first stage and use the Talon chuck and the live center for hollowing (or chuck alone on small blanks).

If you browse through Darrell's site, you'll notice that he uses glue blocks and face plates for most of his turnings. So maybe you don't need more stuff after all. At least not right away!

His site is full of practical information, including the making of tools. (BTW the Oland tool works very well.)

I hope this helps.

[sacherjj]

Thanks for the info. Man, I made a bunch of shavings tonight. Amy came out and I let her make sawdust out of a piece of green cherry. She seemed to have fun. I also learned that this thing really needs bolted down when trying to swing a large chunk of wet bowl blank. I hooked up my HF router speed control to go lower than 500 RPM. This worked for getting it balanced. I like that method of roughing between centers. I would probably cut a dovetail in the rough, compatible with the size of chuck I'm getting. But I can let a few dry while I wait to get the chuck. This is fun.

[wassaw998]

Joe - noticed you mentioned using the HF speed control on your PSI lathe; does that lathe have a universal motor ?

[sacherjj]

No, it is a small 1/2 induction motor. You don't really get variable speed, but you get variable power. With a big blank that equates to the same thing.

[sacherjj]

The H6265 Chuck came in today. I turned my first ever bowl. Well rough turned it anyway. I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing, but I had fun and made plenty of shavings. It is sitting in some denatured alcohol right now. I think this Grizzly chuck will suit my needs for now.