axminster or record chucks??

[slemishwoodcrafts]

I am planning to upgrade my lathe and have settled on the axminster AWVSL1000. I am wondering whether to buy the package deal with the SK100 chuck, jaws, faceplate ring and woodscrew, or buy the lathe itself and get the record sc4 with jaws, faceplate and screw. Either way works out roughly the same price.
Anyone any experience of either chucks and can offer advice?

Cheers

 

[themackay]

I have both cant fault either of them bought the Record at a show £99 on the plus side for the Axminster its made in the uk

 

[stewart]

I have both as well. They are both excellent but for me the Axminster one gets the edge as the jaws can be changed without having to unscrew them from the jaw carriers if you get more jaw carriers. It's not possible to do this on the record so if you want to change jaws you have to unscrew them. I find that after a while the screwheads become a bit rounded and I've got a couple now that are a pita to undo...Of course, extra jaw slides are often nearly the same price as extra jaws...

 

[duncanh]

I have both as well. They are both excellent but for me the Axminster one gets the edge as the jaws can be changed without having to unscrew them from the jaw carriers if you get more jaw carriers. It's not possible to do this on the record so if you want to change jaws you have to unscrew them. I find that after a while the screwheads become a bit rounded and I've got a couple now that are a pita to undo...Of course, extra jaw slides are often nearly the same price as extra jaws...

Our woodturning club seems to prefer the method of using a set of jaw slides for each set of jaws. From watching them get changed a during plenty of demos I'm not convinced it's any faster, and probably quite a bit slower. If you're finding that you're rounding the screw head: make sure that they don't have saw dust in them and that you use a good quality allen key which seats properly in the socket. And when they do start to go just replace them - they're far cheaper than jaw slides. In my 10+ years of turning I've only had an issue with a stuck screw once and that was when I'd just started turning - I'd tightened one of the screws up way more than I needed to.

If you want made in the UK I believe the Sorby chuck also is and the jaws are compatible with the Nova and Record chucks.

 

[woodpig]

I have both as well and echo what others have said, not a lot to choose between them. I bought the record because it was competitively priced and Record make 12" button jaws at a very good price point. Having both chucks gives a very large range of accessory jaws to choose from.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

There is one difference not mentioned in the above posts. The Axy is engineered out of a single block of stainless steel which means it wont rust....ever. I have the Nova which is the model that Record have copied with the SC 3 and 4. It's 4 years old and is pretty rusty. That wont happen with the Axy chucks.

 

[woodpig]

There is one difference not mentioned in the above posts. The Axy is engineered out of a single block of stainless steel which means it wont rust....ever. I have the Nova which is the model that Record have copied with the SC 3 and 4. It's 4 years old and is pretty rusty. That wont happen with the Axy chucks.

I suspect only the main body of the Axminster chuck is stainless. The permanent thread "adaptor" is some kind of blackened metal so I doubt that's stainless. Someone on here's also managed to break two Axminster scrolls and claims they're cast metal of some sort.