dakota xt650 or xt700

[Bobbins]

Hi Folks.

I'm new to turning, I have a old record lathe and need a chuck for it. I've been researching and reading lots of posts on this forum and have concluded to by a dakota chuck from Rutland. Lots of people recommend the xt700 - for its value for money (currently £69), but not many on here seem to have the xt650 (currently the kit costs £129) - which is slightly smaller at 70mm diameter as opposed to the xt700 at 90mm. The blurb on their website says "This new compact design chuck gives you the turning capacity of a full sized chuck." - is there any truth in this?

Also, the xt650 kit comes with 5 sets of jaws and seems to be really good value - but I'm not 100% sure about the usefulness of these jaws. Would it be better to stick with the xt700 and just buy additional jaws as and when required?

Hope you can help.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The answer is more dependent on what you expect to turn because despite marketing claims, chuck size is commensurate with the capacity of the lathe and the size (and out of true-ness) of work you plan to use.

Do you know the model of the lathe? You say its a Record. Is it MT1 3/4" x 16tpi or MT2 1" x 8tpi?

Both chucks can be accommodated on an MT1 lathe spindle but if you're planning to turn small, delicate spindle work then a fat near 4" chuck will make it more difficult to get tools close in to the business end. The smaller 3" model will allow better access and put less stress on the lathe's bearings.

One things certain, they're both good value for money although the 5 jaw set....you're probably right that many of those will be redundant. The standard 2" jaws are likely to get the most use. Pin jaws can also be useful for smaller spindles or bits n bobs like apple stems. Not sure what else is in that set. My other regular used jaw is a COLE jaw for reversing bowls to turn the chucking point off and finish the bottoms. Also known as button jaws.

 

[Robbo3]

I agree with Bob ↑ ↑ ↑.

The XT650KIT is cracking value for money though, even for a small chuck,
" standard dovetail jaws, large dovetail jaws, pin jaws, stepped jaws, cole jaws and pegs, woodworm screw"

 

[Bobbins]

Thanks for your advice.

The lathe I have is a Record CL5, it has the 3/4 inch 16tpi thread.

I would like to have a go at turning all sorts of things - I'd like to make some bowls and a milking stool. I dream about turning big platters but I know that is ambitious for a total novice so I'll get some experience first. So I'm leaning towards the xt650 - on the assumption that I can experiment a bit with the different jaws - and get some experience. Then maybe get an xt700 later if needed for larger pieces. That said, do you think it's possible to safely turn a milking stool seat (say 12inch diameter) on an xt650 attached to my record cl5? Or similarly a bowl up to 12inch diameter. Or is it pushing the limits?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

xt 650 will easily handle 12" diameter....go for it, the jaw sets are really worth it...great value.

 

[J-G]

+1 for the XT650 Kit - I bought one last Easter and it has been a boon. My max capacity is 7" dia so I can't attest to anything larger but, looking at it as an engineer, I would have no doubt that it could handle as much as your CL5 is capable of.

Whist on the subject though, I would be interested to know if the carriers are the same on the XT700 (somehow I have doubts). If they are the same then the jaws could be used on both which would make the current offer on the XT700 (£70) a very good deal as well.

 

[Dalboy]

Have I missed something I did not know that Record Power had a CL5 lathe

 

[Robbo3]

General rule of thumb for sizing spigots on larger or out of balance work, is 30% of the diameter. Thus if the large dovetail jaws are 4" (guestimate from web photo) that gives you a 12" diameter.
For a platter blank, being fairly thin, the general rule is a spigot of 25% of the diameter allowing a blank of 16".

Dalboy - The CL5-12 was a conventional Record twin round bar lathe with a capacity of 12" Ø x 15".

 

[Bobbins]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice so far, I bought the XT650 Kit and it came last week. So was playing with it this weekend and I noticed that it seems to have a bit of wobble. With the chuck attached to the lathe and running I can see the main body doesn't seem to wobble but the jaws do, as did the wood worm screw - most wobble being visible at the tip of the screw.

I did try taking the jaws off and checking they are seated correctly and in the correct position (1,2,3,4).

Is a bit of wobble acceptable? I'd assume I'd have to ensure my work pieces are always clamped in the jaws in the same position - which sounds like a bit of pain.

Thanks

 

[J-G]

Hi,
Thanks for the advice so far, I bought the XT650 Kit and it came last week. So was playing with it this weekend and I noticed that it seems to have a bit of wobble. With the chuck attached to the lathe and running I can see the main body doesn't seem to wobble but the jaws do, as did the wood worm screw - most wobble being visible at the tip of the screw.

I did try taking the jaws off and checking they are seated correctly and in the correct position (1,2,3,4).

Is a bit of wobble acceptable? I'd assume I'd have to ensure my work pieces are always clamped in the jaws in the same position - which sounds like a bit of pain.

I would never rely on 'repeatability' when re-chucking - with any chuck. If I ever think that I might have to re-chuck a piece I will always mark it with the exact position of jaw number 1, but that is only a best option.

Even a collet chuck won't necessarily grip accurately after being opened and closed on the same piece of material. If I want absolute concentricity after re-mounting I turn between centres.

The 'wobble' you see with the tip of the worm-screw is most likely the fact that the tip must wobble simply because it is a screw.

I've been using the same chuck for nearly 12 months and have nothing but praise for it.

 

[Jummyboy1232]

I brought a Dakota xt650 chuck but sent it back as it felt cheap, nasty and very sloppy