Is this a good chuck

[Duncan L]

Hi, I have an Arundel J4 Senior with an M30x3.5 inbound headstock thread. I have been looking at this chuck and just wondered if they are any good? Record seem to get good reviews, but thought i would check with you guys first. Many thanks in advance.
https://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/re...ckage-with-chuck-adapter-m30-x-35-rh-2085.php

 

[Richard_C]

I have an SC4 and it's fine. Big heavy and solid. The package deal gets you useful things, faceplate and screw chuck if I recall, plus the standard 50 mm jaws which are good for many things. I've gone up to 12 inch bowls and platters with no worries.

Depending on the things you want to make you might want smaller (or bigger if you want to turn big lumpy out of balance stuff) before too long. My most used ones are 35mm because I often make smallish bowls and the smaller recess or tenon looks better to me. RP sometimes do deals with more jaws so perhaps look on their website first but nothing at all wrong with the one you are looking at.

Nova have a good reputation, never had one, but I see that Turners Retreat have offers on packages.

 

[Duncan L]

I have an SC4 and it's fine. Big heavy and solid. The package deal gets you useful things, faceplate and screw chuck if I recall, plus the standard 50 mm jaws which are good for many things. I've gone up to 12 inch bowls and platters with no worries.

Depending on the things you want to make you might want smaller (or bigger if you want to turn big lumpy out of balance stuff) before too long. My most used ones are 35mm because I often make smallish bowls and the smaller recess or tenon looks better to me. RP sometimes do deals with more jaws so perhaps look on their website first but nothing at all wrong with the one you are looking at.

Nova have a good reputation, never had one, but I see that Turners Retreat have offers on packages.

Thanks Richard, that’s a very detailed and helpful response. Am I correct in thinking I can buy different size jaws for the same Chuck? ie: could I buy a set of 35mm as for the Record chuck? Thanks

 

[Richard_C]

Yes, you can fit a whole range of jaws. RP do 2 series of chucks. SC1 & 2, SC3 & 4. Jaws are interchangeable within but not between series, so if you get an SC4 any jaws that fit SC3 or 4 are fine.

Have a look on this page of their website:



https://www.recordpower.co.uk/category/chucking-systems-jaws--spares

You could spend ££££, so I suggest start out with what comes with your kit then later think what / if you need next depending on what you enjoy making.

 

[Sachakins]

I've got 1 SC4, 2 SC3 and 1 SC1.
The SC3 are a lot lighter than the SC4, and the SC1 is smaller and great for smaller stuff, light pulls, sub 4" size bowls etc.

The SC4 is my goto for big bowls, up to 500mm dia and out of balance and off centre bowls.

I have each chuck with different jaws and one with Cole jaws permanently on, lot easy and faster to change chuck over than change jaws.

Had the SC4 about 4 years from new, the SC3's had about 2 years, but got them used so reckon there about 5 or 6 years old. SC1 about 2 years.
Never let me down and still as good as new. All M33 x 3.5 direct threaded, but have a m33 to 3/4"x16tpi insert too, so I can use on my coronet herald or my small SIP lathe. All great on the coronet herald, but find the SC4 a bit too heavy on the smaller 3/4" x 16tpi SIP lathe.

Highly recommend them all.

 

[TRITON]

I think I've the SC2. Not sure because I got it yonks ago and tbh I think it might have been called something else at that time but its about 65mm in diameter.

Only used it a few times but its certainly good enough for me. Maybe a prolific turner as opposed to a furniture maker or occasional turner might recommend a larger chuck, but more often than not they have bigger more robust lathes.
A small chuck like the SC2 or SC1 isnt going to put any degree of strain on a small lathes bearings.

£65 and any saving over the bigger you can spend on jaws.

 

[Richard_C]

The OP has M30 thread, not M33. I agree that the SC3 is enough for most needs, I have acquired the 2,3 and 4 over the years, starting with the 3, but I doubt you can get it with M30 as they are all direct threaded, hence the SC4 with insert. For a small chuck it would probably have to be the SC1 with insert for the same reason. The RP website will be the best place to check what comes with which thread.

 

[Duncan A]

The SC4 is a fine chuck, with a wide range of inserts for future compatibility and with jaws that are compatible with Nova 2 variants and Robert Sorby Patriot as well as one of the Charnwood models (I forget which one).
However, the latest Novas are also good chucks at a very good price right now: https://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/pro-tek-supernova2-chuck-bundle/p4353.
Duncan

 

[Richard_C]

That Nova deal looks very good value. No faceplate, which the RP package has, but no issue if you already have a direct fit faceplate. Additional 2 sets of large jaws which the RP doesn't have, if I wasnt already fully equipped I would probably go for it. The only thing you might want in future is a set of smaller jaws, but you might want that with the Nova or the RP.

 

[cmoops2]

As Duncan A points out, jaws for the Record SC4, Nova G3, Supernova, Sorby Patriot and the Charnwood Nexus 3R are all interchangeable with each other. I settled on the NOVA chucks but my range of jaws comes from all of the mentioned makes.
Some manufacturers (Axminster and Vicmarc) have configureed their chucks toonly accept their own jaw ranges, which, in my opinion, limits their versatility ...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Versachuck and Axminster with the same slides are interchangeable.