scroll chuck

[amgine777]

hi, first time i've ever written to/in a forum so apologies in advance if i've done anything wrong.
i bought a record DML36SH second hand. great fun but all that came with it was a 2 pronged chuck. i have watched hours of video of woodturning on you tube and have decided i want a scroll chuck but i am totally bamboozled by all the sales patter. in my "very inexperienced opinion" it seems that the supernova 2 is the one to buy but i would be very grateful for any advice. potentially an expensive purchase so would prefer to get it right.
thank you
john

 

[CHJ]

Welcome to the forum John, yes they are rather an expensive purchase but worth their weight in gold on the convenience stakes.
One of the main things to consider with any brand of chuck is the availability of adapter jaws to fit the chucks carriers. Not all makes are interchanable and it can be frustrating if at a later date you decide your turning needs want a jaw configuration that is not available.

Having said that there are several brands that are compatible with the Nova.
Another option is the Versa chuck which has a range of different carries (at extra cost I think) that suit the different brand jaws.
The Axminster 80, 100 and 125mm chucks all have the same jaw carrier fitting so the whole range of axminster jaws are available for selection.

 

[amgine777]

thank you for the advice. and the speed of the reply. i'm pretty sure the supernova 2 is a very good chuck but maybe it is just advertised better than the rest. think i shall investigate a bit more before i purchase.

john

 

[myturn]

John, I've had Versachuck, Nova G3, Vicmarc VM100 and 3 Patriots and out of them all I prefer the Patriot. A friend bought the Dakota but I gave him a Patriot which he now uses all the time in preference as he says it is more accurate and so much better.

The Patriot is not too bulky but is very strong very well made, and the jaws don't need to go in in any particular numbered slot. It will take all the Nova jaws as well. They also come with inserts to adapt to just about any make of lathe and you can get it direct-threaded for the larger spindle sizes.

The Vicmarc is my second favourite but its jaws are not compatible with any of the others I have and it takes different jaw attachment screws as well. A bit inconvenient.

Next comes the G3 which is not so heavy-duty as the others but is also well made. I have sold mine (I had two as I did like them) because they didn't fit my new lathe.

The Versachuck I returned as I found the manufacturing quality very poor and the jaws wouldn't close evenly no matter what order I put them on in. It also had more than an acceptable amount of runout. And if you want to use it on a large headstock spindle (i.e. M33) you need an exsert which makes it protrude almost its own length again.

Hope that helps, it's a minefield choosing a chuck I know.

The best of the small ones is the G3 if you want a slightly cheaper one in my view.