I am looking for an inexpensive chuck for my daughter's Jet mini
lathe (a christmas present). Woodturners Catalog has a economy chuck
for $100 or so. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any other
chucks that I amy want to consider?

Also any ideas for good simple lathe projects for a 8yo girl or lathe
books/websites for kids?

Calvin W. Brodie
Washington State, USA

Cal,

If you're going to spend $100 on a cheap chuck, I'd feel better (and
it's not my daughter!) if you got a reputable chuck; a good one. If it
costs more money, leave out a few stocking stuffers. I'm not saying
the one you're asking about isn't good, I am not familiar with it, but
this accessory is going to hold that chunk of wood from flying and it's
a very important accessory.

As to projects for kids, there are a lot of fun things in Raffan's
Turning Projects. However, if she's old enough to start turning,
what's wrong with pens (like DJ's daughter, Rebecca), or bowls or
mushrooms (tops, of course), and just about anything small that we all
turn.

I just love it when young kids get interested in turning. They are a
joy to teach because they do not pretend to know it all already.......at
least not until they turn 13!

Have fun playing along with your daughter!

Ruth

Woodturners Logo
My shop and Turnings at
http://www.torne-lignum.com

Calvin,

You should check out the Nova Compac chuck at Woodcraft. Its about $80 and
is a good chuck, just a bit limited in capacity. It uses two Tommy bars for
tightening. I have one and it is a very good chuck for the money.

Barry


"Cal Brodie" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for an inexpensive chuck for my daughter's Jet mini
lathe (a christmas present). Woodturners Catalog has a economy chuck
for $100 or so. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any other
chucks that I amy want to consider?

Also any ideas for good simple lathe projects for a 8yo girl or lathe
books/websites for kids?

Calvin W. Brodie
Washington State, USA

Hi Cal,
I have used a cheap chuck before I got my Oneway Stronghold and yes, it did
work but I tightened the devil out of it. For your daughter I, like Ruth,
think that something a bit more along the lines of a quality chuck providing
a better margin of safety is necessary.
I suggest for your Jet Mini looking at the Oneway Talon. It has a key
tightening mechanism which provides a mechanical advantage in tightening
compared to the tommy bar method.
The link below is for a Canadian site that has very good prices on Oneway
stuff and with the exchange rate it may not be way more expensive than the
$100 chuck. They are on Vancouver Island just across the water from
Washington as you very likely know.

http://www.islandwoodcraft.ca/

Billh

"Cal Brodie" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for an inexpensive chuck for my daughter's Jet mini
lathe (a christmas present). Woodturners Catalog has a economy chuck
for $100 or so. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any other
chucks that I amy want to consider?

Also any ideas for good simple lathe projects for a 8yo girl or lathe
books/websites for kids?

Calvin W. Brodie
Washington State, USA

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 18:38:04 -0500 (EST), (Ruth) wrote:


If you're going to spend $100 on a cheap chuck, I'd feel better (and
it's not my daughter!) if you got a reputable chuck; a good one. If it
costs more money, leave out a few stocking stuffers. I'm not saying
the one you're asking about isn't good, I am not familiar with it, but
this accessory is going to hold that chunk of wood from flying and it's
a very important accessory.

Ditto. A good chuck is the second most expensive single accessory for a lathe. Like Ruth, I have no experience with that chuck you
are refering too, but I have used a Nova Compac chuck (approx $79US) and returned it within one hour. Totally unsatisfied with it.
Consider at least a standard Nova chuck (I have one and actually like it better than the SuperNova....which I sold).

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com

I did not know any better. When I started I did not want to spend $250.00 -
400.00 CAD to find out that I like woodturning or not. So, I bought an
economy chuck at $65.00 CAD.
I have used it for about 10-12 months. My comments are as follows:
1) The use of levers is awkward and it should be done with a single drive
Allen key instead.
2) When doing the inside of a 10" X 5" wet red oak a deeper tenon is
required. Re-tightening is often required with large and heavy wet blanks.
3) When finishing dried blanks the tenon left of the blanks before drying
have to be trued
and the anchorseal removed to provide an adequate concentric gripping
surface.
4) It weighs about 6 pounds!
5) It come in size of 1" X 8 TPI and 3/4" X 16 TPI. No adapter is needed
for my lathe.

When at the Moncton (NB) Woodworking show last week I learned that when
purchasing known brands of chuck an adapter is needed. This adds to the
cost. The accumulation of machining tolerances is increased by the addition
of the adapter.

I soon learned that the use of face plates and glue blocks give me good
results without the use of a scroll chuck. However I would like to
experiment with these original designed chucks.


"Peter Teubel" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 18:38:04 -0500 (EST), (Ruth) wrote:


If you're going to spend $100 on a cheap chuck, I'd feel better (and
it's not my daughter!) if you got a reputable chuck; a good one. If it
costs more money, leave out a few stocking stuffers. I'm not saying
the one you're asking about isn't good, I am not familiar with it, but
this accessory is going to hold that chunk of wood from flying and it's
a very important accessory.

Ditto. A good chuck is the second most expensive single accessory for a
lathe. Like Ruth, I have no experience with that chuck you
are refering too, but I have used a Nova Compac chuck (approx $79US) and r
eturned it within one hour. Totally unsatisfied with it.
Consider at least a standard Nova chuck (I have one and actually like it
better than the SuperNova....which I sold).

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com

Do you ever watch "The Router Workshop" which is a Canadian show, on PBS
down here? They demonstrate over and over again how to loosen and tighten
two handles with one hand. With the standard Nova you get a pin spanner and
a bar, which is a bit different, but entirely useable.

I prefer a dovetail recess and my tailstock for open face turning. Tenons
are for endgrain orientation around my house. Peek at
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeorge/index.html for a nice and safe way to
work. Kids up at school may catch, but don't lose blanks, and they're out
of the disintegration zone, too.

Leave the hole you used to mount the pin chuck or jaws on a pillar. That
way you run the 1" bit down for the pin, or grab inside with the jaws to
retrue the bottom. Once again, your tailstock helps you until your blank is
more stable and true. Dry is the same procedure as wet until the last.

I'm too impatient to wait for glue, I guess, either that, or spoiled by the
ease of a chuck. I use faceplates for jam chucks, and that's about it.

"Denis Marier" wrote in message
...
I did not know any better. When I started I did not want to spend
$250.00 -
400.00 CAD to find out that I like woodturning or not. So, I bought an
economy chuck at $65.00 CAD.
I have used it for about 10-12 months. My comments are as follows:
1) The use of levers is awkward and it should be done with a single drive
Allen key instead.
2) When doing the inside of a 10" X 5" wet red oak a deeper tenon is
required. Re-tightening is often required with large and heavy wet
blanks.
3) When finishing dried blanks the tenon left of the blanks before drying
have to be trued
and the anchorseal removed to provide an adequate concentric gripping
surface.
4) It weighs about 6 pounds!
5) It come in size of 1" X 8 TPI and 3/4" X 16 TPI. No adapter is needed
for my lathe.

When at the Moncton (NB) Woodworking show last week I learned that when
purchasing known brands of chuck an adapter is needed. This adds to the
cost. The accumulation of machining tolerances is increased by the
addition
of the adapter.

I soon learned that the use of face plates and glue blocks give me good
results without the use of a scroll chuck. However I would like to
experiment with these original designed chucks.

Thanks for introducing me to the pin chuck. I have added this site to my
favorites list.
I like the idea of the pin chuck and I will get or make one.

I read: "It is just a 1" cylinder of steel with a flat filed on it
approximately 1/8" deep.
Is the 1" cylinder of steel solid or is it a heavy wall cylinder? The flat
is 1/8" deep on the cylinder and the brass welding rod is 1/8" OD. Would a
larger OD cylinder and rod alter it performance. I am visualizing the use
of a MT 2 machined to a 1" OD pin. It may not be a good idea?
I am also anxious to get the glue to harden. Today, in my garage shop the
temperature is 40-47F so it not bad for the hot melting glue to sets in.
While I am waiting for the hot glue to be ready I work on furniture making.

"George" wrote in message
...
Do you ever watch "The Router Workshop" which is a Canadian show, on PBS
down here? They demonstrate over and over again how to loosen and tighten
two handles with one hand. With the standard Nova you get a pin spanner
and
a bar, which is a bit different, but entirely useable.

I prefer a dovetail recess and my tailstock for open face turning. Tenons
are for endgrain orientation around my house. Peek at
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeorge/index.html for a nice and safe way
to
work. Kids up at school may catch, but don't lose blanks, and they're out
of the disintegration zone, too.

Leave the hole you used to mount the pin chuck or jaws on a pillar. That
way you run the 1" bit down for the pin, or grab inside with the jaws to
retrue the bottom. Once again, your tailstock helps you until your blank
is
more stable and true. Dry is the same procedure as wet until the last.

I'm too impatient to wait for glue, I guess, either that, or spoiled by
the
ease of a chuck. I use faceplates for jam chucks, and that's about it.

"Denis Marier" wrote in message
...
I did not know any better. When I started I did not want to spend
$250.00 -
400.00 CAD to find out that I like woodturning or not. So, I bought an
economy chuck at $65.00 CAD.
I have used it for about 10-12 months. My comments are as follows:
1) The use of levers is awkward and it should be done with a single
drive
Allen key instead.
2) When doing the inside of a 10" X 5" wet red oak a deeper tenon is
required. Re-tightening is often required with large and heavy wet
blanks.
3) When finishing dried blanks the tenon left of the blanks before
drying
have to be trued
and the anchorseal removed to provide an adequate concentric gripping
surface.
4) It weighs about 6 pounds!
5) It come in size of 1" X 8 TPI and 3/4" X 16 TPI. No adapter is
needed
for my lathe.

When at the Moncton (NB) Woodworking show last week I learned that when
purchasing known brands of chuck an adapter is needed. This adds to the
cost. The accumulation of machining tolerances is increased by the
addition
of the adapter.

I soon learned that the use of face plates and glue blocks give me good
results without the use of a scroll chuck. However I would like to
experiment with these original designed chucks.

Solid cylinder, and any machinist will recognize what a pin chuck is. It's
a standard in metalworking. Reason I went to brass is that means I _know_ I
can't find it with a magnet, and I don't waste time, but just cut a new roll
pin.

Later this week, emergencies permitting, I'll pop up some pictures I took
with the pin jaws versus the pin chuck.

"Denis Marier" wrote in message
...
Thanks for introducing me to the pin chuck. I have added this site to my
favorites list.
I like the idea of the pin chuck and I will get or make one.

Before going any further check out Grizzly's chuck. It is a very decent
piece of machinery for $36.

"Cal Brodie" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for an inexpensive chuck for my daughter's Jet mini
lathe (a christmas present). Woodturners Catalog has a economy chuck
for $100 or so. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any other
chucks that I amy want to consider?

Also any ideas for good simple lathe projects for a 8yo girl or lathe
books/websites for kids?

Calvin W. Brodie
Washington State, USA

Thanks for all the responses. I feel properly scolded for trying to be too
cheap.

As well as safety, another argument to getting a better chuck is the ability to
get the threaded insert for my lathe so that I can also use it. Are the pieces
for the Oneway Talon and the Stronghold chuck interchangable, or do I end up
with two chucking systems?

Cal

The Talon and Stronghold pieces are not compatible. I believe the Talon and
the older plain Oneway chuck that uses tommy bars to tighten the workpiece
have common jaws and insert.
Billh

"Calvin W. Brodie" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the responses. I feel properly scolded for trying to be
too
cheap.

As well as safety, another argument to getting a better chuck is the
ability to
get the threaded insert for my lathe so that I can also use it. Are the
pieces
for the Oneway Talon and the Stronghold chuck interchangable, or do I end
up
with two chucking systems?

Cal