thanks have ordered one, though other than cost, I still don't know what the
difference between them is.
BRBR

Moggy,
The Vicmarc and Axminster chucks are the real heavy duty chucks, and if you
look at all the different manufacturers' standard jaw designs you'll see that
these two have the beefiest jaws. The dovetail jaws have a wide front surface
in contrast to the Nova or Oneway chuck jaws. This front face is important
because when you're turning a bowl you need to have that wide flat surface
against the shoulder of the tenon you cut to hold in the chuck. This gives the
tenon stablility against side forces that would otherwise cause vibration
and/or dislodge the tenon in the chuck. The larger front surface on the jaws
for this purpose the better, and the Vicmarcs and Axminsters are the widest.
Consider also the key mechanism of these two chucks. While others use either a
drill chuck key or tommy bars, the key operated Vicmarc and Axminsters use a
hex or square drive key which is very positive and never, ever slip. Plus, if
lost they are much less expensive to replace than a drill chuck key.
The Axminsters cost more than the Vicmarcs partially because they have much
more mass. Whatever chuck you decide on, I would definitely go with a
key-operated chuck rather than a tommy-bar model unless you have a locking
spindle. Trying to negotiate two tommy bars and hold the bowl in position at
the same time requires three hands without a spindle lock.
I have seen many professional demo's, and the Vicmarcs and Axminsters keep
showing up, but I can't recall the last time I saw a Oneway or Nova chuck at a
demo.


-Jim Gott-
San Jose, CA