Remember metal lathe and mill chucks are made for metal.
Wood chucks are tight fitting. Dust and splinters /fiber
will get into the metal chucks and foil the gears on the jaws.

Cleaning of the chucks fixes that, just keep it in mind.

Martin

On 2/3/2012 3:06 AM, Stuart wrote:
In article ,
coffelt2 wrote:
Sure, there were lots of metal working chucks that would certainly
fill the bill, but are terribly expensive

I wonder if you were looking in the right place?

http://littlemachineshop.com/

are a company highly regarded in hobbyist machinists circles, though you
don't say what size you are looking for. In my experience chucks for
woodwork can be quite pricey too

(and some required machine shop work to make adapter plates to fit my
lathe).

That could well be true but a request on

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x12minilathe/

would probably find someone who do the work for you. LMS do stock a range
of readymade adapters if you know the fitting

http://littlemachineshop.com/info/spindles.php