On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:14:48 -0500, "billh"
wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .
Need help again... thanks for the advice before!

I was about to buy the One-way Talon on sale at shopsmith....
$191 including adapter for shopsmith adapter...

Saw the other one-way, the stronghold, there for $249 on sale...

I have a bid in on ebay for a used stronghold, and was wondering if
there was any "downside" to getting what looks like the larger model,
over the Talon..

Shopsmith didn't list jaw size or anything for either chuck, but said
that the Stronghold was larger and had "more mass for shock
absorbtion"..
I translate that as putting up with my clunks and catches....

I know that 2 or 3 folks here recommended the Talon, but any good/bad
opinions of the Stronghold?
thanks,
mac


Real men don't buy kindling, they make it themselves out of exotic
woods, on machines costing thousands of dollars..


The Stronghold is a well-named chuck and is indeed bigger than the Talon. I
think a Stronghold weighs in at about 8 lbs. It is a fine chuck that will
take a lot of abuse. A downside is that it is bigger than the Talon and a
lot of turners will tell you that the smallest chuck that will do the job is
the best one because it hides less of the workpiece so you can work a larger
area. People with smaller lathes will also use up some of their limited
power to spin the heavier Stronghold. Unless you have a big lathe (14"
swing or so) then the Talon is all you should require. In Bill Grumbine's
tremendous new DVD he uses a Talon on his big Poolewood to turn a fairly
good size bowl.
Billh

hmm... the shopsmith claims 16 1/2" swing, but I can't imagine ever
turning anything that big...
of course, until last night, I never thought that I'd turn a bowl out
of firewood and leave exposed bark, either..

Your comments will influence how high I go on the bid, Bill...
If the Stronghold would be better for me than the Talon, my plan was
to bid up to the sale price of the talon for the used stronghold...

Not sure now if I'm willing to go quite so high for it, now..
thanks for the quick reply!