Nick Hull wrote:
I need a chuck for my AC 12x24 and the only chuck I see on ebay that
I
can afford has NO jaws. Am I a fool to think I can make jaws for a
jawless 3-jaw chuck?

What i was thinking, I could mill & lap & polish 3 blanks to fit into

the jaw grooves, and put them in upside down so the toothless teeth
side
is sticking out. Then I could jam/lock them in place staggered by
shims
and cut the teeth (round, not spiral) in the lathe. Most likely
there
would not be room to fit conventional stepped jaws upside down, but I

could just make 2-piece jaws where I bolt the stepped part on.

Is this possible? How are jaws made originally? Is there any hope
of
finding jaws to fit a jawless chuck? Any help appreciated.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

Yes, I think it is possible to make a set of jaws, but I wonder how
much time and effort it would take. And, what about heat treating them
and doing the final grinding? If you live in some far away place
(Africa?) maybe this makes sense. Otherwise, you can buy a 3 jaw 6"
chuck like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=3862064 064
(I own one of them and it is far, far better than anything I could hope
to make) for less than you can probably buy jaws for a jawless chuck.
Of course if the chuck you are talking about is some expensive chuck in
good condition maybe buying a set of jaws from the manufacturer is
worth the price. MSC lists a set of 3 outside jaws for a Buck 6" chuck
for only $249.24.