stone wrote:
Is there any great technique for using this sort of beast?

My four jaw chuck has each jaw adjusted separately.
(maybe they're all this way)

But, what I did was turn each jaw out until I thought
they were flush; then I adjusted each jaw symetrically.

Then I spun the thing(by hand), and gauged how close the piece was
to a tool bit, and tweeked from there until it was pretty
much in the center of the jaw.

Is this it?

Or is there a much better way?


Thanks.

As others have said, that's the way its done.
I've found the quickest way is to use two chuck keys - each one on
opposite jaws. This allows you to easily keep the jaws in contact with
the work piece at all times. If you don't have a 2nd key, make one. You
won't regret it.

Use the 'eyeball' method to get the piece pretty central, then use a dti
to make it as accurate as you like. Work on the jaws that are
horizontally opposed and use both keys to move the piece to halve the
dti error when you turn the chuck through 180 degrees. You can ignore
any wobble caused by the other 2 jaws. When you are happy with the 1st 2
jaws, turn the chuck through 90 degrees and do the same with the 2nd
two. Repeat until you are happy.

--

Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)