As usual, this is a near final draft of a review that will run in next
months More Woodturning where it will be fully formatted and will
include photos.

Lyn

The Teknatool Titan Chuck

Though the four jaw scroll chuck has been available to woodturners for
only around fifteen years, many have never come to know (or already
have forgotten ) that it was Teknatool, in the form of their Nova chuck,
that was the first to offer this style of chuck for woodturning. Since
its introduction, the four jawed scroll chuck has come to be perceived
by most turners as an essential means of workholding, and several
manufacturers have come onto the scene with their own offerings. One of
the first alternatives came from Oneway, who very closely modelled their
first chuck (right down to the jaw hole size and spacing) on the
original Nova, and another was Axminster who lightly modified a
machinist’s chuck for woodturning. This latter chuck, named the
Axminster Precision chuck, posed the first major break from the original
Teknatool design by being much larger in size, heavier in weight, and
using a one handed key to actuate the jaws, instead of the dual Tommy
bar levers of the Teknatool Nova and original Oneway chucks. Before
long, Oneway introduced the Stronghold, that followed the lead of the
Axminster in offering a heavy, key operated chuck.

Teknatool countered these new developments by coming out with the
SuperNova, a key operated chuck of their own, but unlike the Axminster
and Stronghold, one that remained moderate in size, weight and price.
Since then a plethora of scroll chucks have been introduced, including
both large and small, lever bar and key operated chucks from Vicmark, a
small version of the Stronghold in the Oneway Talon, and a variety of
smaller chucks from Axminster (e.g, the Artisan). What has been missing,
up until now, is a large, heavyweight, uncompromising chuck from Teknatool.

Recently Teknatool filled that gap in its line by bringing forth their
Titan chuck. There is no question that the Titan is a large, heavy, high
capacity chuck, that also falls at the upper end of the price range.
When the Titan and SuperNova sit side by side, the Titan feels and
appears much larger in comparison, than the numbers alone would suggest.


Chuck Teknatool
Titan Teknatool
SuperNova Axminster Precision Oneway Stronghold Vicmark
120
Diameter 5.0 3.875 4 4.5 5.5
Weight ~8.6 ~6.3 ~8.0 8.6
Key Ball Head Hex Notched
Swivel Square Notched Hex

The Titan chuck differs in several ways, besides scale, from the
SuperNova. Though using the same spindle thread inserts of its
predecessors, the insert now comes with a set screw in the hex collar
to allow locking the chuck into a spindle groove, such as appears on the
DVR, Oneway and many other lathe spindles of recent manufacture. The
Titan has a closed back that greatly reduces dust and chips from
contacting the internal gears, although this configuration does make it
more difficult to clean the chuck when the inevitable buildup of
internal dust does occur.

One of the greater differences, in both convenience and design, is that
the Titan has substituted a ball head T handled hex wrench, for the
notched pivoting shaft wrench of the SuperNova. The SuperNova key has
always been one of the major weak points in the SuperNova design, being
awkward and troublesome to properly locate and engage with the internal
gearing. In contrast, the Titan key fits easily and precisely into a
corresponding hex socket, with a ball head that allows for insertion and
use with the handle set at modest angle tangent to the body. This is a
real convenience, and with the addition of the ball end, is even nicer
than the straight sided Vicmark key handle which I have always liked.
The T handle itself is sturdy and quite comfortable to grasp and use.

The Titan jaw slides cover a broader expansion range than the SuperNova,
but the more visible difference is that they are tapped for three screws
per jaw section, as opposed to the more customary two screws found on
the SuperNova and others. This third screw is designed for a new series
of very large jaw sets that Teknatool will be providing for the Titan.
One of which I shall describe shortly. But before describing the new jaw
sets, I want to note that one of the nice things about the new Titan is
that it will accept all the jaw sets that long have been available for
both the Nova and SuperNova series. I find this commendable, and frankly
wonder why most other manufacturers haven’t tried harder to make more of
their jaws sets interchange between their various chucks. By allowing
the existing Nova/SuperNova jaw sets to fit on the Titan, the Titan
arrives on the scene with one of the greatest range of jaws sets
available to it. The new large jaw sets will only increase its range and
capabilities.

The first of the new large jaw sets is a scaled up version of
Teknatool’s Powergrip jaws. The original Powergrip jaws have always been
one of my favorite jaw sets, being large, sturdy and capable of a very
strong grip. The new Titan version simply dwarfs the original. Not only
is the set larger in diameter, but it is also much deeper. They come
drilled for three screws, and have an additional locking groove
established to prevent them from being fitted to the smaller two screw
chuck jaws, which they would overpower. Closed, they are five inches in
diameter, and can open to over 6 inches (all this relative to expansion
mode). These truly are massive jaws (roughly equivalent to the
Stronghold #4 jaws, but deeper), and can provide an impressive grip,
particularly in contraction mode.

I have found my Titan to be unusually smooth in operation, far smoother
than my well used SuperNovas, and a little better than my Oneway Talon.
I did run into a problem when I initially installed the Titan Powergrip
jaws, immediately after which I encountered binding for the first time.
Carefully reinstalling the jaws with the jaw slides fully closed, and
not tightening the jaw screws forcefully, resulted in a return to
smoother operation. I just love the new ball end T handle, and
desperately hope Teknatool can find a way to allow us to retrofit
existing SuperNovas with this style of actuation key. The ball end
allows the hex key to slide right into place, even if the shaft is
mildly off center or not well aligned with the hex socket. Yes, the key
still operates counter clockwise, though this will seem familiar to
Nova/SuperNova users, and many Vicmark users as well.

The Titan chuck and jaws allow for an exceptionally powerful and secure
grip. The combination proves excellent for holding large bowl blanks
during coring, or to hold long blocks of wood for vases and hollow
forms. Many who have always preferred a faceplate for such things (such
as myself), may for the first time find themselves being won over to the
convenience of a scroll chuck, without worrying about loss in holding
power. The large diameter of the jaws can also come in handy for items
like platters, which lend themselves to a large diameter mounting area.
For most other things, the Titan version of the Powergrip jaws are going
to be way too large; for these instances you can instead mount some of
the standard series of Teknatool jaws, such as 45mm spigot or even #2 jaws.

Frankly, most with small and medium sized lathes (say up to 14 inch
swing), will be unlikely to use the full capabilities of the Titan
chuck. Nor will many find the Titan to be a good choice for their only
chuck, as the 5 inch diameter of the Titan can interfere with access to
the headstock side of small scale and miniature turnings. But if you
have a larger lathe (say 18 inch swing and greater), and particularly if
you do larger work, the size, cost, and weight of the Titan are apt to
be found very acceptable in exchange for its secure and wide ranging
grip, and smooth operation. Particularly if you already have one or
more Teknatool chucks, the Titan is an excellent and cost efficient way
to greatly expand you capabilities for larger work, or more specialized
work like coring.

Lynn,

A sincere thank you for all your reviews. It is a real service posting
them here.

Thanks,

Derek