Need help with chuck

[EdisonWizard]

Just started pipe making and got an Enco 9x20. It came with a small 3 jaw self centering, and a much larger 4 jaw independent chuck. I want to take my predrilled kit and turn the outside of the bowl and shank but I need to use the larger 4 jaw. I already messed up and tried to start shaping the pipe by hand...so it’ll probably be impossible now to get it centered, but I was just curious those that use these chucks how do you go about centering your briar in the independent chuck? I would love something different but money is tight now that I purchased all these tools lol. So it’ll be a WHILE before I can get something else. Unless someone wants to trade something!

But seriously, any advice guys??

[EdisonWizard]

Oh and may I even add, how do I even change the chuck lol the 3 jaw is perfect for stems

[sandahlpipe]

I don’t use an independent jaw chuck. It’s too much fiddling around for me. I prefer to use a 4 jaw self-centering chuck with briar jaws. I had Trent Rudat make mine and it’s excellent. He turned a faceplate that I can use in my 3 jaw chuck without removing it. In my opinion, that’s the ideal setup.


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[EdisonWizard]

I don’t use an independent jaw chuck. It’s too much fiddling around for me. I prefer to use a 4 jaw self-centering chuck with briar jaws. I had Trent Rudat make mine and it’s excellent. He turned a faceplate that I can use in my 3 jaw chuck without removing it. In my opinion, that’s the ideal setup.


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Sounds like the one I saw on Rawkrafted, two jaw SC you can put in a 3 jaw. That’s what I would like to have, but $350 is a little out of my range! Looks worth it though!

[sandahlpipe]

The Rawkrafted one is less than I paid for mine by a pretty wide margin. Just a good self-centering Chuck isn’t cheap. You can make an independent jaw chuck work, just make sure you’re aligning the bottom of the holes, not just the start. When you drill a hole in a board, all you worry about is usually the start of the hole. When drilling a pipe, you need to make sure the whole axis is centered.


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[EdisonWizard]

The Rawkrafted one is less than I paid for mine by a pretty wide margin. Just a good self-centering Chuck isn’t cheap. You can make an independent jaw chuck work, just make sure you’re aligning the bottom of the holes, not just the start. When you drill a hole in a board, all you worry about is usually the start of the hole. When drilling a pipe, you need to make sure the whole axis is centered.


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Talking with another pipe maker on insta, he told me to install my 4 jaw and remove two of them. Ima try that today once I figure out how to remove the chuck. I think ima start stashing some money away for the one from Rawkrafted. That way I can use my 3 jaw for stems etc and then instal his chuck for the briar.

[Massis]

The Rawkrafted one is less than I paid for mine by a pretty wide margin. Just a good self-centering Chuck isn’t cheap. You can make an independent jaw chuck work, just make sure you’re aligning the bottom of the holes, not just the start. When you drill a hole in a board, all you worry about is usually the start of the hole. When drilling a pipe, you need to make sure the whole axis is centered.


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Talking with another pipe maker on insta, he told me to install my 4 jaw and remove two of them. Ima try that today once I figure out how to remove the chuck. I think ima start stashing some money away for the one from Rawkrafted. That way I can use my 3 jaw for stems etc and then instal his chuck for the briar.

while I've seen it done, it's generally a terrible and possibly dangerous idea. The jaws on those things are made for holding rod stock, not unbalanced blocks of wood.

[Jthompson1995]

With your current setup and a pre-drilled kit, I'd suggest chucking a wooden dowel in the 3 jaw and turn it to be a snug fit inside the bowl and/or mortise. Otherwise you'll have a hard time aligning the bowl and shank on the same axis they were drilled on, assuming that's your intention. This is basically making a jam Chuck or pin gauge and registering on the drilled holes.

You'll have to make sure you have long enough cutting tools to reach past the part of the shank or bowl that will be spinning around as you won't be able to cut directly from the tailstock end.

[FJWyver]

I'm an advocate of the removing two jaws from a four jaw and gripping the block that way personally. But I'm using a hefty old lathe thats firmly bedded down. Even so, I've had no problems with vibration or movement from working this way. I find centering and alignment pretty easy with either a live centre in the tailstock, or, if I'm aligning to an airway then a dowel or drill bit held in a chuck in the tailstock and and the headstock brought in to line to match up.
But my approach may just be a result of the tools I have available.. so your results may vary..
That said, I get why people might be dubious about taking two of the jaws out of a four jaw chuck, but, in my brief experience I've not had even the faintest sign of trouble doing so. Still, safety first, and if you're not sure your lathe is up to it then I wouldn't push it..

[cpd2186]

I have one of the Rawkrafted chucks and it works great. With the pins in the chuck, it will keep you on the same axis for your airway and bowl and make alignment very easy.