pipemakersforum.com

Hi,

Looking for an opinion or some advice on a new chuck for my Delta Midi lathe.

I'm looking at the following setups:

Teknatool Precision Midi with either the 30mm or 45 mm Spigot jaws
OR
Oneway Basic Chuck

Are these two comparable to each other? The Teknatool chuck (and extra set of jaws) is less expensive and I'm all for saving a few bucks here and there. If it's not going to make a difference, then brand name means nothing to me.

As far as the Teknatool chuck goes, which set of jaws should I opt for? Will the spigot jaws appropriate for holding blocks of briar?

As for other recommendations, I'm really just trying to decide between these two. I don't have the money to spend on anything but a basic chuck setup right now.

Thanks for any help!

The spigot jaws are designed for holding round stock, or for inserting into deep mortises like on lamps and such. If you're using them to drill/shape rod stock, those are the jaws you want to use.

For securing briar you want to use #2 profile jaws or #2 tower jaws, or the equivelant from other manufacturers. These two jaws are what Oneway calls them. I know teknatool has a similar set of jaws.

The spigot jaws are very narrow, and will not grip a block securely enough to drill a 3/4" hole. They're also smooth on the inside, so they won't grip with any teeth or anything.

I know there is probably a part time pipe maker out there that has drilled a block using spigot jaws and claims it's the only way to go, but unless you *like* having blocks of briar launched past your forehead, I suggest you save up and get a set of #2 jaws for your chuck.

On the other hand, if you do a lot of work with vulcanite rod stock, or even molded stems, you're going to want some spigot jaws to hold that stuff. Each set has it's own purpose. I have two chucks, one with #2 Tower jaws, and one with #1 Spigot jaws. That way I don't have to change jaws - which is a major pain.

Hmmm, the spigot jaws were the only ones I saw that had a profile internally. I didn't see another jaw set from Teknatool that looked like it could hold the briar securely (fitting the Precision Midi chuck).

From their website, can you identify which jaws would be appropriate?

http://www.teknatool.com/products/Chuck ... /Index.htm

Maybe I'll have to spend the extra money with the Oneway.

Ahhh... Hold on. As is the case in any industry, Teknatool uses the word "spigot" to describe something completely different than another manufacturer. The 45mm spigot jaws are what you want to hold briar. Get the Pin Jaws to hold rod stock.

As you can see here:
http://www.oneway.ca/chucks/accessories/spigot_jaws.htm
Oneway's "spigot" jaws are in no way designed to hold blocks of briar.

OH, that's good to know. Although, after looking into the prices a bit more the difference isn't as great as I thought. I was comparing one site which listed the prices in Canadian dollars to another site with prices in US. Shouldn't be a difference now that our dollar has reached the US buck...but the Canadian retailers have yet to adjust their prices. Just means I'll be ordering from the states.

It now looks like I could buy the Oneway basic chuck body plus a set of Tower jaws for just a little bit more than the Teknatool chuck and spigot jaws.

Hi Bryan and Kurt. I am new to this forum. I have been carving pipes for a few years as a hobby. I have been turning wood for many years. This thread caught my interest because I just took a photo of my Oneway Talon Chuck with my Oneway Spigot Jaws installed. I also make tampers. This photo shows the end of tamper that a turn out of aluminum, then epoxy into a block of acrylic, which I then turn the tamper from. This photo should give you an idea of what Oneway's Spigot Jaws look like. I use the Talon on a Jet Mini Lathe. I love My Oneway chuck. Best four jaw chuck I have ever used. I also have a Oneway Live Center in the Jet's tailpiece. I hope you find the photo interesting:

http://photologicdesign.com/forum/tampend.png

Bill

That's the exact setup I use, Bill. I love the Oneway chuck.

Did you actually turn the aluminum on a wood lathe? If so, what tools did you use, and how did you manage it? I've never tried to cut aluminum on m wood lathe. I just assumed it would get really squirrelly.

To anybody reading this that is new to turning on a wood lathe, Do Not try to turn aluminum on your lathe!

Kurt- Yes, I turn it on my Jet Mini lathe. I use 1/2" round aluminum stock. I run the lathe at 1240 rpm. I remove the bulk of the aluminum with a very sharp 1/2" straight skew chisel. I peel away ribbons of aluminum. I clean things up a bit with a 1/8" parting tool. The grooves on the tenon are cut with the tip of the skew chisel. I square the end up with the skew chisel, again cutting ribbons of aluminum off. These are the only chisels I use to do this. DO NOT try using a gouge!! I never try to make scrapping cuts with the skew. I use the sharp edge of the skew to cut the aluminum. I finish by cleaning it up with a gray Scotch Brite pad while it's turning. I don't know if I could turn aluminum this way with anymore detail. The tamper ends are pretty basic. Here is a link to a photo of a finished tamper:

http://photologicdesign.com/forum/tamp1.png

Bill

I really like my OneWay chucks. I have 2 of 'em. One with the #1 spigot jaws and the other is set up with custom made jaws for stummel work. Good stuff.

I used a Nova Precision Midi Chuck with the standard set of spigot jaws when I started pipemaking but it didn't work very well. The size of block I could clamp in the chuck was severely limited. Been a while but if I remember right the Midi wouldn't handle any block 1-1/2" or larger. Switched to a Oneway Talon and it works much better. It will handle a greater range of block sizes and has more clamping power than the Nova Midi.(I had a couple blocks fly at my head out of the Nova ) IMO, the Oneway is more suitable.

I tried using the regular Oneway #2 profile jaws a few times (they came with the chuck). It just looked like there wasn't much bite and the block could go flying at any moment... I just didn't feel all that safe using them.

Then I got the #2 profile tower jaws - MUCH better at holding blocks. It has another inch or so of depth which adds a lot gripping surface to grab the block with.

I've never used anything but the standard #2 profiled jaws. Haven't had a block fly out yet. Even the one I took the shank off with my knuckles while spinning on the lathe didn't move the block in the chuck. The Oneway Profiled jaws have far greater gripping power than the Nova Precision too.

I used the regular #2 jaws on my oneway chuck for a few years before going to the #2 tower jaws. The tower jaws are just that much nicer that it makes it worthwhile to buy them. It's totally not necessary, but my comfort level was boosted considerably, and I can grip blocks in some pretty wacko hole configurations without worrying about exceeding the height of the jaws.

Bill, That's a beautiful tamper you made! I've toyed with the idea of making some tampers as part of matched sets. Might give it a try for Christmas pipes.

I use a modified independent four jaw chuck with additional length added to two of the jaws along with locating pins (more of a metal working lathe solution, but the principal should work):


Having locating pins has been a huge advantage to me in alignment of the draught hole and chamber. I find I don't need to be as careful to have the block square as I did before using the pins, and it takes much less time to set the block in the chuck and I get perfect alignment.

Joel had a machinist make his OneWay chuck jaws with locating pins. That's an excellent mod if you can pull it off at a price you can afford. Here is the thread, but the link to the pics is dead now:
viewtopic.php?t=1654

Hi Scott. Thank you for the compliment! Coming from a carver of your skill, means a lot to me. I say go for it. For you, those tampers should not be hard at all.

I have seen that mod. available from different sources. I keep thinking I'll spring for one, but I just keep putting it off. I drill-press drill the stummel, the I turn mandrels that fit the holes, and reverse chuck the chamber and mortise to turn parts of the bowl and shank. The mandrels are held by my four jaw Oneway. I take the center pin out of the live center and run it up against the block, so it won't fly off the mandrel. Crude, but it works.

Bill