Chuck for GMC 4 speed Lathe

[Gbredon]

Hi everyone

I am new to this forum and even newer to woodturning!
I was given a GMC 4 Speed lathe by a friend. I would like to start turning bowls but this lathe does not have a chuck which could be used for that purpose. It does have a spindle at the motor end which I assume would be used for turning chair legs etc. The spindle can be unscrewed and I imagine that a bowl-turning chuck could be screwed on in its place. Does anyone have any experience with this model/make of lathe? I have no idea what the thread size is or where I could purchase a suitable chuck. Can anyone help?

[Gary H]

Hi Gbredon,

This exact question was raised a couple of years ago. The discussions can be seen at www.woodworkforums.com/archive/index.php/t-164890.html .
In short, the most common suggestions were: OK for beginners, but not a quality lathe, so don't spend a lot of money on it; wait until you know you like turning before
spending up big; join a club to learn how to turn safely and what better lathes feel like to operate; make do with what you have and you will learn a lot (both good and bad.
And finally, have fun!

Cheers,
Gary

[Gbredon]

Hi Gary

Thanks very much for your prompt reply. The overriding theme seems to be "dump it"! I will have a careful read of these posts to see if I can retrieve anything from them.
George.

[NeilS]

I was given a GMC 4 Speed lathe by a friend. I would like to start turning bowls but this lathe does not have a chuck

Welcome to the forum!

If it was free, then the GMC is good value for the money, ie if you use it as it came and don't spend money on it. Our local Men's Shed was given a couple and I have kept one. It just passes muster if you are doing small spindle work, like handles.

But, I wouldn't bother with it for bowls.

Nothing wrong with starting on some spindle turning. In fact, buying a few turning turning tools without handles and making some nice handles for them is a good starting point. There have been a few forum threads on handles, and there is currently one running at the moment on why turners make their own.

On buying tools, I suggest you buy just a few good ones like P&Ns, Vicmarc or Woodcut without handles and avoid buying those cheaper sets. There are threads on the basic tools required for spindle or bowl turning. You need very few to begin with.

Lessons are invaluable.

Stay sharp!

Stay safe!

[KBs PensNmore]

Hi, another welcome to the forum.
My first lathe was a GMC, and I turned bowls, etc on it, so there's no need to "dump it". I got it as I wasn't sure that I'd like turning. I did get a chuck for it, a Nova G3 with an adapter, there are about 10 different adapters available to suit the various lathes. Once you have the chuck and change lathes, it's just a simple matter of getting another adapter to suit the new lathe. There are a variety of different makers of chucks, ensure that what you get has other jaws available, as one make won't necessarily fit another. I've jaws that go from 25 mm to 100 mm in expansion mode, so you can see there is a wide range.
From memory I think it's 3/4 X 10, if you went to Carbatec, for example, they have a full listing of what adapter fit what lathe.
A face plate comes in handy to do some of the work on, as a board can be screwed to it, then a paper joint applied and then your turned piece applied, or you can use Hot Melt glue to hold the piece in place. A paper joint can be split on the paper line, using a sharp tool to separate the two, then a sharp chisel to clean off the rest of the paper. 4 dots about 8 mm diameter of hot melt will hold a lot, don't apply a lot as it'll be a bugger to get off. To separate Hot melt glue, it's just a matter of putting it in the microwave for a few seconds, timed according to the size of the work. Get an old one to keep in the shed, don't use the one in the kitchen, unless you want to live in the dog house, the little lady mightn't like the smell of wood in the microwave.
If you try to force Hot melt apart, there's a chance you could ruin your turning.
Can show you some pics of what I turned on it, if you'd like proof. My first set of chisels (5) cost me $35, the lathe $105.00 My next lathe was one that a Club Member was selling, as he was moving into a Retirement Village and didn't have the room there. Another reason for joining a Club, you can get some good bargains.
One of the best things I ever did was to join a Woodturning Club, this was about 8 years ago. I've learnt far more than if I'd gone it alone, as you make mistakes or incorrectly use the tools, you're taught how to sharpen the tools, how to hold the tool, and a lot of other very handy tricks. You can also pick up used tooling, but still in excellent condition.
If you'd like a list of Clubs in your area, PM me for details.
Regards
Kryn

[Christos]

As this is your first turning experience then I might suggest doing some practice turning between centers. As others have suggested buy tools without handles and make your own.