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View Full Version : Interesting comment I heard today at Timbercon



Wild Dingo
3rd July 2003, 02:44 AM
In my journey today to Timbercon in Bentley I heard a comment that I wondered about at the time but bein a total flamin novice with regards to lathes and such {read never touched one but intend to buy and learn} didnt question at the time...

Anyway the statement went along the lines of...

"If your patient and able to learn you dont need to buy any other chuck than the faceplate you get with the lathe it can do anything the other expensive chucks can do if you are able to learn"

So is this statement true? or am I being cadged into buying a lathe and at some stage not to far down the track when Ive picked up a few clues find Im gonna have to head back to get the chuck/s I probably should buy when I buy the lathe?

Lathe work has always fascinated me but Ive never till now had the opportunity to get one... but I dont want to make a mistake that means Im gonna have to wangle yet more money out of the missus AFTER Ive spent what Im gonna spend in the next couple of weeks on tools... she would slaughter me if I had to buy anymore after this spending frenzy thats been coming for 20years!! :eek:

Keith Jeeves
3rd July 2003, 08:21 AM
The basic statement is probably correct. You can use a faceplate to mount a block of wood which you would turn into a jam chuck to hold a workpiece as you would with a scroll chuck.

Alternatively, you could screw a blank to the faceplate, turn a bowl inside and out and part it off clear of the mounting screws albeit leaving a large piece of essentially waste timber behind.

You don't actually need such luxuries as an electric motor either, pole lathes did a good job for many years. Carbon steel tools cut timber as well (maybe better) than HSS tools and modern specialist tools such as hollowing tools don't do anything that hasn't been done in days gone by.

Whether you would want to do this on a permanent basis is a different issue. A scroll chuck is much quicker, much more secure and wastes less timber than using the faceplate alone. Scroll chucks have a wide range of add on jaws which allow more specialised work to be undertaken and can be used for both face work (grain across the axis) and centre work (grain along the axis). The can be bought pretty cheaply (Bonham or basic Nova) or you can go up market to the Vicmark or top of the range Nova.

I don't know any turner who doesn't own a mechanical chuck of some kind. The faceplate is still an essential accessory for securing a blank until a chuck tenon is made although you could do this between centres if you like and not use the faceplate at all.

It's a question of whether you want to make life more difficult by ignoring modern developments or whether you want to use accessories available as a tool to producing better and more varied work. I don't believe that not using scroll chucks, HSS tools, specialist hollowing tools etc will make you a better turner, probably the opposite because you will be concentrating on cutting timber properly rather than worring about security of the workpiece.

barnsey
3rd July 2003, 01:55 PM
There's also an issue of safety.

Think I'd be more confident of the scroll chuck hanging on a little better than a jam chuck when I manage to get a dig-in. And as a learner we've all had some of those.

Get a good scroll chuck to start - it's worth it in my bruised view.(one of those dig-in's came out & hit me fair between the eyes)!!

fxst
4th July 2003, 01:29 AM
the very reason I went out and bought a full face shield
her indors was laughin reel hard watching me using a fullface helmet after the first bruise

Jockmac
11th July 2003, 12:57 AM
Hi Wild Dingo if your only a newbie like me try and get along to the local woodturners in Mandurah High School on the second and fourth tuesday of each month,They are really a great bunch and are only too happy to pass on there knowledge,,Regards Jockmac

Wild Dingo
11th July 2003, 01:00 AM
Jock! Wow just up the road... small world eh?... I will check them out first chance I get! :cool: Thanks! and yep new as to turning in fact sooooo new I still havent ever used one!! :( but its a skill and something Ive wanted to learn for many years so will do!