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View Full Version : Longworth chucks now made commercially



rsser
20th February 2011, 04:41 PM
Surprising it's taken this long:

Woodline USA - LongWorth Style Chucks (http://www.woodline.com/p-2564-longworth-style-chucks.aspx)

tea lady
20th February 2011, 04:46 PM
:oo: Jeez! A bit pricey. There has been a similar thing available for pottery for ages.:cool:
Giffin Grip (http://giffingrip.com/products.html)

rsser
20th February 2011, 05:01 PM
Yes, they are pricey.

But I like the steel mount that will go into scroll chuck jaws.

Have emailed to see if they ship to Aus.

Pat
20th February 2011, 08:33 PM
Ern, I think for $350 + postage . . . it'll remain on the "to do" list. TL the Griffin Grip doesn't look like it would do for turning, but the Lid Master look interesting for lidded boxes . . .

RETIRED
20th February 2011, 08:46 PM
Ern, I think for $350 + postage . . . it'll remain on the "to do" list. TL the Griffin Grip doesn't look like it would do for turning, but the Lid Master look interesting for lidded boxes . . .I was thinking the same thing.

I use vernier calipers most of the time.

Jim Carroll
20th February 2011, 08:59 PM
Surprising it's taken this long:

Woodline USA - LongWorth Style Chucks (http://www.woodline.com/p-2564-longworth-style-chucks.aspx)

I am surprised it has taken this long for it to be found as it has been on you tube since august last year.

rsser
20th February 2011, 10:08 PM
The 14" would be VL175 size and is around $170 plus postage.

Doesn't seem to me to be poor value, given phenolic plate, steel mount, long soft buttons etc.

Jim, I don't hang around on Youtube.

Jim Carroll
21st February 2011, 08:58 AM
Jim, I don't hang around on Youtube.

Me either, we get a lot of people sending links and asking if we have these in stock or other items.

Handy in some regards.

Sawdust Maker
21st February 2011, 10:01 AM
Why not make one with a faceplate ring
such as this (http://vermec.tripod.com/PDFs/faceplaterings.pdf)from Enzo
that is what I'm planning on doing when I get to it on the jumbled list

wheelinround
21st February 2011, 10:08 AM
Max from McJings showed me a Chinese cattledog with these in no where near those prices.

Mine is a roundtuit in progress as is the one for Pat supersized ( it is happening Pat)

rsser
21st February 2011, 10:23 AM
Nick, I've been wondering about making one for a while, and a faceplate ring would be a good mounting option. Good thinking. But in dollar terms it pays me to stick with what I'm good at and do a bit more sessional teaching to pay for someone else's manufacturing.

Wheelin, I can find Coles (aka Jumbo) jaws on the McJing site but not a Longworth.

wheelinround
21st February 2011, 10:32 AM
Nick, I've been wondering about making one for a while, and a faceplate ring would be a good mounting option. Good thinking. But in dollar terms it pays me to stick with what I'm good at and do a bit more sessional teaching to pay for someone else's manufacturing.

Wheelin, I can find Coles (aka Jumbo) jaws on the McJing site but not a Longworth.


Didn't say on his web site said "max should me them in a Chinese Cattledog"

I asked if he was going to get them in? No was the reply! people can make there own cheaper out of MDF, Nylon or even Perspex.

rsser
21st February 2011, 11:00 AM
Yes, folk have so far always made their own.

But cheaper? If you cost your time reasonably, and match the materials (in this case phenolic sheets, silicone rubber buttons etc), I'm not sure whether you'd come out ahead.

But some folk like making their own gear and who am I to argue with that? I've done vacuum chucks, steadies as well as tools and enjoyed it. But I doubt that I'd match the quality of these Longworths and the challenge of accurately cutting those arcs in phenolic is one I'm not interested in.

WOODbTURNER
21st February 2011, 11:35 AM
Ern,
Let us know how the postage goes. I'm interested in the 16" at $169. I wonder why the 20" is twice the price?
Ern, I agree with you about all the hours stuffing around making one.

rsser
21st February 2011, 12:09 PM
Will do. Perhaps we can share postage.

Why is the 20" so exxy? The variable would be the cost of the phenolic plate and if my high school maths still work, 20" discs double the area of 14" discs, and if the source is in sheets there'd be more waste perhaps.

Pat
21st February 2011, 12:20 PM
Mine is a roundtuit in progress as is the one for Pat supersized ( it is happening Pat)

Ray, you mean the one that could easily take 400mm bowl that I am playing with . . . I'll jury rig something else for this one, but I still have a good supply of 4 - 500+mm blanks:U

Jim Carroll
21st February 2011, 12:24 PM
My question about the backing ring is will it be suitable for the vicmarc and nova jaws.

The americans have some different sizing with their jaws

wheelinround
21st February 2011, 12:25 PM
Ray, you mean the one that could easily take 400mm bowl that I am playing with . . . I'll jury rig something else for this one, but I still have a good supply of 4 - 500+mm blanks:U


Pat thats the one but yes jury rig for this one idea is on way via e-mail.

Ray

WOODbTURNER
21st February 2011, 01:37 PM
My question about the backing ring is will it be suitable for the vicmarc and nova jaws.

The americans have some different sizing with their jaws

Jim,

Watched a demo video by coolhammerman on youtube and the bloke said 'No.2' 2" jaws and that they also have larger spigots to fit 'No.3' jaws.

hughie
21st February 2011, 05:06 PM
Hmm, came across a mob in the US making them out of Ali about 12-18months ago. As I can make my own, couldn't see the point.

I would say either they don't own a cnc router set up or they are bit hungry....
Looks like the material is what used to be called "tufnal" that was around for many years. Cloth inpregnated and very tough, machines ok but nothing flash. Although with CNC it should come out as good as it could be.

.:: Nimrod plastics ::. Bakelite (http://www.nimrodplastics.com.au/product-bakelite.htm)

and some basic info

What is Phenolic? (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-phenolic.htm)

There's a few web sites advertising cnc etc on this site might be worth a email to get a cost of making a couple of discs.

Good be a good project for someone to take up, with a few takers the price would be improved. Most of these guys can take a cad drawing and enter it straight into the cnc puta.That way your rings etc would be ok.
Accuracy should be ok most cnc's will do it to a .1mm no worries and also you get top choose the most suitable material and thickness etc.

They are not giving much away in terms of thickness etc, I would like to know details like that before I parted with any money. Ideally from my point of view the back part would be thicker, say 10mm and the front around 8mm. As flexibility is an issue with two thin sheets of say 6mm, as well as longevity.

wheelinround
21st February 2011, 06:31 PM
Good be a good project for someone to take up, with a few takers the price would be improved. Most of these guys can take a cad drawing and enter it straight into the cnc puta.That way your rings etc would be ok.
Accuracy should be ok most cnc's will do it to a .1mm no worries and also you get top choose the most suitable material and thickness etc.


I reckon this fella (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/longworth-chuck-polycarbonate-54412/) did a great Wip on making one

wheelinround
21st February 2011, 06:35 PM
Lots of pics on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130463031833)

ticklingmedusa
21st February 2011, 08:23 PM
I've had mine for about a month and used it 4 or 5 times.
One advantage over a doughnut, Straka or other subspecies of Longworth in favor of this one is that it self-centers easily.
Many of you may not have problems with that but I do.
I'm on the ham fisted side of things and many of
my biggest accidents and failures have been during the reverse / finishing process.
Another thing with the Straka design that I made is, as my bowls got deeper I had to go out and get longer screws.

I cannot define phenolic ( I hope I can spell it) but it seems very strong for the application .
Glide with little drag may be why this material was used.
Once you pull the plates in the right direction it operates smoothly.
The forces applied during the finish turning and sanding modes are
not that great. Light cuts are recommended and the 16 incher has a sticker saying max speed : 600 rpm

It is a lot of money. For me it has been a good option.
If I had the tools, material and skill to make my own it would make a worthy project.
I was working on a series of hollow forms turned from exceptional wood and a gift came my way .

A criticism or two about the Longworth would be that the 8 bolts and wingnuts just don't seem large enough.
The manual stresses that they only need to be finger tight
or the vessel may crack.
An Allen wrench is provided to keep the bolts from turning during the mounting process.
I don't like the galvanized wingnuts on the headstock side of the plates and will probably replace them with some bigger plastic coated
toggles.
Doing that may effect min. diameter in the contraction mode.

But given the information again that this chuck is not intended for heavy stock removal and more specifically meant for finishing bottoms
it may be one of the better designs.

Jim Carroll
21st February 2011, 08:34 PM
Thanks for the review.

One question would the square bushes that Vicmarc use be of any benefit instead of the long round tapered ones on the longworth.

ticklingmedusa
21st February 2011, 09:03 PM
Thanks for the review.

One question would the square bushes that Vicmarc use be of any benefit instead of the long round tapered ones on the longworth.

I'll have to track them down at Vicmarc's site and compare.
It might be useful depending on what type of work one does.

gidgee 1
22nd February 2011, 07:51 AM
Thanks for the review.

One question would the square bushes that Vicmarc use be of any benefit instead of the long round tapered ones on the longworth.


I have tried the Vicmarc bushes,as the chuck is opened or closed the bolts roll with the movement and the bushes end up all over the place in relation to the workpiece,and have to be individually aligned (convex,cancave sides),so unless you have some way to stop them rotating they are a PITA IMHO.
cheers
gidgee 1

jchappo
22nd February 2011, 08:40 AM
:whs: (gidgee1)

Also, I found the Vicmarc ones too hard. Rubber buffers compress when tightening down the bolts and form to the shape of the piece being turned.

Ed Reiss
22nd February 2011, 12:50 PM
Saw an ad for a longworth made out of laminated carbon fiber a couple of years ago...now if can only remember who it was that was selling 'em:doh:

ticklingmedusa
22nd February 2011, 01:03 PM
I haven't used mine enough to have much of an opinion on this one way or the other but so far the conical shape seems to grab a vessel's lip well. Having the option to use either is a good thing.
I still think the type of work one does would be the determining factor.
With the conical "button" once the piece is centered and wingnuts are snugged alignment and positioning becomes less relevant.
It's simple and easy.
Sorry the image is so large,
John




http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/woodturners/Images/products/main/vicmarc-adjusta-grippers.jpg
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http://www.coolhammers.com/longwo2.jpg

ticklingmedusa
22nd February 2011, 05:51 PM
They are not giving much away in terms of thickness etc, I would like to know details like that before I parted with any money. Ideally from my point of view the back part would be thicker, say 10mm and the front around 8mm. As flexibility is an issue with two thin sheets of say 6mm, as well as longevity.

Hughie,
the thickness of this one with both plates combined is 12 mm .
I chucked it into a Oneway Talon and then locked the spindle .
I pushed hard on it with the palm of my hand and it does flex
maybe 1/16 to 1/8 in. its very resilient .
If I had a bigger lathe and worked on a larger scale
I would want something heavier.
For me the weight of the unit is also an issue.
Titanium ?
John

rsser
22nd February 2011, 06:15 PM
John, I assume you did the flex test when the chuck was unloaded? And pressing against the rim?

Loading it with a bowl should reduce the flex wouldn't you say?

hughie
22nd February 2011, 07:24 PM
Hughie,
the thickness of this one with both plates combined is 12 mm .
I chucked it into a Oneway Talon and then locked the spindle .
I pushed hard on it with the palm of my hand and it does flex
maybe 1/16 to 1/8 in. its very resilient .
If I had a bigger lathe and worked on a larger scale
I would want something heavier.
For me the weight of the unit is also an issue.
Titanium ?


John, The one I saw on line was made from aluminium and looked like 3-4mm thick each disc. Yes flex is an issue along with vibration, by the sound of it your one should be OK, shame about the price tho'.

ticklingmedusa
22nd February 2011, 07:37 PM
John, I assume you did the flex test when the chuck was unloaded? And pressing against the rim?

Loading it with a bowl should reduce the flex wouldn't you say?

Yes Ern, unloaded and out at the rim.
I would think so as far as flex reduction but there are better
brains here who might respond to that.
Light cuts and low speeds are important.

ticklingmedusa
22nd February 2011, 07:39 PM
John, The one I saw on line was made from aluminium and looked like 3-4mm thick each disc. Yes flex is an issue along with vibration, by the sound of it your one should be OK, shame about the price tho'.

I'm sharing kibble with the hound until the first of the month. :D
I'll try to follow up somewhere down the timeline if I have more comments.

rsser
23rd February 2011, 04:41 PM
Would the hound eat baked beans? ;-}
...

Well I've placed an order for a 14" unit. Shipping is USD 54.

AFAIC this will complement the other methods of holding.

The Cole jaws are good but a fiddle to setup, and on the VM100 there's some slop via the jaw slides though that's not much of an issue. With the offset fixings now available that's the 'go to' for irregular shaped shallow turnings.

The vacuum chuck is good for bowls and platters that have that have gone a little oval after turning. And for natural edge bowls with a 3" or 4" PVC pipe facing. But the shop vac that drives it involves its own fiddling and is noisy.

The Longworth should excel with simple pieces that need a bit of podiatry.

I'd hope that in time they offer shorter 'buttons' for expansion fitting but I can see whether the VM buttons I have might migrate.

ticklingmedusa
23rd February 2011, 08:55 PM
Would the hound eat baked beans? ;-}

The Longworth should excel with simple pieces that need a bit of podiatry.

I think that is a reasonable expectation for both of us.
I hope it will serve your purposes well Ern.
I know some mech engineer types here who might be able to source out buttons
if the need comes up.
If the hound or myself get baked beans ??? :oo: