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MaartenS
31st December 2020, 05:32 AM
I have used a bonham chuck for years, no oblonggated holes due to wear an perfectly serviceable. I bought an old english union graduate lathe to use for heavier and more wobbly wood and it came with a pretty similar chuck, only it was made by Kiwis and called teknatool nova scroll chuck. Is it any good? Or is it a cheap copy of the Bonham?
Regards Maarten

verawood
31st December 2020, 08:03 AM
Welcome Maarten

clear out
31st December 2020, 08:24 AM
I’m no wood turning expert but Bohnam was/is the son in law of the dude who started/owns Carbatec.
So its more likely like everything else Carbatec makes/sells.
They usually get a franchise for Australasia and then off to Taiwan and nowadaze China and get it copied.
So the Bohnam is almost certainly a copy of the Nova.:rolleyes:
H.

orraloon
31st December 2020, 03:56 PM
The NZ Nova chucks are well worth having. These days the production has moved to china. Still OK but not quite as good as the NZ made ones.
Welcome to the forum Maarten.
Regards
John

China
31st December 2020, 03:56 PM
Tecknatool Nova is a highly regarded quality product, just about every woodturner in Australia and New Zealand and many other countries would have one, more likely several

MaartenS
1st January 2021, 01:01 AM
Thanks, the Bonham (Ozzie made) and teknatool are pretty similar, I like the Bonham since it has a grubb screw and hope it will fit my lathe. Haven't tried yet:) Thanks for all the useful replies.

NeilS
5th January 2021, 01:42 PM
Teknatool in NZ were the first to develop a four-jaw scroll self centering chuck in 1988 that was designed especially for woodturning.

The Bonham was 'based' on the original Nova chuck, which used two levers (not a hex key).

I have my original Bonham chuck and it has been in constant use for many decades. It's a great little chuck that has paid for itself many times over. Mine has been used thousands of times and it works as well as ever. I suggest you have a keeper there.

I also have half a dozen Nova chucks of various persuasions. No complaints there other than they don't come up often enough secondhand for a cheap buy....:U

And, before someone feels the need to tell us that Vicmarc chucks are far better, I also have half a dozen of those chucks and they are OK too, but 'not far better', IME.

I think it is about time I wrote a brief history of chucking to post here.

PS - lucky you to score a Graduate!

MaartenS
6th January 2021, 03:58 AM
Yes, very lucky indeed. I am overhauling it and when done it is going to replace my woodfast cobra.I am in the process of removing the old bearings and replacing them with new sealed bearings so that I don't have to oil and grease them and I am going to build in an inverter with variable speed, and maybe a stronger motor at about 1,2 hp (size matters) since the original has only a mere 0,75 hp.
I am happy with my Bonham Chuck, It has a m33 adapter to go on the woodfast, but I need to get it out to find out what thread it has and wether it fits on the union graduate

Yes do write.