Thread: More chuck jaws

You are certainly a craftsman Bob, they look great.

Somehow missed the first set you made Bob - gutsy effort mate! Very impressed with this set also - often think about having a go at some myself for those 'tricky' situations but how much does a chunk of brass that size cost ???

Just a thought, but if you close up the gap and then true the dovetail, you'll never be able to close up on the perfect sized circle - nowhere to go so to speak

I'm not worried about the gaps between the jaws but they differ by about 1/2 mm across the diagonal dameters so I need to put the whole chuck and jaws into the big metal work lathe at work and skim the outside so that they are evenly round when closed.

Bob, I wouldn't worry about the gaps, my Teknatool jaw sets have them and it doesn't worry me

Good job on the jaws, both sets. Now for the rude question, how much did it cost for the brass?

Cheers guys.

I agree about trying to close the gaps, it's not worth the trouble. What's important is the cross diagonals are the same, otherwise when two opposite side are gripping the other two won't - I can sort that on the big lathe at work.

The cost of the brass, well I agree, I wouldn't start out to do this unless I had ready access. It's hard to believe but the piece I used was a 55 mm long piece of scrap from a 3" cylindrical bar. We have a real treasure trove set of scrap boxes at work (steel, ally, SS, brass, copper, plastic etc) built up over 40 years of building small items of lab equipment and breaking down old bits of lab gear etc and the techos that have run the place have been real hoarders. There is always some major bit of gear being tossed out. I spent half of yesterday taking apart another old X-ray machine. There were SS hose clamps, brass plate and nuts and bolts, Lots of 6 mm hex and torx screws and some beaut pieces of 3 mm steel plate, all due for the skip. The deal with the workshop is (set by me as I am the boss); use scraps or pay, log use and materials, use proper OHS, keep the workshop clean, machines in good order, and supplies up to the mark, always replace broken bits etc. (there are security cameras so no one can fiddle things too much) Every now and then I buy a can of cutting lube, a pack of wet&dry, or, if I buy a full sheet of something, I cut it up take what I want and leave the rest behind - there are big sheet good storage racks which suits me cos I can't store these sheets at home. I also chip in on general servicing like last month I cleaned out the cooling oil sump and pump on the big lathe - no one likes that job so I scored brownie points with that one. The techo that runs the place keeps an eye on me even though I am his boss, nothing I do is ever up to his standard and he is amused that I like working in the shop.

Yer making me sick, Bob.

Great work, mate.

Bob,

Nice bit of machining. um um just one query.

The wall thickness on the larger dia jaws looks a little thin or is just the way the light plays on it?

Originally Posted by hughie

Bob,

Nice bit of machining. um um just one query.

The wall thickness on the larger dia jaws looks a little thin or is just the way the light plays on it?

Thanks Hughie. The wall thickness is about 0.5 mm thicker all round than the steel 50 mm diam standard jaws. I would have liked them thicker but for holding a bowl (max 12" diam on my Woodfast Midi) under compression (which is how I plan to used them) they should be OK. There's also quite a bit of strength in the fact that the walls are curved - ie compression is on the curve.

Nice work Bob, they look pretty smicko

I'm the color of golf course grass!
Look well done to me! Good machining!

I hope you saved all that brass dust, or is it gold dust these days, may as well be at the price of dust Nice going on the chuck jaws another pricey thing. Looks as though you made a real nice job on them, makes good sence as well if access to metal lathe, wish i were back at school loved metal work whats next????..LB

Originally Posted by OGYT

I'm the color of golf course grass!

That'd be brown Downunder Al ;-}

That'd be brown Downunder Al ;-}

Well, to clarify things then... just color me green with envy.

Bob way to much time on your hands, time spent scrounging in the scrap pile I am jealous envious and in awe magnificent the gaps as the others have aid wouldn't matter as long as they run true in all positions.

You did number them I hope

Ray

Cheers guys,

The guys at work are mildly amused at seeing the boss from time to time in the skip outside our building. I rarely know ahead of time what is being tossed out so I take my chances like everyone else. My advantages are my parking bay is only about 5 bays away from the skip and my vehicle, a commercial van, can hold a lot of stuff!

Originally Posted by wheelinround

You did number them I hope