Thread: Using a SupaNova2 Chuck

Treefrog, with the use of your chuck,

Use it as an expanding chuck, and also in normal hold mode.. it all depends on the project you are doing and how comfortable you feel at the time.

As with most things woodworking, there is no right or wrong way, just millions of different methods to achieve the same end result.

My 2 cents worth is to be a bit more careful using the expanding mode.

If you overtighten in contracting mode, the worst you do is crush the wood more than it needs to be held securely.

If you overexpand, you risk splitting the wood, and having parts of your turning come towards you at great speed.

In contracting mode, you can also hold square bits of wood, by lining the corners of the woood up in the gaps between the jaws.

Cheers,
Andrew

Most Important!!

Make sure you ALWAYS take the chuck key out before starting the lathe!!

If you've done lots of turning, but are only starting with a chuck now, put some infallible system in place to make sure you can't/don't start with the chuck key still in the chuck!

Tie the key to something solid, paint it a bright colour, attach it to the plug of the lathe, or some other idea.

Cheers,
Andrew

Hi Guys thanks heaps for the replies.

I am just waiting for my Chuck Insert to be delivered. I bought the Nova Dovetail Chisel as well and it makes it easy to create a 5mm recess where the jaws expand out to. At the moment I am making a bowl and I just screwed it on to a plate but now will do the front once the parts arrive.

How I have forgotten on how much fun it really is to do wood turning.

In reference to the chuck key my switch has a key insert and will tie it to that which means to use the chuck key the key on the start switch will be pulled out and switched off because the reach will not be long enough.

Thanks for the tips.

Joe

Remember with all chuck keys.

It's in your hand or it in the stand.

the only time a chuck key should be in the chuck is when it is in your hand.

I was working at a mates workshop the other day & he goes to chuck a drill in the press & leaves the key in the chuck half way thru the operation. :confused:
I nearly smacked him in the back of the head. Except he is bigger than me.
Because thats what my tradesmen would have done to me as an aprentice If I had done something that foolish.

Its in your hand or its in the stand.

If you have some sort of arrangement where there are two tools for the chuck or whatever (tommy bars). you may need to take one hand off to chuck the work or the tool.
But if both hands leave the chuck all tools should be removed.

cheers

Originally Posted by soundman

Remember with all chuck keys.

It's in your hand or it in the stand.

the only time a chuck key should be in the chuck is when it is in your hand.

One of the better improvements of the new Supernova2 is that it's almost impossible to leave the key in the chuck... well, not without working at it.

Your 75mm bowl jaws have slightly rounded over edges so they'll work best in contraction mode. They'll still be fine in expansion mode provided you set your recess up for maximum contact.

A lot of turners progress beyond leaving a recess in the bowl by holding the work in contraction mode for hollowing, then reversing the bowl and removing the stubb. You can do this carefully by hand with chisel and 2" rotary sander, or reverse the bowl onto a form of jam chuck, bring the tail stock up and turn most of it away and then resort to the sander, or buy or build Cole jaws or vacuum chuck to hold the bowl without the tail stock and turn it all away.

Gives a more balaced feel to the bowl.

For smaller bowls your 50mm jaws will be fine.

Suggest you look into buying one or two faceplace rings. Quicker than the woodscrew and you can have several pieces on the go at once. Fix them with Sachys Robertson square socket screws - they last forever and a $12 woodturners pack comes with what you need inc. a driver. A good investment.

Happy turning!

Originally Posted by treefrog

Hi Guys thanks heaps for the replies.

....

In reference to the chuck key my switch has a key insert and will tie it to that which means to use the chuck key the key on the start switch will be pulled out and switched off because the reach will not be long enough.
Joe

That is a very interesting device, and I was vaguely thinking of one for the lathe used by my students. As you know it is difficult to watch 6 newbies at a time.
Can you post a pic of this “double key” and may be explain me how you did it? It would be really very useful.
Thanks in advance.

Apart from that angle, I think what SkewChi is referring to is the fact that the chuck comes with a ball-end allen key which falls out if the chuck moves a little beyond the vertical.

(Useful for Cole jaws in my view but not otherwise).

Hi Ern,

Idea 1 - would be to use MDF Glue (Triton Glue which is stronger than normal PVA) and glue a blank stub with sheet of newspaper between stub and wood to be turned. I have used this method many times over time while working in the Trade. Trick is to let it dry properly for a good week. Then once done the chisel will do the trick when splitting the stub and the turned piece.

Idea 2 is to use a belt sander carefully and sand it off. 20 minutes worth of hand sanding and its all gone.

La truciolara check your switch on your lathes. What I would do is this make sure your switches are pointing up at the off position then see if you can tie some strong twine to the actual switch lever and to the key handle and make it so its nice and firm if sitting on the chuck. Then the only way to switch it on is if they remove the key.

You will need strong switches. Jaycar sells a variety of them.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Originally Posted by rsser

Apart from that angle, I think what SkewChi is referring to is the fact that the chuck comes with a ball-end allen key which falls out if the chuck moves a little beyond the vertical.

(Useful for Cole jaws in my view but not otherwise).

Yep. That's what I meant, although I can't see why you think it's "not useful otherwise."

The ball-end arrangement means I can insert/use the key at a greater angle than the SuperNova(1). Although there's still only two sockets @180deg apart, now I don't have to rotate the chuck to access them. I'd prefer 3 or 4 instead, but I imagine they were trying to keep costs down as well as making it safer. And that's perfectly OK by me.

The only disadvantage I've found is 'tis a tad more awkward to mount large blanks than with the SuperNova(1), I have to keep putting the key down to free up a hand but I can live with that. It's still better than using the tommy's on my old Midi...

Oh... and I use a slightly different variation to turning away the tenon. I like to mount the blank in a faceplate to turn the outside & the tenon, also hollowing the centre 3/4" or so of the tenon to final "outside depth." This hole allows me to bring up the tailstock with a dowel in a jacob's chuck for that little margin of safety when using the cole jaw's or vac-chuck. A bit of leather can be used on the end of the dowel if concerned about marking. No more UFOs on that "one last cut" for this li'l black duck.

Cos you have to line the key up by eye for final tightening.

...

Stationary dowel and spinning bowl? Guess there would be some marking if they were in contact at all.

For the final tighten, yes, but by then the blank is fairly well held and you're not trying to juggle the blank into correct position and fiddle the key at the same time.


You're right about the marking Ern, but the only time there should be any contact is when the dowel's doing its' job and preventing the bowl from going rogue. I should've clarified by saying I bring the tailstock up but leave a hairsbreadth clearance.

That's also the reason behind the reference to leather... when turning softer woods I use a small round of leather glued to the dowel so if any contact occurs the mark's minimised and easily sanded out by hand later.

I know I tend to be verbose and try to curb it; often at the expense of relevant info.

Originally Posted by rsser

Apart from that angle, I think what SkewChi is referring to is the fact that the chuck comes with a ball-end allen key which falls out if the chuck moves a little beyond the vertical.

(Useful for Cole jaws in my view but not otherwise).

I was afraid the answer would have been the one you posted.
I have asked (without success) a student in electronic to make a safety device.
For the time beeing i tried a system whereby the chuck key is hanging on a device used on speed boat. When thay use the key they close the elctrical conact and they have to put the key back in place. But... the device is safe on speed boat for 48 Volts.... not 220 !!!