Precision mini chuck?

**TimberNut** · 10th February 2005, 11:12 AM

Hey guys,

Have been asked to make a series of minatures. I am set up predominantly to do larger work.
Currently turning on Vicmarc lathe VL300 with a VM120 chuck.

The old adage applies - you can turn small stuff on a big lathe....

However, even though I can hold the small stock, I find the large rotating chuck so close to the work a bit restricting.

For clamping on small spigots I can use a drill chuck with morse taper (with pin vice held in that if necessary for micro stuff).

Can't think of anything for the expansion side of things.
Headstock thread is 30 x 3.5 with #2 morse taper.
Thought maybe a chuck for a mini-metal lathe or even smaller????

Still want to turn on the Vicmarc Lathe, but just using a tiny chuck. The smaller the better, but precision made - no sloppy rubbish.

Any suggestions?

**MathewA** · 10th February 2005, 06:13 PM

You could buy or make a set of long nose jaws. I owned a Vicmarc 120 a few years back, sold it with my old Powermatic Model 90. Don't regret selling the lathe but wished I'd kept the chuck, way better than the stronghold I have now. I made a set of long nosed jaws for it from a 5" diameter 4" long piece of aluminium bar.

**smidsy** · 10th February 2005, 09:10 PM

Hei Ian,
The problem is going to be finding a small chuck of decent quality.
Why not look at a set of accessory jaws for the Vicmarc - maybe the 25mm jaws or the long nose jaws which would give you better clearance from the chuck.
I've got the VM100 chuck and I bought a set of bowl jaws for it - I am way impressed in the quality of both the jaws and the chuck.

Cheers
Paul

**Cliff Rogers** · 11th February 2005, 12:34 AM

G'day.

Either a set of the Pin Jaws to siut your Vicmarc....
http://www.vicmarc.com/page.php?PageId=ChuckAccessories

or, if you can afford it, get one of the new SuperNova II chucks...
http://www.teknatool.com/products/Ch...ova2_Chuck.htm
& a set of the Nova Pin Jaws.
http://www.teknatool.com/products/ch...es/jawset1.htm

I know the Vicmarc is Australian made & I have a couple of them & several sets of jaws for them but I liked my Supernova that much that I bought a Supernova II as well.

The pin jaws are good for small work.

I have one of the small "precision" chucks but it's chinese junk....
Sure, it's smaller than the others but no where near as nice.

I'd go for the pin jaws on a decent chuck.

**rsser** · 11th February 2005, 10:32 PM

Maybe get two sets of their new soft jaws and stack them, turn away the excess to get good clearance, and go for it.

**TimberNut** · 14th February 2005, 09:37 AM

Smidsy/Cliff,

Was thinking along the same lines. Have the long nose Jaws, and was using them. Still too much spinning steel too close to the work.

Changed to a precision Jacobs chuck I have and that worked better (enough grip but smaller diameter chuck. I didn't have any dramas re-chucking as everything went back on the same way each time.

The expansion side still has me stumped. The pin jaws are still too big. I want some jaws that can expand into a 8-10mm opening. Admittedly I won't be able to put much pressure on them, but the micro stuff I'm doing is real fragile anyway.

I can make press-fit spigots to push the work onto, but have to do lots of different sizes, and can't be bothered. Would rather a chuck if I can sort one out.
Maybe rsser's right - get a pair of Vicmarc's acetyl jaws, and then fix some aluminium to them and turn that down to the size i want.

Still open to any other ideas you guys may have.

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