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Lathe chucks

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bogstandard:
There was an article in Model Engineers Workshop (a UK mag) a few months back about how to use them, and in the second part, how to make them for your chuck.

If you are interested in finding out about soft jaws, I might be able to give you a good link if you PM or email me.

We in the UK seem to be very lucky, almost all cheapy chucks you can buy, you can also get soft jaws for them.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Chucks/Lathe-Chucks

Normally around 20 squid a set (about 25 bucks US)

It seems your US suppliers are about 20 years out of date in knowing what the modern machinist requires.

I suppose if you have one of those wierd chucks that the jaws bolt onto the front of the scroll pieces, it would be very easy just to make soft iron or ali jaws to bolt on.

Bogs

rleete:
These:  http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1688&category=1022859368  are what the jaws look like.  There is also an outside set, which I have.  I believe they're hardened, but I haven't checked.

At this point, I'm either going to buy a larger chuck, or figure out a way around my workholding problem.

bogstandard:
Roger,

Bad news, those are just standard hardened jaws. LMS don't do any chuck soft jaws at all.

You have to be very careful when buying any replacement jaws for chucks. You have to get exactly the right jaws for your particular chuck.

The different manufacturers will use similar, but not exactly the same scrolls in their chucks. So it might look like they will fit, but 9 times out of 10 they won't. They are like threads, metric looks similar to UNC, but the nuts are not interchangeable. It is the same with chucks.

That is why you should always buy spare jaws when you buy the chuck. You are guaranteed then to have them fit correctly.

John

rleete:
Well, it came with the lathe (but no faceplate, go figure), and so I had no choice.  Plus, until I joined here (more than a year later), I didn't even know about soft jaws.  Live and learn.  I'm still researching chucks, and when I find one, I'll try to get it with soft jaws, or the kind you can bolt on your own.

Right now, I've put that particular one aside for the moment, and started yet another.  I have big plans for this new project, and it's all based on things I know I can do with the tools I have already.

bogstandard:
You are doing it the right way, never push yourself financially if at all possible, try to come up with ways to use what you already have.

I did it for many many years, as I am sure a lot of us had to do.

It is only recently that I am now in the lucky situation where I can afford the silly little playings I always dreamed of, but if a situation does occur where I don't have the right bit of equipment, I still improvise, and get more enjoyment doing it that way than taking the easy way out, waiting for the postman.

I still scrimp and save wherever I can, and turn nothing away that will save me money in the long run. I think that once improvisation and scrounging gets into your blood, it is there forever.

John

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