Import 6 Jaw

[Bob La Londe]

Who here owns an import 2 piece 6 jaw lathe chuck?

Did you like it? Did you have to do a lot of work to get it right? More than setting up any other lathe chuck? Do you regret it?

Currently on my bigger lather I run a Bison 4 jaw or an import 3 jaw. The 3 jaw has the infamous 3 thou runout of most import chucks, but I use it 95-99% of the time. I've found I can hit half thou or better on most things I can cut in a single setup, and its amazing what you can cut in a single setup if you think about it. The import 6 jaw I am looking at proudly announces its 3 thou runout t the world, but with 2 piece jaws I suspect I can make a few sets for common size ranges and do a lot better. Of course there is the added benefit of better supporting plastic, thin tube/pipe, threaded rod, etc. .

(The knee jerkers need not respond. This question is about import 6 jaws. Not buying a clapped out 50 year old restoration project. I appreciate those who do that, but I just don't have the time. In the shop I dedicate one hour a day to general shop maintenance, cleanup, and machine build/repair, and I dedicate one hour a day to working on whatever I personally want to work on. I have had to do that to not be overwhelmed by "projects.")

[old mart]

Having 2 piece jaws means you could make soft jaws for fragile and critical work.

[Doozer]

In my mind, one advantage of any chuck with bolt-on jaws
is that I like to do to make them run true. Instead of trying
to grind the jaws in place with a toolpost grinder, or worse
a die grinder secured with hose clamps and duct tape.....
You can measure the run-out and see what jaw is the
"high" jaw, then un-bolt it and grind it down, whatever amount
on the surface grinder. I had a Hardinge, made in England
3 jaw chuck, with bolt on serrated hard jaws that was never
quite right. So I took all three jaws, registered off the tongue
on the rear face with a magnetic cube, then dusted them all
together off on the surface grinder. To my surprise, the factory
grind on the hard jaws was off! One jaw was almost .oo2" off
from the lowest one, referencing the tongues as the datum.
I put the jaws back on, and the chuck runs within .oo1" to .oo15"
of TIR. So since I have a surface grinder, having chucks with
bolt-on jaws makes them easy to fix up a little better.

-D

[Bob La Londe]

In my mind, one advantage of any chuck with bolt-on jaws
is that I like to do to make them run true. Instead of trying
to grind the jaws in place with a toolpost grinder, or worse
a die grinder secured with hose clamps and duct tape.....
You can measure the run-out and see what jaw is the
"high" jaw, then un-bolt it and grind it down, whatever amount
on the surface grinder. I had a Hardinge, made in England
3 jaw chuck, with bolt on serrated hard jaws that was never
quite right. So I took all three jaws, registered off the tongue
on the rear face with a magnetic cube, then dusted them all
together off on the surface grinder. To my surprise, the factory
grind on the hard jaws was off! One jaw was almost .oo2" off
from the lowest one, referencing the tongues as the datum.
I put the jaws back on, and the chuck runs within .oo1" to .oo15"
of TIR. So since I have a surface grinder, having chucks with
bolt-on jaws makes them easy to fix up a little better.

-D

I had not thought of that. I do have a small surface grinder. Great tip. I'd click the little trophy icon, but there isn't one. The like icon will have to do.

[Doozer]

I always only got the participation trophy in Gym class
because I suck so bad. Thanks though !

-D

[Stu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC2hU-PFwQ0

[dian]

are you talking about this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-6-JAW-SEL...IAAOSw~gRV5Fd0

[Bob La Londe]

are you talking about this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-6-JAW-SEL...IAAOSw~gRV5Fd0

That one is to small for my use.

[old mart]

What size and make were you thinking of getting, Bob?

[Bob La Londe]

8" or 10" brand yet to be determined. Must have thru hole as large as (or larger than) the spindle on my 1440.

[Toolguy]

I have a 6" and 8" 6 jaw Bison adjust tru chuck. They are just about the only chucks I use anymore for the last 15 years. I also use collets a lot, but that is a different conversation. The problems some theorize about not all the jaws touching the work or such, I have not encountered in actual use. They clamp very strongly, similar to a 4 jaw, because each jaw is directly opposed by another jaw, rather than air, like a 3 jaw chuck. Also, if you need a 3 jaw for some reason, you can just take off every other one, and put them back later. Sometimes I will take off 1 jaw or 2 opposite jaws to clear a radial feature(s) on the part. The part is still firmly held and centered by the remaining 4 or 5 jaws. I have a 14 x 40 Acer lathe. I think a 10" would be too big. The 8" is big but fits comfortably.

[oxford]

8" or 10" brand yet to be determined. Must have thru hole as large as (or larger than) the spindle on my 1440.

Isn’t a 10” chuck starting to push it for a 14” lathe?

[nickel-city-fab]

Bob -- I am considering a 6- jaw in the near future myself. A bit smaller than yours, also an import. I decided that I can correct any runout when I make a backplate for it, in the "poor man's style" by machining the register slightly undersize and adjusting it before bolting down solidly. So far, the main supplier of import chucks seems to be a company called "Sanou" and one of their main distributors is Shars, via their Ebay store called discount_machine. I have just gotten a Sanou 4-jaw and so far it's nice -- surprisingly nice,.

[old mart]

NSF, the poor mans style works well for chucks, about 0.008" will probably be enough, and be sure the bolts allow that much movement, also. The only drawback of the Sanou that I can see is that they only include the inside jaws. The two piece jaw type are not available in the smaller sizes.
I bought a couple of Sanou chucks for my 7 x 12 , an 80mm three jaw and a 100mm four jaw and they are good for the money, much
better than the original chucks that came with the lathe.

Bob, the Sanou 8", 200mm chuck has a bore of 65mm, 2 5/8", and the 10", 250mm chuck has a bore of 80mm, 3 1/8".

[Bob La Londe]

Bob, the Sanou 8", 200mm chuck has a bore of 65mm, 2 5/8", and the 10", 250mm chuck has a bore of 80mm, 3 1/8".

Thanks. I noticed similar specs.