She says I can buy 1 new chuck

[Jonesy]

I've had permission from the boss to buy 1 new chuck as long as I fix the freezer that's just packed up.

So, while my son is re-making the wiring loom for the freezer, I'm loose on ebay.

I have a 12" independent 4 jaw, and a 5" 3 jaw scroll.

I have 1 spare 7" back plate left over from a scrapped 8" through-bolt 3 jaw.

Would you buy a 3 jaw or a 4 jaw to plug the gap?

[Richard P Wilson]

In your other thread you seem to have got a workable 3 jaw now, so possibly the pressure is off a bit there. Its a tricky question, much depends on the size and type of work you'll be doing. I think that 12" 4 jaw is a bit of a monster, so I'd go for a decent 8" or 9" 4 jaw, one that won't induce a hernia when you have to change it. Keep the 12" though, there might be an occasion when you need it. A man can never have too many chucks.
Look out for a faceplate you can adapt, one is always useful, as big as possible.

[Stepside]

Your question is like going to a dance and asking the guy standing next to you to pick out a girlfriend for you. Just "funning" a bit. It really depends on what you want to do with the lathe. My personal choice would be the highest quality 4-jaw I could afford. I have a 3-jaw for each of my lathes but except for the little Sherline I have never put one on my larger lathes. If you have budget and are going to do a lot of small work a good collet chuck is really handy. So the answer is to "noodle out " what you are going to do. Anything that will work in a 3-jaw will work in a 4-jaw but the inverse is not true.

[Jonesy]

In your other thread you seem to have got a workable 3 jaw now, so possibly the pressure is off a bit there. Its a tricky question, much depends on the size and type of work you'll be doing. I think that 12" 4 jaw is a bit of a monster, so I'd go for a decent 8" or 9" 4 jaw, one that won't induce a hernia when you have to change it. Keep the 12" though, there might be an occasion when you need it. A man can never have too many chucks.
Look out for a faceplate you can adapt, one is always useful, as big as possible.

Yes Richard, the 12" 4 jaw is now a keeper. I've made an 'easy on / off docking station' for it that makes it possible for my old joints to manage.

The 5" is a beaut. But it's mincy.

I'd like something with some mid-range grunt. There's a back plate here screaming... "Feed Me!!, Feed Me!!"

Your question is like going to a dance and asking the guy standing next to to pick out a girlfriend for you.

Last time I did that I met and married 'The Boss'.

Seriously, just got off ebay...how do these people thing their worn out crap is worth so much? If I were a sheister I'd stick the clapped out 8* on there, but there's no way I could live with myself passing on crap like that to unsuspecting bods like myself.

[Jonesy]

The good news is... the freezer's fixed!

[BCRider]

I'm a little thinking the same about the question as Stepside... So no hard suggestion but a few points to ponder to aid with making your own mind up.

You have a lathe that is capable of using a 12 inch four jaw. And by this I mean it's not that it just barely fits but that you can safely use it even with the carriage in tight to the chuck and the jaws sticking out past the OD by some amount?

I could not even mount that size of chuck on my 12 x 36 and then wheel the carriage in close enough to do a small part right near the jaws. Never mind with any jaw stickout. So you have a bigger lathe than that.

If it's "yes" to that last question and from my own experience with my 6 inch three jaw I'm thinking that in your shoes I would be looking at a bigger 3 jaw at this point and look at a more modest 6 inch four jaw for higher RPM and modest size parts later on.

Right now you're fairly hamstrung with the limits of a 5" three jaw on your size of lathe. I know this to be a fact as I have a nice little Bison 5" on my 6" rotary table. It's nice but it's rather limited. And again the fact that you can work with the 12" four jaw suggests that an 8" three jaw would not be out of the question at all. And then in another year when you can gain brownie points through some other major appliance repair or sending her on a week long get away in some warm place then go for a nice tidy and light 6" four jaw to complement the big 12 inch monster.

At least that's how I think I'd look at this if I were in the same position with that size of machine.

[mikey553]

I have 8" 3-jaw and 8" 4-jaw chucks for my 12 x 36 lathe. I can tell you the 3-jaw weighs much more than the 4-jaw. Keep that in mind. 8" 4-jaw is rather light weight.

[Jonesy]

I have 8" 3-jaw and 8" 4-jaw chucks for my 12 x 36 lathe. I can tell you the 3-jaw weighs much more than the 4-jaw. Keep that in mind. 8" 4-jaw is rather light weight.

I must admit I was quite stunned at the weight of the 8" 3 jaw. Not as heavy as the 12" 4 jaw, but still too dammed heavy for an old fart like me.

I see 8" chucks from china that look quite light weight. Trouble is the bolt centres are too wide for the 7" back plate. There's a guy on ebay with a possible 7", with both sets of jaws, and it's brand new, but he wants me to finance the new royal yacht with the postage costs! I've asked him to re-consider his pricing policy.

OT.... As I've mentioned royal.... The Queen has covid. This is not good. I am wishing Her well.

[BCRider]

That made me finally weigh my own 8" four jaw. With the wood carrier and handle as shown it's 44 pounds. The carrier was made and then trimmed so I can seat it as shown and directly screw it onto the spindle nose without any need to lift it up and support it on the threads.

The 6" three jaw is light enough that I handle it directly... .But the day is coming for a second wood carrier....

[BCRider]

I must admit I was quite stunned at the weight of the 8" 3 jaw. Not as heavy as the 12" 4 jaw, but still too dammed heavy for an old fart like me.

I see 8" chucks from china that look quite light weight. Trouble is the bolt centres are too wide for the 7" back plate. There's a guy on ebay with a possible 7", with both sets of jaws, and it's brand new, but he wants me to finance the new royal yacht with the postage costs! I've asked him to re-consider his pricing policy.

OT.... As I've mentioned royal.... The Queen has covid. This is not good. I am wishing Her well.

Wood carrier for you then.

It was a big relief and a whole lot less fussing when I built and started to use the carrier. Can't recommend it enough. And if you don't have a wood shop the cuts needed can be done with the metal bandsaw. Just buy one of the coarser teeth for the wood and use it later with bigger section blocks or bars of metal. The radius needed for an 8" body can be cut with the set on the coarser metal blades.

And hoping she gets better quickly. It's like a bad flu. And that's more than bad enough.

[mikey553]

My 8" three jaw weighs 38.5 lb and four jaw - 30 lb. Both chucks have a direct D1-4 mount to the spindle, no backplates. This is one more advantage of D-spindles.

[Jonesy]

BCR... your pic on another thread inspired me to build a quick change for the 12". It lives on a platform behind the lathe, and rolls across a bridge onto the bed, where it's 1/2 a mil lower than the spindle. A gentle shove and it's home.

If I do get an 8", it'll need to be lighter than yours!

I'll have to weigh the 12", and the 8" scrapper. Interesting to know. They'll weigh it at the metal yard anyway.

The 12" is in it's 'resting' position in this pic...

[BCRider]

A bridge to the parking lot in the rear sounds like a very nice option. It doesn't get loaded down with chips though? Or do you have a little shower curtain to deflect the chips? Did I just give you yet another idea?

It's all about working smarter rather than harder, eh?

If you go with this bridge idea for an 8" three jaw you might just need a way to conduct it down the bed a short way and then bridge it across to sit beside the spot for the four jaw. Perhaps run the tail stock to the chuck and extend the quill far enough to fit into the three jaws which are adjsuted for a close but not clamped fit? With a copper or aluminium sheet guard so it doesn't mark the quill? Use the tail stock to shift the chuck along the bed a little then set up the bridge to support the chuck while you slide the tail stock away and then roll it back into the second spot?

[JRouche]

I've had permission from the boss to buy 1 new chuck as long as I fix the freezer that's just packed up.

So, while my son is re-making the wiring loom for the freezer, I'm loose on ebay.

I have a 12" independent 4 jaw, and a 5" 3 jaw scroll.

I have 1 spare 7" back plate left over from a scrapped 8" through-bolt 3 jaw.

Would you buy a 3 jaw or a 4 jaw to plug the gap?

I love it!! You must have been nice and its always good to produce a kid, male or female that can re-loom a thing while you contemplate. Good job, and yes! I can not help you. I am a lil jelly, I dont have a lathe that likes a 12" four jaw..

So I would be shopping for a smaller four jaw, myself. I dont particularly like scroll chucks. I can wrap up a workpiece in my four jaw in moments. Piece of cake and I dont use the lazy chuck much. You would be surprised because there a lot here in my shop. "The Lazy Chuck" tm . JR

[J Tiers]

Since you have a large 4 jaw, the obvious idea is a smaller one to match with the 3 jaw. The 12" will cover for anything down to maybe a 6", most likely, so I'd think about a 6" or so 4 jaw.