How many chucks does one person need?!?!

Continuing my sort out and trying to slim down my tooling collection it turns out I have quite a few chucks for my Super 7!-

2x 6” independent 4 jaw Burnerds - one of these can definitely go.

- 5” self centring 3 jaw Burnerd ML7 with internal jaws

- 5” self centreing 3 jaw Burnerd ML7 with external jaws - both of these are very little used, I kept these at the time as it was easier to swap chucks than jaws.

- 5” Burnerd Griptru with internal and external jaws - this has seen a fair bit of use from the look of it.

- 5” Bison / Myford 3 jaw SC with internal and external jaws in excellent condition

- 4” TOS 4 jaw self centring with int and ext jaws

- 4” TOS 3 jaw self centring with int and ext jaws, this appears to be new.

I will obviously keep 1x 4 jaw independent, and the tos 4 jaw but really can’t decide which others to keep!

We have a collection at the museum, a 160mm Chinese 4 jaw independent, a 6" lightweight four jaw independent by Toolmex, 2 x 5" Pratt Burnerds 3 jaw scroll, a 125mm Chinese 3 jaw scroll, a 160mm Indian 3 jaw scroll, a Burnerd 6 3/4" three jaw scroll serrated jaws, a 4" Pratt Burnerd 3 jaw scroll. Also, an 80mm three jaw scroll (ex my mini lathe) on a revolving MT2 for the lathe tailstock. Three faceplates and the original Smart & Brown collets.

The all get regular use except the 80mm, we haven't found a job for it yet. THE 6" 4 jaw and one of the PB 5" are also used on a rotary table. There is also an er25 collet plate that fits on the lathe.

The 125mm Chinese chuck and the 5" PB's would seem the same, but the larger jaws in the 125mm give a welcome overlap in the work they can hold, especially with the external jaws.

 As for your choices, make sure you keep the best ones and be sure that there is some overlap in the holding capacity. It sounds that the griptru might be the one to go, have you tried any of the other PB jaws in it?

Edited By old mart on 25/04/2022 21:14:12

Edited By old mart on 25/04/2022 21:17:25

Too many chucks? Impossible - the problem is not enough lathes!

Put them in a box for say 6 months. Take them out if you have to use them.

What is left after 6 months sell on.

One more than you have at present.

I agree with SOD.

JA

I note you do not have any collet chucks or lantern chucks.

Edited By JA on 25/04/2022 22:55:27

🎼♪♬ How many chucks can a Wood chuck, chuck ?

If a Wood chuck, could chuck wood.

I too agree with Dave (SOD), and have a collection of chucks in different sizes, both self-centring and independent and a collet chuck. I like to be able to use a chuck that works well for clampinf the workpiece I'm working on.

Thor

As per Thor, some things require different chucks for optimum work-holding. It’s also handy to be able to swap chucks - to allow a workpiece to remain set-up while executing another job.

4 jaw self centring chucks are not the best option unless the item being held is accurately square or round.

You have two lathes? You give little indication of the condition of these chucks (could be in the same condition as the lathe in your album?).

You may notice the difference in weight between the 6” and 4”. I do!

Whatever we might suggest may well turn out to be a poor idea in the long run. It is your choice. I doubt I would sacrifice my range of vise choice or availability - and certainly not from ‘guesses’ by other forum members who are not aware of your real practical requirements.

Edited By not done it yet on 26/04/2022 08:09:29

How many chucks does one need? - In my case quite a few, but probably not as many as I have. Adding up different types/sizes of chuck for very different lathes inevitably adds up to quite a few. It's very hard t put a 10" chuck on a Cowells lathe. Not so difficult to put a 2" chuck on to a big lathe, but if you already have the small lathe not really necessary.

If you assume a self-centering three jaw and four jaw independent chuck as the basic requirement for each lathe and then start including the 'specials" - 2 jaw, 4 jaw self centering, 6 jaw, collet ( various ) , grip tru, with or without deleting any of the basics, it's easy to see how this can get out of control.

Come to think of it I don't have one of all of the above for each of my lathes - perhaps I need just a few more!

So many toys to buy - but no place to put them!

Pero