Adjustable 3 jaw chuck

B

Brian

Guest
I have a grizzly 12x36 lathe and do my own barrel work. I would love to have a adjustable 3 jaw chuck but just can't afford a Buck or even a Bison at this time. A Bison with the backplate I need would run close to $1000.00 I found a place that sells import adjustable 3 jaw 8" chucks. They were about $475.00 and that included a d1-5 backplate. They were from a place called Shars. Has anyone ever used one of these or know anything about them?
 
An independent 4 jaw chuck adjusts the same way as an adjustable 3 or 6 jaw chuck. The only difference is the pressure applied to the barrel. And with a 4 jaw, you can still make even pressure, it just takes a little practice.

Don't be fooled that an adjustable chuck eliminates the need to indicate a barrel.
 
i have not dealt with them, but i do have an import adjustable 3 jaw.
i like it.....
 
Wayne Shaw said:
An independent 4 jaw chuck adjusts the same way as an adjustable 3 or 6 jaw chuck. The only difference is the pressure applied to the barrel. And with a 4 jaw, you can still make even pressure, it just takes a little practice.

Don't be fooled that an adjustable chuck eliminates the need to indicate a barrel.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wayne...I understand how an adjustable 3 jaw works and that the barrel still needs to be dialed in. I really like the idea of even pressure around the barrel though. There are also times when I have a project that just needs a plain old 3 jaw. Not having to change chucks is great for an old lazy guy like me.
 
Are you speaking of an independent 3 jaw or or a scroll type? An adjust true 3 jaw, scroll is another animal big difference between them. If you look in The Griz catalog you can match that price or better they have a bunch of chucks all imports as are all the less costly chucks. You can get a 6 jaw independent plain back plus the D1-5 back plate for about what you just quoted from griz.
A 3jaw scroll, D1-5, 6" is listed as $150 and has the top jaws reversible instead of having to switch when outside clamping is needed.
You could get their 6jaw scroll, adjust true, 6" plus the backing plate and shipping and still stay under $500
For Dialing in the 6 jaw independent is perhaps a bit more finicky than a 4 but less pressure on each jaw with better holding and less deformity due to being more equalized around the circumference.
Note that an adjust true style chuck is to get the chuck jaws running true to the axis of the head, not really meant to dial the part in, So in the case of a barrel where you want to dial in the bore the independent jaw chuck is what you should be after.
 
blades said:
Note that an adjust true style chuck is to get the chuck jaws running true to the axis of the head, not really meant to dial the part in, So in the case of a barrel where you want to dial in the bore the independent jaw chuck is what you should be after.
Click to expand...

so why are we all dialing in bbls with adjust true style chucks ??

cause it works and its quick ?

maybe


mike in co
 
A few months ago

Jackie Schmidt put up some pictures of him chambering a barrel in a 3 jaw chuck. I wondered at the time "Wassup" with this?!! Someone mentioned that he was using an adjustable three jaw chuck, which I had not heard of. Unless I am missing something, he was able to true up the barrel to be able to chamber it, no?
 
Pete

That's correct, I use a 3-Jaw Set True made by Buck. I also have a 6-Jaw, but prefer the 3-Jaw for barrel work.

I have about every style of chuck made in my shop, and for small round items such as barrels, I will use nthe 3-Jaw Set True before anything.

Blades might not know what we are referring to when we speak of a "3-Jaw Set True" Chuck......jackie
 
I have had a Pratt 4 jaw chuck and a Pratt 3 jaw chuck from day one... and I can not justify buying an adjustable 3 jaw...
 
Adjust tru chuck

Brian,
Put the D1/5 backplate and 6 in adjust tru chuck from Shars on my lathe . I am very happy with it and also with the service from Shars. Dale
 
Dennis Sorensen said:
I have had a Pratt 4 jaw chuck and a Pratt 3 jaw chuck from day one... and I can not justify buying an adjustable 3 jaw...
Click to expand...

how about the time you save setting up ?

tension is in the jaws, adjust is in the chuck..

very quick

mike in co
 
mike in co said:
how about the time you save setting up ?

tension is in the jaws, adjust is in the chuck..

very quick

mike in co
Click to expand...

It take me about 10 minutes to get the 4 jaw dialled in...

I don't know what a quality adjustable 3 jaw would cost me, or how much time it would save... how many $ versus how many minutes?
 
WisFinnlander said:
Brian,
Put the D1/5 backplate and 6 in adjust tru chuck from Shars on my lathe . I am very happy with it and also with the service from Shars. Dale
Click to expand...

Dale...Do you ever wish you had bought the 8" or are you perfectly happy with the 6" ? I can't decide. Was the backplate a perfect fit or did you need to machine it at all?
 
Adjust Tru chuck

Brian,
You have to machine the step into the backing plate , drill and tap to put the chuck on the plate. All straight forward procedure. So far I have not needed the 8 in but that is probably what i would get if doing it over.
Like everyone else says it saves you no time over the four jaw but is so handy for other 3 jaw work and is very accurate and simple to adjust for precision work. I also made a spider for my face plate which allows work through the headstck on a 20 in barrel.
Don't turn the step too deep for the adjustment recess or you will come out the back of the plate. Dale
 
jackie schmidt said:
That's correct, I use a 3-Jaw Set True made by Buck. I also have a 6-Jaw, but prefer the 3-Jaw for barrel work.

I have about every style of chuck made in my shop, and for small round items such as barrels, I will use nthe 3-Jaw Set True before anything.

Blades might not know what we are referring to when we speak of a "3-Jaw Set True" Chuck......jackie
Click to expand...

Jackie,

Why do you prefer the 3 jaw over the 6 jaw?

Justin
 
6 jaw chucks are best for thin work, like tubing. They also attract chips inside them like a magnet, they can be a pain for general work. You are better off spending more on a good 3 jaw, unless you are working with thin walled parts.

Buy a Bison steel chuck or a Buck if you are wanting any resemblance of accuracy. Just keep in mind that there is no really great "scroll chuck", for precision work. At least not in the price range you would want to pay. Even Bucks ain't what they used to be. In the machine business a scroll chuck is considered good enough for roughing. You will always see a piece of alum or brass laying on a lathe, to knock the chuck in.

If you really want it to run true, you will use soft jaws or move the jaws around to zero the work, BUT it's only a one shot deal. A adjustable 3 or 6 jaw scroll chuck is only somewhat repeatable at the size you trued it, It is not for different diameters.
 
I Have To Ask

I still get the feeling that, (based on comments), that many of the posters do not know what a "set true" scroll chuck is.

You can dial a piece in to within what ever your lathe's spindle bearings run with a set-true three jaw, (or six jaw), scroll chuck.

I have been a Machinist for just about my entire life. I have used just about everything when it concerns manual machine work. 90 percent of our shop work is performed in 4-jaws, from 16 inchers to 50 inchers. This is what you use when you need maximum holding power with the ability to indicate dead true.

But, for convienience when working with small precision parts that are subjected to light cuts and minimum tool pressure, (such as barrel work), the little 3-jaw set-true chucks are a really neat thing to have.

It was asked why I use the 3-jaw instead of the 6-jaw. Mainly, that is what stays on out little Pratt & Whitney tool room lathe. So, I just use it when I want to do a barrel........jackie
 
I have been considering a 3 jaw set true for some time now but I keep telling myself I cannot justify the expense since I am a hobby guy not a pro. Then I go out and buy another rifle I might use once a year. Oh yeah... that makes perfect sense.

About the jaw tension, doesn't the set tru adjust the whole chuck and not the jaws independently therefore the tension remains original? Isn't this the one that has the mounting plate as an attached piece to the back of the chuck that makes the chuck adjustable?

I'm considering installing 1/4x28 allen screws inside the jaws of my cheap junk 3 jaw scroll. I'm thinking I can back them off for everything else and use them for dialing in a piece such as a barrel. Why wouldn't this work?
 
the surface area of three 1/4 screws would not provide much holding powder.

an import is not production shop quality but will work well for the home/hobby machinist esp for bbl work.

mike in co
 
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