Highest quality chuck?

S

skipkh

New member
Well I thought I knew it all :)

I posted a note today about Buck having a big sale on their chucks, only to find out that they are (possibly) being built in Asia now! I own a few older Buck chucks and they are very good chucks. But now I'm curious - who is left making good chucks?

Most of my chucks are Rohm, and they are fabulous, but near impossible to find new in the USA and quite expensive! So... who's making top-flight chucks these days? The only other name I know of is Bison, but I really know nothing about them... opinions?

Skip
 
Skip:
The Bison is less of a product than the 'new' Bucks.
We shipped in a new Buck for the last new lathe here this past spring and sent it back. Ended up with a duplicate of the 8" Pratt-Burnerd we have w/ 4 quadrant truing adjustment and 6 bolt face. You can expect to pay in the neighborhood of 1200 for same with the back plate of your choice.
We run Shunks and Northfields on the controlled spindes.

HTH
alan
 
I'm guessing that the question is about scroll chucks? If so the Yuasa three jaw puts the Buck adjust to shame. I think a search on Thomas.net will find just about anything you could want.

I know that the Yuasa is suppose to give a TIR of .0005, mine comes in at .0003.
 
chucks

Seems like the chuck makers have limited interest in producing product for manual equipment. Buck/Forquardt maybe sourcing offshore. It would be interesting to know.
I priced chucks for a Hardinge with taper mount a few months ago and Rohm and PBA were over $1k with mounting plate for a 4 jaw.
 
Chucks

In the real world of Machine Shops, you really do not expect a 3-jaw scroll chuck to run that true. It is made for chucking up round stock,(or hex), where the piece will be finished machined on all sufaces, and then, (usually), parted off. We have Rome Chucks, BuckChucks, Cushman, and other brands.
In a four jaw,it really doesn't make much difference. Just get a chuck that is heavy duty enough for the size and horsepower of the lathe.
For our small tool room lathes, we have 3 and 6 jaw Buck Set True Chucks. They are real handy for getting things dead true, with little hassle. But they are nor designed for heavy cutting, or pounding around on.
It doesn't surprise me that you can't get a chuck that is USA made. Good Grief. What IS made in the USA anymore.
For the hobbyist, you do not need a $2500 chuck hanging off of a lathe that didn't even cost much more than that to begin with. Get a little set true 3-jaw, a cheap little 4-jaw, and learn to work within the limits that they present........jackie
 
Jackie,

I've read many of your posts - and you always seem to have something sage to say :)

I agree wholeheartedly with your response, and share your frustration - soon enogh they will be making test-tube American babies overseas!

If I were giving advice to an amature hobbyist, I too would not recommend hanging an expensive chuck off a cheap machine. I am still seeking some comment though, as I am willing to make the commtiment in price to a premium tool and I am hanging it off a high quality DIN 8605 certified lathe - not a off-name asian box or worn out, but was once amazing unit. I gunsmith and shoot as a hobby, but some of my maching for other purposes requires very demanding accuracy, which is why we currently use Rohm - and have a few Buck chuck's around. With that said, do you still think the currently built Buck Set True would be appropriate? I have plenty of good independant chucks, but my trusty 6" Rohm scroll chuck grew legs the other day, and my 10" won't hold smaller pieces...

Many thanks!

Skip
 
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