please help looking to buy 4 jaw lathe chuck have asked before but still confused

I own the Oneway Talon and I love mine. When I bought mine it came with the thread adapter for the thread pitch that was on my lathe but now I see you pay extra for it. Whichever one you choose get a model that uses the 1 key tightening. It’s definitely more convenient. If cost is a bigger issue than convenience then I wouldn’t completely dismiss the two bar system. I hope this helps!

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I have a similar chuck made by Nova TeknaTool I got from Woodcraft. Originally, I had a chuck- same design- for my previous lathe. That chuck was an oriental knock off. It was so bad that the folks- where I bought the lathe- gave it to me because they couldn’t sell them. The “cheap” chuck, they gave me, would vibrate loose. Worse, if I had to remove the work piece and then re-chuck it, the piece would not be centered. It seemed there was enough slack in the jaw mechanism to cause uneven clamping.

Anyway, the chuck I have now is great. It holds securely whether clamping the inside or outside of a piece. It uses the two “posts” for tightening- which I have not found to be a problem. It didn’t come with any additional jaws and was more expensive than the one from Penn State. After my first experience with the lesser quality chuck, I am a little gun shy, of inexpensive tools. Re-chucking the piece always ends up being centered. I haven’t purchased any additional jaws. Found excellent jigs here on LJs to eliminate the expense of those purchases.

Hope this helps.

Lew

-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

I use the Oneway Stronghold chuck for larger work and more precision. It’s much heavier than other chucks and as such has a tendency to dampen vibrations lbetter than the lighter ones.
That being said, I also have 2 Penn state chucks with “Tommy Bars” and find them very handy for passing off a vessel from top to bottom attchment. ( one on the headstock and one on the tail)

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

What do you know… Double post. Ooops…

-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!

I have a similar chuck, a Wood River Self Center 4 jaw chuck. The 2 bar tightening mechanism isn’t the pain some turners make it out to be. Unless you have an exceptionally weak grip, and if you do, I can’t see you wanting to wrestle with a lathe… Mind you, a single key tightening chuck is nice, but I don’t see how it’s worth twice, or more the money… I only wish I had known about that particular PSI chuck deal since I REALLY want the big bowl jaws for mine, and my local Woodcraft never has them in stock…

-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!

I also have a midi lathe w/ 12 inches of swing. I purchased a supernova chuck from woodcraft when it was on sale(aprox. $100), and have been pleased with it since. I can see how having a 1-tool tightening chuck would be helpfull. Also, keep in mind that some chucks requre you to turn a “dovetailed” tenon, while others simply require a straight walled tenon.

I use a PIS Barracuda chuck and am happy with it. Amazon.com offers free shipping and it is a heavy item.

-- A childs smile is payment enough.

I also purchased the PSI barracuda 2 chuck as it came with 4 sets of jaws and key set. I have been very happy with it. Having all those jaw options makes it nice in gripping choices.

-- Tom D