Lathe Chucks - Help me Spend my money!!!

[tim0625]

I have an old Delta lathe 48" that I'm rebuilding that was in a shop fire. I have the bearings installed and it's painted and ready to fit with a motor. (BTW, its a 1" 8tpi) I want a chuck to turn bowls and also to hold something round (like round stock) to drill a hole in the center like for making a lamp.  Also I want to make pens.  I want the chuck versatile and have a variety of accessories.  

From the Nova site -

WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
The Nova & SuperNova have one of the most extensive ranges of optional jaws and accessories available: 25mm (1") jaws, Pin jaws, Step Jaws, 35 & 45mm Spigot jaws, 100mm (4") jaws, 130mm Jumbo jaws, PowerGrip Jaws, Cole Jaws, Vari jaws, Spur center etc

 

Well that's impressive....I don't yet know what a lot of it means but it seems that this is a good system.  What say ye???

Nova? G3? Talon? I'm green as a gourd when it comes to turning so recommendations on the chucks are needed.  I don't want to spend the money two or three times. 

Also, I think the lathe originally came with a 1/2 HP motor.  I remember using the lathe in my father-in-law's shop it it seemed a little under powered.  I have a few HVAC motors that are 1/2HP that I could fit it with....THEN I also have a 2HP motor that I've had rebuilt.  One of these or a more specialized motor for the lathe? (PS... 220v isn't a problem and I could rig the HVAC motor that has 3 speeds with three wall switches....just turn one switch off and immediately turn on the next higher rpm switch. Kind of a redneck rigging but it would work) Help, please and thank you.

Tim

 

[Miles11we]

I have the wood river chuck and the nova midi for my small lathe

The wood river served me well for a long time but is all but retired now i have the nova. Neverhad any problems with it, much much better than the woodriver.

For my big powermatic i just got i still need to get a chuck for but it has a 1 1/2 x 8tpi spindle so i have limited options but probably either the titan or oneway stronghold (leaning towards oneway)

[duckkisser]

I have the nova midi for most of my bowl turning it locks in and has strong jaws so that is my go too for heaver turnings as well as smaller stuff but it only comes with one set of jaws. but from time to time I need larger jaws or smaller jaws for different projects so I got a second chuck.  http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSC2000C.html this is a nice chuck with lots of versatility because it comes with several sets of jaws. eventuly if you turn often you will find that a second chuck is handy for example I have a bowl in a face plate now with inlay drying.   I mounted a bowl in my barracuda which is now has epoxy drying and to keep working my nova has a 11 inch fruit bowl chucked up on my lathe.  I would get the nova midi because its such a rock solid part, the barracuda is versatile not the best but I just wanted a part time chuck for extra projects and finally a large flat jaw chuck similar to this one http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCJC8.html or http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/6/1/25/103/-/4604/RMWoodCo-Modern-Longworth-Chuck I bought the flat jaw chuck because it would allow me to chuck up odd shaped projects I lose speed but I gain versatility..  for example if I was wanted to keep the oval shaped piece of wood I could screw in my pins in anther shape other then a circle.

[Miles11we]

But yeah i keep my woodriver around for the most part to leave the cole jaws on it, and i took the set of pin jaws i have for it and made them shorter and use them for small turnings.

I love the nova i have 4 sets of jaws for it that can handle most situations. Much more solid and i feel safer using it vs the woodriver (had a couple things slip out of the jaws an never did with the nova). Its also heavier an dampens vibration better. Has a set screw to help keep it from loosening which is great because i often like to slow down the turning by grabbing the flywheel (i no i no that it can be dangerous..) which normally is fine but with the added mass if the cole jaws on the woodriver and a heavy turning i one time had it spin off so the set screw is awesome on the nova.

Apparently all jaw sets will fit any nova chuck so if you get a couple you don need two sets of each set of jaws.

I cant remark on any other chucks because those two are the only ones iv used but i can say i love the nova

[duckkisser]

the set screws are great my lathe goes in reverse  and without the screw it would roll off.

 

the flat jaw set I have showed has 3 sized pins

 

I had thought to buy jaws for my nova but they individual jaws are expensive rather have a extra chuck that comes with several size jaws.

[HolzMechaniker]

G3 or Talon.  with that heafty of a lathe at least the G3..  Midi's are nice and there are other that will cost way more and do the same thing.  I have two Midi's myself.  Yet if I go bigger down the road. I will be getting the G3.

[man of wood]

 

Oneway

[calblacksmith]

You are going to get a thumbs up on whatever people have and are happy with. Oneway, Teknatool, both are good, buy quality and you will be happy.

When I bought my SN2, Woodcraft was having a blow out sale and it got the chuck and 4 sets of jaws for around $200 or about the price of the chuck by it's self,  if memory serves. A price like that is hard to pass up if you need a chuck so I have the Super Nova 2 and am very happy with it. I am quite sure that I would be just as happy with the Oneway, I have seen them in the store and they look quality too.

Just go big enough that you are not going to wish for more chuck later. My personal view is that the manufacturers do a pretty good job of saying what size lathe the chuck should be used on. Make sure it will go or has jaws that go to a size that will handle your work now and what you think you might get into later.