Idflatwater
Plastic
- Joined
- May 20, 2017
I traded into a 10L for pretty cheap. It came with two 3jaw chucks and one 6jaw chuck. Most all of my machine shop knowledge cames from a class room but I didn't know they made a 6jaw. How useful are they?
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6jaw chuck for a 10l. What's it worth
- Thread starter Idflatwater
- Start date
- Replies 17
- Views 2,436
A six jaw "might" be good for thin wall work if collets or pot chucks are not to hand. But as the jaws oppose, on a scroll, only two of the jaws ever really clamp the work, the other four come later. (not in a negative way).
Mostly, people / hobbyists like to show off their fancy six jaws like a gun slinger would flash his holstered side arm.
Most practical "six jaw" applications include removing three of the jaws. ;-)
UNLESS...thin wall tubing is the work piece.
Mostly, people / hobbyists like to show off their fancy six jaws like a gun slinger would flash his holstered side arm.
Most practical "six jaw" applications include removing three of the jaws. ;-)
UNLESS...thin wall tubing is the work piece.
Beg to differ, used six jaws almost exclusively for years, I love them. Except for costing twice as much for top jaws and taking twice as long to change, they work super.
Use soft top jaws, preload then skim them to fit the parts, they grip on all six.
Is it a Buck ? Set up correctly you can indicate the parts by adjusting the screws between the chuck body and the adapter plate. They are especially good for short pieces like gear blanks, where you are holding by only a little bit of material.
steve-l
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
- Location
- Geilenkirchen, Germany
I have a 6 jaw chuck mounted almost permanently on my 13 x 40 late model SB. I have 3 lathes and this one is my middle size machine. The 6 jaw is very useful because it reduces the required clamping pressure on all parts for a secure hold.
Idflatwater
Plastic
- Joined
- May 20, 2017
So basically it is just a better way to turn round thinner walled projects? It'll do the job of a 4jaw except four square projects?
traditional-tools
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Location
- West Coast
No, a 6-jaw uses a scroll and a 4-jaw is *typically* independent. If the 6-jaw is an adjust-tru or similar, it might be possible to get most of the runout down to a minimum, but it will probably never dial in perfectly like a 4-jaw. Square parts can be difficult to center in a 6-jaw, or even hold for that matter.
You should download "How To Run A Lathe" which was published by South Bend, and stick to the basics in the book.
Idflatwater
Plastic
- Joined
- May 20, 2017
I hadn't looked it over at all I was thinking the jaws were independent. I put it in and chucked up a small piece or stock it was with in .005". It was better than the other 3 jaws I got. I need a four jaws is anyone willing to do some trading? In few months I'll be driving from Idaho to Oklahoma, so it would be easy to stop if your in between.
.0002" over wires good enough for you ? Did that all day long ...
traditional-tools
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Location
- West Coast
That's better than I actually need, I usually work to a .001", but happy that it works for you.
I have to admit that seeing a response from China that they're 6-jaw chuck is within 2 tenths makes me wonder if I'm being trolled...
Discount Hewland replacements, Webster Gear. 72A5 Heald. Over wires. Alina tenths indicator, 1 1/2" face. Indicate each part. Federal bore gauge to check the finished parts, Etalon ring gages to set the bore gauge. Had Ingages too, but they were not as handy to use. Accurate, for the time.
Have to admit to cheating once in a while tho ... a stubborn .0003", okay fine, screw it ...
The interesting part was, you can tell the parts that were made in a 3-jaw. The wheel would almost always touch in three places in the bore before it ground all the way around. Maybe a half thou ? Carburized parts, so they relaxed in heat treat ? Which made me wonder, if you indicate to .0002 but the part is .0003 - .0005 out of round, what do you actually end up with ?
The Champ car parts got ground teeth afterwards, but not the Mk IV and FT-200 gears.
steve-l
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
- Location
- Geilenkirchen, Germany
That's better than I actually need, I usually work to a .001", but happy that it works for you.
I have to admit that seeing a response from China that they're 6-jaw chuck is within 2 tenths makes me wonder if I'm being trolled...
I recently bought a 4 jaw scroll chuck with a semi-finished back plate from China. Upon receipt, I finished the back plate perfectly (within .0002). I then mounted the chuck and discovered the run out was always between .006 and .015, never better. The fault was that the scroll itself was not concentric with its bearing. I then threw the brand new chuck in the scrap pile.
Why would you do that ?
steve-l
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
- Location
- Geilenkirchen, Germany
They are handy to have, not necessary, but handy on occasion.
I'm trying to think of an occasion ...
Personally, instead of throwing away a few hundred euros, I'd put the toolpost grinder on the carriage and kiss the pointy parts ... but I'm a cheapskate
michiganbuck
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035
QT :[ Steve-l : I recently bought a 4 jaw scroll chuck with a semi-finished back plate from China. Upon receipt, I finished the back plate perfectly (within .0002). I then mounted the chuck and discovered the run out was always between .006 and .015, never better. The fault was that the scroll itself was not concentric with its bearing. I then threw the brand new chuck in the scrap pile.] What a shame when a new thing has to go scrap.
I would think the entire front works of a chuck might be made together so might run fairly close.. then the flip over and manufacture of the back might be set error to flat and error to center. so the fix of the error chuck might be to tool or grind the back off a held part or off the front. but with going from .006 to .015 suggest it would not repeat so perhaps no fix would make it better than zero to perhaps ,009..
For the OP the 6 jaw likely worth 100 to 300 if off brand running .005.. could perhaps shim back to see if it might repeat better and at a few sizes and not wobble too bad.. then tool the back it that proved a goo choice... or just keep the ,005 as good enough.
I would think the entire front works of a chuck might be made together so might run fairly close.. then the flip over and manufacture of the back might be set error to flat and error to center. so the fix of the error chuck might be to tool or grind the back off a held part or off the front. but with going from .006 to .015 suggest it would not repeat so perhaps no fix would make it better than zero to perhaps ,009..
For the OP the 6 jaw likely worth 100 to 300 if off brand running .005.. could perhaps shim back to see if it might repeat better and at a few sizes and not wobble too bad.. then tool the back it that proved a goo choice... or just keep the ,005 as good enough.
steve-l
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2012
- Location
- Geilenkirchen, Germany
Unfortunately, the labor cost of repairing the error was not worth the cost of another new chuck. Buying from China is a crap shoot. Sometimes you're lucky and sometimes you're not. I bought my 6 jaw universal from China and its run out was .001, go figure.
traditional-tools
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Location
- West Coast
Quite a difference between a 6-jaw scroll chuck and a 4-jaw independent. I don't doubt you can hit 2 tenths with a 4-jaw, but hitting 2 tenths with a scroll is a different story.
I don't use a 6-jaw, most all the time the 4-jaw works for me, or a 3-jaw in a pinch. I have about 5 tenths TIR on a Buck 3-jaw Adjust-Tru, but it is not perfect. I can adjust my 4-jaw better.
