Rotary table chuck thoughts?

I'm looking for a 6 inch chuck for my smaller rotary. The rotary is one of the Haas HRC-160 units.
What are your thoughts on 3 jaw vs 6 jaw chucks for general rotary work? I'm kind of leaning toward 6 jaw right now. I've been kicking around going with a 16c collet chuck also but I think that may be a different tool all together.

I put a Lang Quick-Point mount on my rotary so I can quick swap fixtures and have them on center. I use one of their Makro-Grip vises, an ER-16 collet fixture, an ER-40 collet fixture, and a cheap 3-jaw 6" chuck I found laying around. They all work well for their respective parts for what I'm doing. Where I'd go with a six jaw is if you're doing rings that may distort in a 3 jaw.

ARB said:

I'm looking for a 6 inch chuck for my smaller rotary. The rotary is one of the Haas HRC-160 units.
What are your thoughts on 3 jaw vs 6 jaw chucks for general rotary work? I'm kind of leaning toward 6 jaw right now. I've been kicking around going with a 16c collet chuck also but I think that may be a different tool all together.

Click to expand...

We use a 3 jaw all the time in our 160 model for Haas. Unless you need to cut diameters / features / etc and match them to the OD of a previously turned part or something the 3 jaw should be fine IMO. I should state we have the adjustable 3 jaw so it is pretty easy to dial it into zero runout (depending on your needs). BUT we don't really use it for that work, we use it mostly to mill parts that would otherwise need 4-5 setups to reach different faces, and our work is pretty small. I highly recommend getting the matching tailstock if you do anything longer than a few inches...

5" (127MM) PNEUMATIC TAILSTOCK | Pneumatic Tailstocks | Tailstocks | Rotary Accessories | Performance Upgrade | Haas Parts | Genuine OEM Haas Automation(R) Parts Factory-Direct

That ^^ was a lifesaver on the last batch of parts we ran on the rotary, highly recommend it!!

edit: not sure why, but on that page it says operating range of 10-60psi, and our manual we got with it says 10-100psi (with a corresponding chart for pressure/force conversion)

We ran the last job at 80-90 psi for the record. 100 or so pieces with lots of stock removal and no problems

I have a small 6" (?) 3 jaw from Bison for this app.

I cannot imagine trying to use a 6 jaw that small?


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

ARB said:

I'm looking for a 6 inch chuck for my smaller rotary. The rotary is one of the Haas HRC-160 units.
What are your thoughts on 3 jaw vs 6 jaw chucks for general rotary work? I'm kind of leaning toward 6 jaw right now. I've been kicking around going with a 16c collet chuck also but I think that may be a different tool all together.

Click to expand...

I have a 3 jaw and 4 jaw for general work. I don't do a lot of plastic, or thin-walled stuff that distorts enough to warrant a 6-jaw. The four jaw is extremely flexible for job-shop stuff in very low quantities. The three jaw is my go-to for popping out tens or hundreds of parts.

If you do get a 6" chuck, get something with two piece jaws for sure.
You can mill away parts of a soft top-jaw for tool-holder clearance as well as come up with some pretty neat setups to hold oddly shaped parts.

For example: Grab the chuck with a big v-block in your vise, dial in on center and mill your extrusion profile into some aluminum pie-jaws.


Tool holder clearance becomes an issue with the 4th axis as the work and tools get smaller.
To keep your tool and part stick-out short you're better off with a collet system in those cases.

I agree - make sure to git 2pc jaws.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

I have a 210, however it doesnt make much difference in the size. most of these guys made good points only thing I can add about the 2 piece jaw set is we cut our jaws for the 6" chuck we put on our 210. sometimes we have to use full pie jaws as well. I dont like the hard jaws that come with the cheaper chucks as they tend to not hold evenly and they will make parts.

to cut the jaws we take the chuck with alum jaws stick it in a lathe cut the jaws to size, put it on the rotary and indicate in.
I use our lathes collet chucks for the 210 also( you can for the 160 units too. so I have 5c 16c 20s avail. when I need them. just have to make a collet locking bar which is pretty simple. you will also might have to make a spacer to slip over the back side of collet so the face of the locking bar can ride on it.
I use the same dia as the id of the 4th unit, then machine the female version of the threads in it, put a hole through on the back side and a 1/2 rod through it to tighten.

the 4th will add a hole lot of options,

6 jaw in my opinion would be nice, however with a 3 jaw you have more room to get tooling between the jaws than you do with a 6 jaw.

Thanks guys. You guys confirmed my thoughts all around.
Probably going to buy a 3 jaw Buck or Bison adjust Tru. Most of the time I'm using a fixture of some sort but there are times when just grabbing a part in a chuck for a one off is going to be handy.

I’ve got a 6” 3 jaw I use on the table and an 8” 6 jaw I use on the table. Same chucks go on my rotary.

I have found that parts in the 3 jaw are much more prone to chattering due to the limited contact. If your milling soft jaws, then it is less of an issue as you can get near 100% depending on part.

My personal experience, when I get my fancy 4th, will be to get a 6 jaw.

Make sure you get 2-pc jaws. My 6-jaw has solid OD jaws, which based on the cost of a set of master jaws from BUCK, I will be milling them into master jaws.

mhajicek said:

I put a Lang Quick-Point mount on my rotary so I can quick swap fixtures and have them on center. I use one of their Makro-Grip vises, an ER-16 collet fixture, an ER-40 collet fixture, and a cheap 3-jaw 6" chuck I found laying around. They all work well for their respective parts for what I'm doing. Where I'd go with a six jaw is if you're doing rings that may distort in a 3 jaw.

Click to expand...

^^^^ THIS ^^^^ Thanks, and "Good on yah!"

Choices. Several. That's an obvious "plus".

Fast, low-hassle selection between and among your personal arsenal of choices is even more important and NOT as blinding obvious.

Without that convenience, choices don't get UTILIZED ... and yer forever wasting time and working around risk at fudging sub-optimal compromises, year... after year...after year...

"Yes" to separate top-jaws as well... 6-jaw even more than a 3.

Think it through. Rotabs don't run at high RPM as a lathe spindle does.

Sometimes there is a boss or projection to clear on an otherwise uniform part. Remove a jaw, two, even three, not always even symmetrically, and sometimes avoid the need of a special fixture or even custom tops.

2CW