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enginebuilder

Stainless
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Location
Kalispell, Montana
Has anyone experience with the lathe chucks from Grizzly Industrial? They have a 8" six jaw chuck with adjust-tru for $329.00, plain back. Was wandering if it is any good or just a cheap piece that's gonna give me trouble? I have need to do a lot of tubing and automotive engine cylinder sleeve work that a 6 jaw would be nice for, better holding power without distortion. I recently bought their "ALoris" knock off quick change tool post set up, and except for the knurling tool, it works really good.(although all of the set screws included, need to be replace with real ones) I also bought one of their triple bearing live centers, and it is kind of crunchy feeling in the hand but seems to run nice under load. After being burned several times buying what looks like a good deal, I'm getting more cautious. At $329, it seems pretty resonable for a 6 jaw run-tru.
Jim
 
"... although all of the set screws included, need to be replace with real ones ..."

This happened with Phase II's setscrews as well.

I guess when one manufactures to a "price point", something's got to give.

You will not find that kind of skimping with Aloris (or Dorian, etcetera), which make real QCTP systems, and not just knockoffs.

That having been said, Grizzly sells to a "price point" as well, and its generic 8" six-jaw may be made in one Chinese factory one month, and in another factory the next month.

However, I have purchased Chinese chucks, usually 6-1/4" (160mm) ... 6" (150mm) chucks are now pretty much dead as the Dodo Bird ... or 5" (125mm), when I can get them, and have been favorably impressed with the value.

Now, I buy a "flat-back" chuck and then I make my own backs, applying a "set-true" modification in the process.

If you can make your own backs, then you can make almost any flat-back chuck into a set-true chuck.

Such a back will project deeper into the chuck's interior, and will necessarily have a shoulder against which the four added adjusters bear. I use metric-sized brass insert type set screws for my adjusters. I obtain these from Reid Tool.

You did not state what mount you need. Screw mounts often are problematic as there is a South Bend "register" and a generic register, and the two are somewhat different, although both are nominally 1-1/2"-8 (or 2-1/4"-8, or whatever). Camlock backs are another matter, and there have even been some name brand Camlock backs which would not register properly without modifications. In this unfortunate case, you modify the back, not the lathe's spindle.

I have a Buck set-true for my Monarch 10EE (sold by Monarch with the machine) and it is a nice chuck, although if still available today (I think all of Buck's chucks may be made offshore now) it might be priced at a couple of times the price of an import.

One thing to keep in mind about scroll chucks is they will repeat only to one workpiece dimension, so when you zero-set your chuck for, say, 1", it will not necessarily be zero for, say, 2".

And, then there's the "master pinion" vs. "auxiliary pinion" thing.

Fortunately, the Cushman chucks which came with my 10EEs have only one pinion. But, these are all steel and are rated for 4,000 rpm.
 
"My lathe has a 1-7/8-8 threaded spindle, I will need to mkae the back plate."

I'd say so, as that's not one of the more popular spindle threads.

Victor and others stock rough cast plates in common sizes, but those which are larger than slightly over 6-1/4" are more costly.
 








 
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