best chuck for a 12 inch lathe

Coalman said:
I am new at this and I just bought a 12 inch Craftsman (atlas) That came with a 5 in 3 jaw chuck with only one set of jaws. The jaws only open to about 2 3/4 inches I am looking at getting another chuck to do larger pieces. What would the largest chuck That I could use safely and also that would not stress the machine ( was at grizzly today and salesman said anything bigger than a 6 would ruin the bearings?) also 3 or 4 jaw ?Thanks in advance Kevin
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I have a Craftsman 12" Lathe, 1943 vintage and I recently purchased a new three jaw chuck from Enco. I had the same three jaw chuck you described when I purchased my machine and I was not happy with it. Well to shorten the story, ENCO ran a special and I purchased their "Three Jaw "Set Tru" Scroll Chuck model # 272-5000 that lists for $327.00 and then purchased their Part # 274.5090, 6.25" back plate for $188.46. Now the chuck was on sale and I don't remember how much savings their was, but that is not important.

When I received the two items I found out that the back plate did not match up to the face plate, but the price of the chuck made it possible for me to turn the face plate down to fit, I had to drill six holes to mount the face plate to the chuck but it has turned out to be a great combination. I really love the chuck and would recommend the pair to anyone with a Craftsman 12" lathe. It has made a big difference in the quality of my work.

If your budget can handle these item consider them.
 
ML_Woy said:
I have a Craftsman 12" Lathe, 1943 vintage and I recently purchased a new three jaw chuck from Enco. I had the same three jaw chuck you described when I purchased my machine and I was not happy with it. Well to shorten the story, ENCO ran a special and I purchased their "Three Jaw "Set Tru" Scroll Chuck model # 272-5000 that lists for $327.00 and then purchased their Part # 274.5090, 6.25" back plate for $188.46. Now the chuck was on sale and I don't remember how much savings their was, but that is not important.

When I received the two items I found out that the back plate did not match up to the face plate, but the price of the chuck made it possible for me to turn the face plate down to fit, I had to drill six holes to mount the face plate to the chuck but it has turned out to be a great combination. I really love the chuck and would recommend the pair to anyone with a Craftsman 12" lathe. It has made a big difference in the quality of my work.

If your budget can handle these item consider them.
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useally the backing plates come to where you turn it to fit the chuck kinda like training excersize for you i think:thinking: mac
 
That may be the case, but ENCO did not have a plate to match that chuck and it had to be modified. The Backing Plate had three holes to mate the chuck and the chuck required six holes, it was also out of true for the spindle and had to be corrected. But for he price it was a real savings and well worth the modifications.
 
ML_Woy said:
That may be the case, but ENCO did not have a plate to match that chuck and it had to be modified. The Backing Plate had three holes to mate the chuck and the chuck required six holes, it was also out of true for the spindle and had to be corrected. But for he price it was a real savings and well worth the modifications.
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oh yea i found out along time ago if you can do mods your going to save your wallet:)) mac
 
I have an 8" 3 jaw chuck with 2 pice jaws on my Craftsman 12x52 Been fine for 5 years now also have an 8" 4 jaw for it
 
Ray C said:
.... Also note that most jaws are reversible and can be flipped the other way to grab the inside of a large diameter pipe for-example.....
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Should also point out that 3 jaw universal chucks do not have jaws that can be simply flipped around. The drive teeth on the jaws are cut radialy to suit the scroll.
Reversible jaws need to be unbolted from the carrier and turned. Alternatively the chuck may be supplied with a 2nd set of reversed jaws.

Cheers Phil
 
ML_Woy said:
I have a Craftsman 12" Lathe, 1943 vintage and I recently purchased a new three jaw chuck from Enco. I had the same three jaw chuck you described when I purchased my machine and I was not happy with it. Well to shorten the story, ENCO ran a special and I purchased their "Three Jaw "Set Tru" Scroll Chuck model # 272-5000 that lists for $327.00 and then purchased their Part # 274.5090, 6.25" back plate for $188.46. Now the chuck was on sale and I don't remember how much savings their was, but that is not important.
Click to expand...

Can someone explain why a 6.25" round plate with a few holes in sells for so much? $188 sounds like a lot for a backplate but i have seen them priced like this as well I am sure that I am missing something. Thanks!
 
I have seen an older Southbend 6" 3 jaw chuck whose jaws were able to be turned around. That is the only such chuck I've seen,though. It would be handy if others made their jaws reversible. Not a great reduction in the strength of the jaw threads.
 
KySawdust said:
Can someone explain why a 6.25" round plate with a few holes in sells for so much? $188 sounds like a lot for a backplate but i have seen them priced like this as well I am sure that I am missing something. Thanks!
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Well by time the guy who made it in Poland sold it for $25.00 to the exporter in Poland and he shipped it to the USA and sold it for $50.00 to cover his cost and profit, and the importer sold it to ENCO for $100.00 for his handling, ENCO sells it to me for $188.00 and makes their profit. Remember what a pound of flour sells in the store and what the farmer gets for the wheat. Same thing. Sad thing is in the early "60's" you could have bought it for $60.00 with the $1.00 per hour you were being paid to pump gas in that service station selling $.25 per gallon gas.
 
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