# Lathe Chuck Quality



## Jester966 (Apr 22, 2015)

My Atlas TH54 came with a 5" Bison 3-jaw chuck (3204-125).  The chuck is in pretty good shape and runs concentric within about .002".  Unfortunately, it only came with one set of solid I.D. jaws which limits me to gripping a max O.D. of about 2".  The lathe also came with a face plate, but no 4-jaw.

A new set of solid O.D. jaws for the Bison chuck is about $180, but I could buy a new Chinese chuck with both sets of jaws for $98 instead.  Or, for $166, I could buy a Chinese 6" 4-jaw, and hold any larger work with it for now.

The Chinese chucks I'm referring to come from accusizetools.com.  There are likely other inexpensive options, but I can pickup from Accusize to avoid shipping charges.  As I'm in Canada, shipping chucks from the states would be fairly expensive.

I don't have a specific work-holding need right now, just trying to way cost Vs. quality Vs. versatility.  What are your thoughts?


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## taycat (Apr 23, 2015)

company here in uk sell's indian made chuck's they are much better quality than the chinese ones.
made by a company called zither.
got a couple and they are good.


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## stupoty (Apr 23, 2015)

I was lucky enough to get a bison 3 jaw chuck on my  latest lathe, it's the most repeating 3 jaw chuck I have ever encountered. 

If the size is ok I would be tempted to try and get jaws for it.

Stuart


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## Splat (Apr 23, 2015)

Bison makes a very good chuck. I would get jaws for it.


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## mksj (Apr 23, 2015)

Bison makes good chucks, as long as it is not worn out, I concur with splat to replace the jaws. You might check several suppliers, looks like you would want: Bison HARD 2-PIECE REV. JAWS SDT 3500 3200-125
http://www.ajaxtoolsupply.com/index.html
http://www.e-jaws.com/
http://www.usstjaws.com/about_jaws/masterjaws.htm
Enco has 1 piece, but price in PDF catalog $160 does not match with part price in cart $196. You could get these on a 20% off sale (sign up for email notifications), and/or see if they will honor the lower of the two prices. 
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=444&PMITEM=712-2576


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## darkzero (Apr 23, 2015)

Keep in mind, if you do purchase replacement jaws, you will still need to regrind them for your chuck. Bison as well as other higher quality chuck manufacturers stamp identification numbers on the jaws to match the chuck body because they are matched/ground to each body.

You might get lucky & may not need to especially if you have a Set-Tru chuck but it is recommended by the manufacturer. And when purchasing replacment jaws for 2pc jaws, the master & top jaws will not line up with each other cause they need to be reground.


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## randyc (Apr 23, 2015)

Another vote for Bison jaws, noting that they may have to be ground true as darkzero specified.  I have only one Bison chuck but it's definitely a quality piece of work - wish I had two or three more, LOL !


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## EmilioG (May 6, 2015)

Who makes the best lathe chuck?


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## Splat (May 6, 2015)

EmilioG said:


> Who makes the best lathe chuck?



Ok, I give. Who?  

Actually, if I had the $ I'd go with Bison but as for the "best"... I know there's chucks costing triple of Bisons price but their tolerances are Nasa quality.  I've decided to go with a Gator/Fuerda 6.25" 4-jaw for my Heavy 10L. I've read mostly good about them. I also called the company with a few questions and their tech support was pleasant and I didn't feel rushed. Got all my answers in one call, too! LOL!


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## darkzero (May 6, 2015)

EmilioG said:


> Who makes the best lathe chuck?



There's one of those questions again with the word "best" that can't be answered. It's opinionated & a specific type of chuck from one manufacturer can be "better" than another & vise versa.

Not counting CNC lathe chucks, "best" in my book _today_ is Pratt Bernard (England). But that can change. Buck used to be one of the best in my book but they're no longer made the US anymore. My best chuck in my possesion today is a Bison but I'll probably never buy one again going forward due to the company changes, in the past few years. Currently my most used chucks are Bison & Gator (Fuerda). Kitagawa & Kalamazoo are also excellent chuck manufacturers.


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## Mark in Indiana (May 6, 2015)

Are there any used equipment dealers in your city or the surrounding area?
I just bought a good Poland brand, 4 jaw chuck for 100$ from a dealer in my area.


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## kingmt01 (May 17, 2015)

I bought it a few years ago but I think $180 is all I paid for my Bison 4 jaw chuck new. Have you coincided selling yours on eBay to fund a new one with both jaws?


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## EmilioG (May 17, 2015)

I heard that some Kitigawa chucks have zero run out!


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## chips&more (May 17, 2015)

darkzero said:


> There's one of those questions again with the word "best" that can't be answered. It's opinionated & a specific type of chuck from one manufacturer can be "better" than another & vise versa.
> 
> Not counting CNC lathe chucks, "best" in my book _today_ is Pratt Bernard (England). But that can change. Buck used to be one of the best in my book but they're no longer made the US anymore. My best chuck in my possesion today is a Bison but I'll probably never buy one again going forward due to the company changes, in the past few years. Currently my most used chucks are Bison & Gator (Fuerda). Kitagawa & Kalamazoo are also excellent chuck manufacturers.


Also, there’s one of those questions, “where is the origin of manufacture”. I think if you read “made in the USA” on a tool/machine. That to me is misleading. Because, I’ll bet you can find components inside or bearings or something that is not USA made. This world is becoming a one big soup bowl of manufacturing resources. I’m getting kinda numb about "who made it". And more into it working well and lasting and not worrying about who made it…Good Luck, Dave.


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## darkzero (May 17, 2015)

EmilioG said:


> I heard that some Kitigawa chucks have zero run out!



That's "impossible". That's one of the reason why there are "acceptable" tolerances". One might measure something that is zero or perfect but somewhere out there is an instrument with higher accuracy that will tell you something different.



chips&more said:


> Also, there’s one of those questions, “where is the origin of manufacture”. I think if you read “made in the USA” on a tool/machine. That to me is misleading. Because, I’ll bet you can find components inside or bearings or something that is not USA made. This world is becoming a one big soup bowl of manufacturing resources. I’m getting kinda numb about "who made it". And more into it working well and lasting and not worrying about who made it…Good Luck, Dave.



I hear ya. IIRC, for the US there is an act or something that states a product must only have 50% of it parts made in the US to be considered "made in the USA". I'm sure it varies on the type of product & in other countries. These days having something 100% made in a country is very hard, except maybe for China. 

For example, I have a 60 gal HF air compressor (which I swore I would never own an air compressor from HF). We all know what COO HF products tend to be from but not always & they actually sell items that are made in the US. But related, my air compressor is "considered made in the USA". My tank & motor are made in the USA. The pressure switch is made in China but is a US company. The pump is made in Italy. Later models of the same compressor differ slightly though. Recently made in the USA really doesn't mean much to me anymore.


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## wrmiller (May 17, 2015)

I am really liking my new Pratt Burnered. Best chuck I've owned so far (DTC, Bison, Gator). But as Will has pointed out, there's always 'better'.


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## coolidge (May 17, 2015)

I have a brand new PBA 8 inch 3 jaw awaiting install, the chuck and back plate look of high quality but the BPA T wrench is black oxide, rusted and corroded


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## wrmiller (May 17, 2015)

coolidge said:


> I have a brand new PBA 8 inch 3 jaw awaiting install, the chuck and back plate look of high quality but the BPA T wrench is black oxide, rusted and corroded



My T-handle wasn't corroded, but after looking at it and comparing it to the mirror finish on the back plate I decided that a new billet T-handle project would get added to the projects list.


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## coolidge (May 17, 2015)

wrmiller19 said:


> My T-handle wasn't corroded, but after looking at it and comparing it to the mirror finish on the back plate I decided that a new billet T-handle project would get added to the projects list.



Mine was old stock that had sat on Grizzly's shelf since 2012, the shipping label from PBA to Grizzly was still on the box.


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## rivettlathe (May 18, 2015)

To the OP, like several others I'd get new jaws from Bison. I needed a new chuck for my lathe and even though it hurt, I threw down for a new forged Bison 3-jaw. I don't know if anyone mentioned Rohm yet, but they make some magnificent chucks also.


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## yugami (May 23, 2015)

darkzero said:


> for the US there is an act or something that states a product must only have 50% of it parts made in the US to be considered "made in the USA".



No, there are fairly clear standards for what "Made in the USA" means and this isn't even close.

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard#basic


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## Jester966 (Jun 26, 2015)

Since I already have the ID jaws it makes sense to me to just get the solid OD jaws - they are $180 new, where as a 2pc set would be $472!!

I'm curious though, is there any real advantage of 2-pc jaws over 2 sets (ID and OD) of solid jaws?  The solid jaws seem to have a significantly lower profile than 2pc jaws, so it seems to me the solid jaws would generally be better, keeping the work piece closer to the spindle.


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## wrmiller (Jun 26, 2015)

"Better" would be relative to one's particular environment I suppose. I like having two piece jaws because I can change setups in a couple of minutes and don't have to spin the jaws completely out of the chuck body to do so. However, the solids also work well and I have used them successfully in the past. At the end of the day they both make parts.


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## mksj (Jun 26, 2015)

Ajax supply sells a set of the OD  hard jaw 1 piece for $129. That is the simplest and most cost effective solution it would seem if you do not need a larger chuck.  I do not know what there price would be for a 2-piece, but if you have a good set of ID jaws, then just get the OD set.
http://www.ajaxtoolsupply.com/ajcahasoodja1.html

Otherwise consider a 4 Jaw independent if you need a larger chuck, or need to clamp rectangular stock. A 4 jaw also allows you to get closer to a 0 TIR relative to your current chuck. If buying a 4-Jaw, don't buy the cheapest you can find, I purchase a cheap one and it will not spin past 300 RPM because of uneven castings.


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## Jester966 (Jun 26, 2015)

Thanks for all the input, I picked up the jaws today.  Hopefully they're "good enough" until I get a tool-post grinder rigged up.

Now I have another question... These jaws grip on the outside of the part (which is what I want).  I have always referred to this style as either O.D. or "Outside" jaws, because they grip on the outside of the part.  The Sowa catalogue also calls them O.D. jaws.  But, the Bison website calls them Inside jaws, as does the print on the box.   Is this just a European vs American thing?


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## f350ca (Jun 26, 2015)

I prefer the two piece jaws, you can buy or I make my own soft jaws that fit the chuck, then machine them to fit the part your working on. I close the chuck on a round object grabbing the solid part of the jaw, then bore the soft jaw to the size of the part your working on. Once bored you have zero run out. By boring a pocket in the jaws you have a depth stop for repudiative cuts. The soft jaws have more area on the part, so case less surface damage and hold better.

Greg


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## mksj (Jun 26, 2015)

Do they look like these and is the part number? This is specifically from the Bison/Toolmex site.
http://www.toolmex.com/Products/custom/TechDetails.aspx?itemid=7-880-305
*Item #: 7-880-305*

 Hard Solid Jaws, OD, 5in, 3-Jaw 3 PcSet 
Hard Solid OD Jaws for 5in 3-Jaw Bison Scroll Chuck 3 Piece Set Bison-Bial


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## Jester966 (Jul 12, 2015)

Different part number, but I believe they are the same.


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