How important is lathe chuck run out?

I really want a 4" 4-jaw chuck that's compatible with my lathe... that also has little run out.

Or I'll just save up money and get me a Precision Matthews 10x22 lathe

Something more ridgid than my 7x12... something that can part with no issues and something that comes with DRO installed.
 
Give LMS a call and see what they can do for you re the 4 jaw.

If you're thinking of stepping up to a 10, why not go a little further and go with the PM 1127? It has all the features a good lathe needs at a price that is really, really good for what you get, including a D1-4 spindle that makes buying chucks simple.
 
mikey said:
Give LMS a call and see what they can do for you re the 4 jaw.

If you're thinking of stepping up to a 10, why not go a little further and go with the PM 1127? It has all the features a good lathe needs at a price that is really, really good for what you get, including a D1-4 spindle that makes buying chucks simple.
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We'll see how much I get from the tax man next year.
 
Pcmaker said:
I really want a 4" 4-jaw chuck that's compatible with my lathe... that also has little run out.
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Runout on a 4-jaw is immaterial. That's the beauty of a 4-jaw. You can adjust it for near zero work piece runout.

Tom
 
higgite said:
Runout on a 4-jaw is immaterial. That's the beauty of a 4-jaw. You can adjust it for near zero work piece runout.

Tom
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Are you talking about independent 4 jaw chucks? I was thinking of getting one, but I figure it's a pain you have to zero it every time you put work piece in.
 
Pcmaker said:
Are you talking about independent 4 jaw chucks? I was thinking of getting one, but I figure it's a pain you have to zero it every time you put work piece in.
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Sorry, yes, I should have said independent. When I think 4-jaw, I don't think scroll. Like was said earlier by others, you can use a 3-jaw and have zero runout on a finished piece that you can turn in one operation. But, if you have to do what Mikey called a second op on the work piece, that's when you will need the 4-jaw IF you want to maintain concentricity of your cuts. Before I got a collet chuck, my 3-jaw got most of the ride time on my lathe because it could handle most of the stuff I did. The 4-jaw only came in from the bullpen when the 3-jaw couldn't finish the game. Yes, a 4-jaw does get tedious if you use it for everything. But, if you want zero runout on a multi operation part, as a famous philosopher once said, their ain't no free lunches.

Tom
 
what's a second op?

I'll get a 4 jaw independent chuck, but it'll probably be a specialty chuck that won't be used too much.
 
Removing after finishing your first operation(s) then reinserting your work piece into the chuck. This is second operation.
 
I use my 3 jaw 80% of the time, but the 20% I use my 4 jaw - well those things just can't be done any other way, that I know of. In all the years (38? 39?) I've owned my lathe, I've never used the face plate. (I've mounted it a few times and spun it up, just to see it go!)

Your mileage may differ. I consider the 4 jaw independent chuck to be far more indispensable than a 3 jaw scroll chuck. You can do everything with it, even things that are usually done by a 3 jaw, but a little slower. Remember what I said about doing as much as I can in one set up? With a 4 jaw independent, it only adds 3 or 4 minutes to that set up... food for thought, maybe? :eek:

a quick example: I was making a multi cavity mold out of a piece of 5" aluminum. I mounted it in my 4 jaw independent chuck and made the cavity. I then indexed the work piece by rotating it in its offset position and completed a ring of cavities. I then advanced toward the centre, and made some more. Impossible in a scroll chuck, trivial in a 4 jaw chuck. (not one of the cavities was in the centre of the aluminum)
 
I remember last summer or spring some guys here bought four jaw independent chuck's that could also be used like a scroll chuck.
 
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