Is upgrading to a Röhm chuck worth it on a Chinese lathe?

johanvergeer

johanvergeer

Registered
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2023
Messages
11
I currently have a Chinese 3-jaw chuck on my lathe, but I’m considering upgrading to a Röhm chuck. I know Röhm chucks are quite expensive, and I’m willing to invest in one if it’s really worth it—especially since my lathe itself is a Chinese model.

What kind of improvements can I realistically expect?
  • Will it reduce vibrations and help me achieve a better surface finish?
  • Is there a noticeable difference in grip strength, like less slipping of the workpiece?
  • Does it make setting up and dialing in workpieces easier or more consistent?
  • Are there other benefits I might notice in day-to-day use?
I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has made a similar switch—did it make a big difference for you? Or is the quality of the chuck not as critical on a machine like mine?

Thanks in advance!
 
Concentricity, If you put a work piece into the chuck how much run out can you see with a dial indicator ?

Repeatability, If you take it out of the chuck and then put it back into the chuck , does it go back in with a similar run out or is it wildly different ?

How much is to much run out ? Many have opinions on that and it's kind of a sliding scale of accuracy vs cost.

There might be "niceness" of use improvements also.

Do you already have a 4 jaw chuck or collet chuck ?

Stu
 
The decision will depend on the condition of your current chuck, and which model Rohm you are looking at. I put a Bison chuck on my 9x20 lathe I had many years ago, runout was much better, but also gripping of the workpiece than the chuck that came with the lathe. The best advantage was it had two piece jaws, you can make soft jaws custom to a certain project you are working on so you don’t mark up the work. My current lathe is a 12x36 and the chuck that came with it is ok, but I plan on getting a 2 piece jaw chuck for it because of the advantages of soft jaws.
 
Cheap chucks aren't centered. What is centered? A good 3-jaw scroll chuck on a lathe (of the size I use--8") displays runout up to 2 or 3 thousandths. If your Chinese chuck is that well-centered, an expensive chuck might or might not be better. Lower runout than that requires a four-jaw chuck with the part carefully indicated in or a collet setup.

Cheap chucks may allow the jaws to bell-mouth when tightened. You can tell this because the end of a bar will move in X, Y, or Z significantly when the chuck is tightened from snug to fully tight. A quality chuck won't do that, but some cheap chucks are okay in that regard, too. Bell--mouthing can also allow the workpiece to move too easily under tool pressure.

Cheap chucks may be accurately centered in some workpiece diameters but not in others. Cheap chucks may center differently depending on which tightening spur gear is cranked down first. Good chucks avoid these faults, but sometimes cheap chucks get lucky.

So, I would measure the position of a range of workpieces in the chuck that came with your lathe, and if you don't see the needle on a thousandths indicator move more than a nudge, a more expensive chuck will not change your life. But if you are never able to indicate in a part because it never seems to stay in the same place, a good chuck might indeed change your life.

Rick "invest in good indicators first" Denney
 
There are several other good chuck brands out there besides Rohm: Pratt-Burnerd, Bison and BTC are all good
 
Last edited:
Less runout, Repeatability and better holding power are all likely possibilities. Reducing vibration and chatter I would not think is likely to happen from a chuck switch unless what you have is really worn out. Rohm is good stuff.:)
 
You'll already have it when you upgrade the lathe....

John
 
  • Like
Reactions: rwm
It is the vibrations that bother me. The vibration could be an out of balance chuck. Still, I would check the spindle run out with the chuck on and chuck off. You might have to tighten the nuts that hold the bearings, or they need to be relubed or replace. If the spindle appears to be good, then either way, an upgrade of a chuck would still be good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top