Replacement 3 jaw lathe chucks

[mickri]

A little off topic. Some may wonder why do we need/want lots of chucks. For me I don't like having to swap the jaws around. I have two 8" 4 jaw chucks. One chuck has the jaws to the inside and on the other the jaws are to the outside. Same on my 6" and 5" 3 jaw chucks. My current search is for another 4 jaw 6" chuck so I don't have to fiddle with switching the jaws around. And I would like to find two 8" 3 jaw chucks just to have in case I need them. While I am dreaming I might as well look for another 3" 3 jaw and two 3" 4 jaw chucks. Being the cheapskate that I am I don't want to pay squat for the chucks. Free for the taking would be best. I am not holding my breath on that ever happening.

Call me lazy if you want to.

 

[pontiac428]

Well, in the most general terms, you're on the right track for accuracy. Using 1-piece reversible jaws is better than 2-piece top jaws in a general sense. In reality, throwing in more money can take the technical drawbacks out of anything, but if you were to go the Guangdong Shenzhen import route you could set the jaws one way, tap the chuck true on the mounts to limit TIR, and end up getting the most out of what you've got. Also try for direct mount if that's an option for your lathe, since a backplate is one more (theoretical) locus of misalignment.