Jump to content

Searching 4-jaw lathe chuck with dovetail jaws for M16x1.5 spindle thread


Recommended Posts

Dear forum,
I am searching for a method to roughly work on wood on my miniature lathe.
It has an unconventional sizing, I've read so at least, with a M16 spindle threading (? not an English speaker, I hope I am using terminology correctly).
To work on wood safely, I would like a 4 jaw chuck on which I can mount dovetail jaws.
While these chucks are available for M33, I cannot find them for M16.
Is there a website that sells them which I have not been able to find?

I would appreciate help, even if it's just a very quick answer.
Best regards,
Oliver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, DavidG said:

I have one of these. It's made of plastic and not self-centering, the jaws must be adjusted one by one by plastic screws. I didn't find much use of it.

I bought one a few years ago and was shocked when a plastic chuck arrived: sent it back and bluntly told them to add that detail to the description.

Having said that, it probably has a use somewhere, just not in my shop.  They are currently available on Ebay in the UK for £22.  

🌻

STAY SAFE

 

A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin

current builds:

HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style

Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild 

French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not 100% sure, but that description sounds very much like the 4-jaw chuck for Sherline?  Also, not sure if that is self-centering - I think they have both versions?  Someone with a bit more knowledge of the technical attributes may be able to confirm or eliminate this as an option?

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you to everyone who showed interest in solving the problem. It's unfortunate that so far no company seems to have shown interest in producing M16 4-dovetail-jaw chucks that are self-centering. It's not possible (for me) to find adapters M16->M33 either. It seems that either the safety risk has to be taken, or a specialized wood lathe has to be bought.
I wish you a nice day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oliver, good luck with your search.  There is one further detail that hasn't been addressed and is important. 

The thread diameter is M16 but what is the pitch?  For example, the Unimat range of lathes use M12x1or M14x1 for their chucks instead of the common M12x1.5 or M14x1.5 pitch used by common bolts, some Sherline lathes have M12x1 but most are M12x1.25, and so on.  Forgive me if you already know this but the pitch of the thread must be established as mistakes can be expensive when ordering machine tools. 

 

Hope this helps, 

Bruce 

🌻

STAY SAFE

 

A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin

current builds:

HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style

Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild 

French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I may totally misunderstand the situation, but my understanding is that a 3 jaw chuck is for round stock and as such a self centering action makes sense.

A 4 jaw chuck is for irregular stock.  It would be pure luck for 4 sided stock to be absolutely square.  It is logical for each of the jaws to be independent.

Round is almost always symmetrical.  It takes serious effort to make it anything else.  Four or more sided stock is almost always the opposite as far as having  symmetry.

NRG member 50 years

 

Current:  

NMS

HMS Ajax 1767 - 74-gun 3rd rate - 1:192 POF exploration - works but too intense -no margin for error

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - POF Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - POF Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner - POF framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner - POF timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835 packet hull USN ship - POF timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - POF framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, Jaager said:

my understanding is that a 3 jaw chuck is for round stock and as such a self centering action makes sense.

A 4 jaw chuck is for irregular stock. 

Your points about irregular shapes are of course right but a self-centring 4x jaw chuck is very useful for square (and rectangular) stock.   It is also good for any round stock and some say it has an advantage for holding round stock of softer materials because it spreads the load across four contact points instead of three.  

 

🌻

STAY SAFE

 

A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin

current builds:

HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style

Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild 

French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Self-centering 4-jaw-chucks are far and between, because they can and should only be used on square stock or parts. Sherline does offer one of the hobby market and that is the only one I am aware of.

 

Independent 4-jaw-chucks are very common and are either used for precision centring of round stock/parts with the help of dial indicator or, indeed, for irregular/rectangular/square stock/parts. There are many offers on the hobby market.

 

Sometimes and particularly in the USA independent 4-jaw-chucks are confused with faceplates with moveable jaws. Chucks, however, are meant to take up longer stock/parts, while faceplates are meant for mounting short stock/parts on their surface. On faceplates the jaws are sitting on the surface, while in chucks the jaws move in T-slotted or dove-tailed slots.

 

Incidentally, chucks with dove-tailed slots are rather rare today. Normally, either solid jaws run in a sort of douple T-slot or the jaws are in two parts, so that the top-jaws can be reversed or exchanged for other types of jaws.

 

4-jaw-chucks and faceplates have to be operated with caution, as the excentric load can cause vibrations and light machines to jump around, when not fixed to the workbench.

 

As far as I remember, PROXXON offers a metal and a plastic chuck for its light wood-lathe. The idea is that with plastic jaws there is less risk of marring the material.

 

I am curious what lathe you are using that has a 16x1.5 spindle-thread?

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...