[Nateg281]

I'm almost done tooling up my X2 and just need to purchase a good drill chuck. I will be using the Tormach quick change tooling and a Glacern 4" vice. I have roughly 7.5" of Z clearance measured with the vise mounted according to the specs on Glacern's page. Any advice choosing a chuck would be most helpful. I'm not independently wealthy so anything upwards of $100 is in the "I wish!" category and not reality : ) Thanks in advance!

[photomankc]

Keyed or keyless?

Have you checked the runout on the supplied X2 chuck? Mine was surprisingly decent at under 0.002" at the nose. I payed just over $100 for a Jacobs keyed and that got me to just under 0.001" The only reason I replaced the stock one was so I could move it over to the lathe.

I'd like a keyless someday but it's low on the list. Keyed works just fine for now.


P.S. I have read some issues with poor QC with Jacob's so I wouldn't really hazard a recommendation there, I got it primarily because the local tooling house has them in-stock and the other option was was Albrecht which I can only afford to look at fondly in catalogs. I hate to mess with shipping and handling if I don't have to. I hear that Rohm makes some pretty decent stuff but have no direct experience.

[Nateg281]

I'll have to check the chuck that came with it. I'm wondering if anyone on here has any experience with the Jacob's chuck clones that LMS sells? Seems $30 for what would be a $80 chuck with .004 or less run out would be a good deal. Would you suggest going keyed to save room between the vise and the Z axis max height? I know keyless chucks are usually quite a bit longer than keyed....

[photomankc]

Drills can already be an issue with Z so anything that takes up more of it bears consideration. You can also get a set of screw machine length drills to help with that.

I like my keyed chucks because they allow me to tap and back out the tap where keyless will open up when run in reverse.

[knudsen]

If you decide to go keyless, you might find a used Rohm Supra or Albrecht in your range. You don't loose much range on a 1/4" keyless, if at all. My 1/4" Rohm was $25 from a retiring machinist on Practical Machinist and came with an arbor. Best chuck I've ever used. Unable to read runout and I can drill with micro-sized carbides all day long. If you get a Rohm, be sure it's a Supra and not the consumer grade. New Rohm is as good as an Albrecht, and just as expensive.

For my uses, the stock keyed chuck is perfectly acceptable for anything over 1/4" and so is a keyless knockoff (YMMV on any knockoff). Neither works well with very small carbides.

[Nateg281]

I didn't consider that with tapping. Good point. Anyone care to make any keyed chuck suggestions? Any experience with the Jacob's clones that LMS sells? Any other recomendations?

[TroyO]

I think I have the LMS chuck you are talking about... I'm getting .0045 run out on it, but I have it on the original X2 R8 taper... which looked kind of half chewed. (Smooth on one side... rough cuts on the other.)

I seriously doubt it's the chuck that's doing it but until I get a new R8/JT33 shank I can't tell.

It *looks* well made and is a lot heavier than the stock one. Brand name etched in the side is "Harvest".

[Nateg281]

Hmmmm......maybe I'll take a chance with it then.

I think I have the LMS chuck you are talking about... I'm getting .0045 run out on it, but I have it on the original X2 R8 taper... which looked kind of half chewed. (Smooth on one side... rough cuts on the other.)

I seriously doubt it's the chuck that's doing it but until I get a new R8/JT33 shank I can't tell.

It *looks* well made and is a lot heavier than the stock one. Brand name etched in the side is "Harvest".

[knudsen]

To further confuse the issue: I just got a 5/16" Enco keyless chuck in for $34 and free shipping. It seems very nicely made. I don't have an R8 arbor for it so I can't check run out, but I am impressed with it. I figured I'd go cheap, since it's for a cheap MT2 tail stock. Even their half incher is only $44. Get a free ship coupon and your into the price of a keyed one + shipping. If you can handle >0 min. capacity, check out SPI from Enco. They have great "web only" prices on those, and they are likely very good for the money. If you choose either, you might want to google them and see if you can find some opinions from someone who's used one for a while. All I've done with my new Enco is open and close it and grin

[Nateg281]

All things considered it looks like my choices are between the Shars CNC keyless with .0024 runout or the Enco keyless which doesn't list runout. Makes me wonder since it isn't listed. Anyone have one they can test that's mounted on their mill or on their lathe? Both are about the same cost so that doesn't really matter. I'd consider a Rohm but even the used ones on Ebay are a little pricey for what I have to spend right now....

[ee_t]

Rohm supra doesn't seem to list a run-out spec from a quick search. Spiro is ~$200 and lists 0.0028".

Shars has chuck A which is $24 and doesn't list runout, chuck B is $45 with the 0.0024 runout spec. But they look identical.
One appears to have larger jaws, but I suspect its a picture of a smaller model (0-3/8").

Wonder if you are paying the extra $20 for the ability to send it back if its out of spec? Its probably worth it.

[knudsen]

Keep in mind, .002 in China is different than .002 in US/UK/EU/Oz, etc. I buy Chinese stuff, but take the specs with a grain of salt.

My Enco is mounted in the tailstock for my lathe, but not sure how to measure runout ??? Be happy to if you can tell me how.

[Nateg281]

Those more experienced than myself feel free to correct me, but I would fix a drill in the chuck and put a test indicator against it and slowly rotate the chuck. Would that work?

Keep in mind, .002 in China is different than .002 in US/UK/EU/Oz, etc. I buy Chinese stuff, but take the specs with a grain of salt.

My Enco is mounted in the tailstock for my lathe, but not sure how to measure runout ??? Be happy to if you can tell me how.

[knudsen]

That should do it with a 4 jaw. I'll try it tonight. My mind was stuck on measuring it in the tailstock.

[Dano523]

Maybe I'm lost here, but the op stated that he was going to use such in a Tormach quick change tooling system.

So with that in mind, tale the chuck with a over size piece of round and using a piece of 3/8" stock for the chuck side, chuck the 3/8" round into the chuck, insert that into the lathe chuck trued, , then turn the chuck stock tail down for the needed 3/8" straight section with flange to lock into the Tormach 3/8" collet.

The chuck OD can do all it wants, but the since the chuck jaws and tail piece for the Tormach system will be trued to each other, so will the chuck being used in the mill (will be as true as the collet in the mill spindle is).

[knudsen]

The one I have isn't coming off it's MT2 any time soon! I will test it with the MT2 though. Runout is runout, the MT2 is unlikely to subtract from it, might add to it, but should be negligible unless the arbor is junk. He will be comparing it to the manufacturer's spec., which does not include runout. If I hadn't pounded it onto the arbor, I would measure inside the Jacobs bore.

[Nateg281]

I'm curious as to what you find out when you measure.....

The one I have isn't coming off it's MT2 any time soon! I will test it with the MT2 though. Runout is runout, the MT2 is unlikely to subtract from it, might add to it, but should be negligible unless the arbor is junk. He will be comparing it to the manufacturer's spec., which does not include runout. If I hadn't pounded it onto the arbor, I would measure inside the Jacobs bore.

[knudsen]

I'm curious as to what you find out when you measure.....

Me too! Really it's more curiosity than anything. I'm sure Enco would take one back with excessive runout, but what I measure could be best, worst or average of the batch. Next bATCH WILL LIKELY BE A DIFFERENT STORY ALL TOGETHER. Dambid caps locks.

If you decide to go keyless, you might find a used Rohm Supra

Yikes, I goofed, Rohm Sprio is hte precision one, rated at .002" runout. I wondered why the Supra's looked a little funny to me. Old supra's look the same as spiro, but new ones have an aluminum looking ring at the top. Hope no one made any life altering decisions based on my misinformation.

[Nateg281]

I just bought a new Rohm 1/32"-3/8" Supra on Ebay for under $40 shipped. Can't wait to get it! The Sprio chucks are over $100 everywhere so definitely out of my price range.....

Yikes, I goofed, Rohm Sprio is hte precision one, rated at .002" runout. I wondered why the Supra's looked a little funny to me. Old supra's look the same as spiro, but new ones have an aluminum looking ring at the top. Hope no one made any life altering decisions based on my misinformation.

[Nateg281]

Thanks everyone for helping me choose a chuck. I just hope I don't lose too much Z axis height with it.........