Finger jaws (?) for a Titan Multistar chuck

[RogerS]

I wanted to turn some oak handles out of 22mm square material. Looking through the Titan catalogue it shows some jaws called Finger Jaws but I can't find any reference to them on the web. Any ideas?

Is there another way of mounting 25mm square stock? I was going to try the four prong oojamaflip but noticed that the oak was splitting down the grain so stopped there as unsafe. That started me looking at alternatives.

Many thanks

 

[paulm]

One of these http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/acatal ... ntres.html would avoid the wood splitting Roger and are very useful generally, much better than the traditional drive centres unless you are doing really large pieces of work.

They are also available as chuck inserts to fit some makes to avoid having to dismount your chuck.

Just an alternative thought to additional chuck jaws.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Roger
If it's a multistar titan see here:
http://www.johnberkeley.co.uk/FORMgallery9.htm

If it's a Nova titan see here:
http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/acatalog/Lathe_Chucks.html

I use both the Long Nose Jaw Set Ref: JS-LNJ and Custom Jaw Set Ref: JS-NCJ which I've shaped similar to the long nose...

As an alternative you could turn a taper between centres and insert this into the morse taper on the headstock... (works like a bobbin drive)...

 

[RogerS]

Paul..thanks for the suggestion as that looks like a neat solution.

Graham..many thanks for the link to the Titan site. I did come across that one but couldn't see any pictures of the finger jaws and kind of assumed that what you saw was what they had but will check on Monday.

Taper suggestion is interesting but how would you grip the stock to make the taper in the first place?

 

[Anonymous]

Going back to your original post Roger... are you hammering the drive dog into the timber?

An engineer's centre drill makes a conical hole to accommodate the point of the drive dog... a small drill could achieve the same if used carefully, it may also be useful to saw (band or hand :wink: ) kerfs in line with the teeth of the dog.

Yet another alternative is to use a ring centre if you have one... less prone to causing splitting but can slip if heavy cuts are applied

 

[jaymar]

It is possible to mount square stock in any 4 jawed chuck, it just depends how small your jaws close. 6the corners of the stock fits between the jaws and the hold is very secure

 

[CHJ]

If your stock is long enough to allow 20mm or so of waste, screw a square piece of scrap, big enough to engage the jaws you have, to the drive end. ( a false screw chuck)

 

[RogerS]

Going back to your original post Roger... are you hammering the drive dog into the timber?

Yes I am.

An engineer's centre drill makes a conical hole to accommodate the point of the drive dog... a small drill could achieve the same if used carefully, it may also be useful to saw (band or hand :wink: ) kerfs in line with the teeth of the dog.

I like that idea. Will give it a try.

Yet another alternative is to use a ring centre if you have one... less prone to causing splitting but can slip if heavy cuts are applied

I do have a ring centre but my understanding was that that was used at the tailstock end. That end is OK. Its the headstock end that was splitting...but I reckon that your excellent suggestions will work.

 

[RogerS]

If your stock is long enough to allow 20mm or so of waste, screw a square piece of scrap, big enough to engage the jaws you have, to the drive end. ( a false screw chuck)

Do you mean that I screw through the scrap and into the end grain of the piece that I want to work on? Wouldn't they rip out as I applied pressure from the tool? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

 

[CHJ]

With Oak I doubt that it will 'pull out', you only have a small diameter and therefor the torque applied will be low. Just use a suitable pilot hole.

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a spare ring centre you could always use a triangular file and make points similar to the steb centre... you'd still need to drill to accommodate the central point (the steb centre point is sprung loaded)

 

[RogerS]

Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I cut grooves in the end as suggested by Graham and it worked a treat.