Versachuck ? a good choice ?

[Silverbirch]

Rhossyd,

As a Versachuck owner, I wholeheartedly agree with the very well expressed points made in your last post .

Ian

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I own a Versachuck, but stayed clear of this topic because it is the Model T, and not one of the bigger models I assume are being discussed. From my personal perspective, I would not hesitate to recommend this chuck to beginners like me, with little or no previous experience. Peter spent a lot of time guiding me through the purchasing process, for what was probably very little profit for him in the end. I sourced my thread adapter from Charnwood to fit the ML8, and Peter included an adapter which fits my DML36 - before I made any decision about upgrading.
I took delivery of the chuck, screwed it on to the lathe and used it. Just like that. Yes it uses tommy bars rather than a key, but there are 4 holes on each part of the chuck meaning it can easily be used one handed. My only gripe, if you can call it that is that I bent, then snapped the supplied tommy bars. This is probably due to me being very heavy handed. (carpal tunnel syndrome & whitefinger - so little or no feeling in my hands) The job of the tommy bars is currently being done by a couple of ground down unimat bars.
One of the things that attracted me to the Versachuck was the compatibility with other jaw makes, and the keen price. My hobby is run on a very tight budget, and bang for bucks is extremely important to me. In that respect the chuck ticks every single box.

 

[chipmunk]

As far as I'm aware only Axminster and Versachuck chucks provide replaceable accessory mounting jaws which are, by their nature, precise components. The upshot is that both chuck jaw slides and jaws need to be consistently produced to tollerances over all batches and all production runs. No other chuck manufacturers have this problem to my knowledge - Most of them can change dimensions at will - the only thing they have to maintain is consistency over one set of jaws in one chuck.

I do not own a Versachuck but have several Axminster chucks and I can tell you that Axminster are not immune from precision issues with regard to their chucks and jaws over time either. I had a problem with one chuck failing to fit my existing jaw carriers and this was able to be resolved between me and Axminster - with me fettling the chuck with a needle file to fit the jaws.

To claim that you'd buy this stuff if it was well engineered at any price and to slate someone for making to a price is a bit naiive IMHO. As stated above most of us buy on price at the end of the day otherwise we'd all probably own OneWay lathes or VB's and not be bothered about chucks with compatible jaws but would have chucks for each set of jaws.

The OP has his problem fixed apparently satisfactorily but still seems to know the Toolpost's business better than the Toolpost's proprietor - interesting.

HTH
Jon

 

[Grahamshed]

I think he was talking about aspects of a business that he didn't much like. As a customer he is entitled to his opinion about that. Just as the rest of us are entitled to agree or disagree.

 

[Mark Hancock]

As far as I'm aware only Axminster and Versachuck chucks provide replaceable accessory mounting jaws which are, by their nature, precise components. The upshot is that both chuck jaw slides and jaws need to be consistently produced to tollerances over all batches and all production runs. No other chuck manufacturers have this problem to my knowledge - Most of them can change dimensions at will - the only thing they have to maintain is consistency over one set of jaws in one chuck.

I do not own a Versachuck but have several Axminster chucks and I can tell you that Axminster are not immune from precision issues with regard to their chucks and jaws over time either. I had a problem with one chuck failing to fit my existing jaw carriers and this was able to be resolved between me and Axminster - with me fettling the chuck with a needle file to fit the jaws.

To claim that you'd buy this stuff if it was well engineered at any price and to slate someone for making to a price is a bit naiive IMHO. As stated above most of us buy on price at the end of the day otherwise we'd all probably own OneWay lathes or VB's and not be bothered about chucks with compatible jaws but would have chucks for each set of jaws.

The OP has his problem fixed apparently satisfactorily but still seems to know the Toolpost's business better than the Toolpost's proprietor - interesting.

HTH
Jon

Well said Jon =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

I have just read through this entire thread a couple of times and am somewhat bemused by the whole thing. I was going to write a response but have decided to refrain.

 

[Rhossydd]

To claim that you'd buy this stuff if it was well engineered at any price and to slate someone for making to a price is a bit naiive IMHO.

I've not said at all. Please have the courtesy to read what I actually write and comment on that only.
My words were "a premium price" in the context of a well made product that may last a lifetime, that could also be described as simple 'good value'.
There is an established market for 'premium' priced tools both in wood turning and in woodwork generally. Lie-Neilson or Veritas hand tools both command premium prices, as do many of the specialist hollowing tools or signature bowl gouges.

The OP has his problem fixed apparently satisfactorily but still seems to know the Toolpost's business better than the Toolpost's proprietor

We all know when a business we patronise works well for us and we also know when they fail to meet expectations. Often it takes an independent view to see where a business can improve it's performance. Do you think it's good business practice to send out warranty replacements that you know are faulty ?

 

[Mark Hancock]

Do you think it's good business practice to send out warranty replacements that you know are faulty ?

You appear to be saying that Toolpost knew they were sending you faulty replacements?

 

[Rhossydd]

You appear to be saying that Toolpost knew they were sending you faulty replacements?

Correct.
Maybe Toolpost would argue that they weren't faulty, but I was told they'd attempted to resolve the problem by filing out the mounting holes.
Simply filing the the bottom part of the hole oval doesn't address the problem with the higher part of the mounting hole not giving enough clearance to the allen cap head when tightened down.
Have a look at the photos;
This shows the misalignment of the original jaws bought.

This second photo shows the second set sent. Note the centre most mounting holes lack of concentricity.

I would describe that as faulty.
I should also point out that they'd said they'd tested them before dispatch.

 

[Mark Hancock]

You appear to be saying that Toolpost knew they were sending you faulty replacements?

Correct.
Maybe Toolpost would argue that they weren't faulty, but I was told they'd attempted to resolve the problem by filing out the mounting holes.
Simply filing the the bottom part of the hole oval doesn't address the problem with the higher part of the mounting hole not giving enough clearance to the allen cap head when tightened down.
Have a look at the photos;
This shows the misalignment of the original jaws bought.
This second photo shows the second set sent. Note the centre most mounting holes lack of concentricity.
I would describe that as faulty.
I should also point out that they'd said they'd tested them before dispatch.

So Toolpost attempted to solve the problem rather than you waiting for a new batch of jaws from the manufacturer?

 

[Rhossydd]

So Toolpost attempted to solve the problem rather than you waiting for a new batch of jaws from the manufacturer?

Yes. As I've said previously; They've supplied a set of jaws permanently fitted to a set of carriers. It's a solution to the problem.

 

[chipmunk]

To claim that you'd buy this stuff if it was well engineered at any price and to slate someone for making to a price is a bit naiive IMHO.

I've not said at all. Please have the courtesy to read what I actually write and comment on that only.
My words were "a premium price" in the context of a well made product that may last a lifetime, that could also be described as simple 'good value'.
There is an established market for 'premium' priced tools both in wood turning and in woodwork generally. Lie-Neilson or Veritas hand tools both command premium prices, as do many of the specialist hollowing tools or signature bowl gouges.

I'm sorry if you feel I misinterpreted your statements - I was really commenting on the general sentiments being expressed in several of the posts. You may have nuanced it a bit but I still feel that in my opinion and having read your posts that your comments are still somewhat unrealistic.

To use your example, people buy Veritas and Lie Nielson as much for the heavily and expensively marketed brand as anything else and I would suggest that one guy in a turning shop in Oxford has to sell things that seem to offer prima facie good value to succeed. That I think means competitively priced.

Jon

 

[Rhossydd]

your comments are still somewhat unrealistic.

In what way ? do you think there's no market at all for a premium lathe chuck ?
I'd suggest that the Axminster sk114 is pretty close to that now and from what I hear it sells well. It's well finished, made of quality materials with some elegant design enhancements that lift it beyond ordinary. If similar versatility to the Versachuck was added by way of an ISO standard backplate to fit any lathe, it would tick all the boxes for being a 'buy it once' premium product. It might not even add that much to the current retail price either given they make it in house. There would also be saving to be made in stock holding if you only need to carry one chuck body and some separate backplates to cover many customer requirements.

To use your example, people buy Veritas and Lie Nielson as much for the heavily and expensively marketed brand

is their advertising budget really any bigger than anyone else's ? I don't see that myself. They attract attention by virtue of their exquisite build quality and high prices, not prolific advertising

I would suggest that one guy in a turning shop in Oxford has to sell things that seem to offer prima facie good value to succeed. That I think means competitively priced

Location simply isn't important. Some man called Styles started out in small town in Devon with ambition and has got a long way.
It comes down to choosing to either build down to price or up to a quality.

 

[chipmunk]

I take your point but don't entirely agree. The early Axminster chucks were not premium items if you remember them and I'd suggest to you that their bread-and-butter chucks, the Clubman variants, are where they make their sales even now rather than the SK114.

Jon

 

[Rhossydd]

I take your point but don't entirely agree .The early Axminster chucks were not....

Can you comment on what I actually write ?
We're discussing the issue of premium quality products and my comment was specifically about about the top of the range sk114, not anything else.

 

[Grahamshed]

I am about to buy my first, and at my age I hope only, chuck and I am going for the SK114 because it is premium and therefore, I am hoping, built to a decent standard.