Versachuck ? a good choice ?

[Doug B]

For what it;s worth!

I have been using a Versachuck for the last 4 years on my ancient Record lathe and I can recommend for its versatility! (Strange that!)

It may not be the most up to date or refined chuck but it does what is intended to do.

As for utilising all the jaw sets, I do feel that all the rivalry and competition amongst makers of others chucks makes the individual chuck rather an expensive item whereas the Versachuck is so much easier in using others jaws to achieve exactly the same results as other makes.

I used to have (4) chucks but now I need only (2).

Please try and see one in use it makes any choices that much easier.

Regards, Peter.

Completely agree, since getting a Versa chuck a few years ago it has become the mainstay of my turning.

 

[Bodrighy]

The tyme Avon spindle is 25mm x 2mm and you can get an adapter for it to fit a supa nova chuck which I run on my Tyme so I would imagine that you can get one for the versa chuck. Ask Peter Childs, where I got mine from.

Pete

 

[woodturnerEric]

I`ve had a Versa Chuck for 8yrs now and its the best investment I`ve made,the versatilty is unmatched by any other chuck,you can buy jaw carriers for almost all the other chuck jaws on the market,so your choice of jaws is unrivaled by any other make on the market,and as for wearing out that some complain of,mines had alot of use in 8yrs and is still as good as new,i don`t know what they do to wear them out,but mines fine,and it is also concentric,some have had trouble with this,again mines good,I`d reccomend it to anyone,cheers,

Eric.

 

[OldWood]

A warning I'll give about the Versachuck is that the seller having had the original chucks made in China, now has an Indian supplier and the jaw carriers are no longer compatible as I have found to my irritation. Just bear this in mind that one of the trade offs of the lower price is that this re-sourcing might occur again.

Rob

 

[Rhossydd]

Thanks for that, Rob. Hopefully the ISO standard backplate should remain an option and allow a lathe change in future if needed.

I bought one earlier this week. Quality control issues still seem to be difficult though. They went through each set of jaws I bought (Axminster compatible, plus the two pairs of engineers jaws) to check they fitted and work OK before handing the chuck over. On one hand a nice touch, but on the other it suggests they're not over confident themselves it will all work out of the box.
Unfortunately they didn't check the dovetail jaws plates I also bought and when I got home found that one set of their own jaws didn't fit. A genuine Axminster set do fit, so I may buy any extras from them instead. The Axi stuff also seems better finished too.
Hopefully a replacement set are in the post to me, but I could have done without having to pay to post the duff set back having driven to Didcot to buy the whole system.
I'd recommend anyone buying one in person to sit and check it all works before leaving, chucks and parts are expensive bits to post. Take plenty of cloths, it's all covered in oil too.

It remains a good deal if you want something that ought to have a degree of 'future proofing'.

 

[OldWood]

I would confirm the quality control problems with the Versachucks. Despite my expressed concerns, the local turning club bought 6 of these chucks, a number of which then had to be fettled to work smoothly and had other issues to be sorted.

Rob

 

[Rhossydd]

Update;
My replacement jaws arrived today. They've obviously been opened and cleaned of oil before sending out to me, but still have the same fundamental problem. The inner most set of mounting holes have been drilled incorrectly and fitting them to the carriers is a very tight fit that will damage the mounting bolts in the long term. Obviously a duff batch.
<edit later>On very close inspection, the inner most mounting holes aren't actually round at all. It looks like they've been elongated to allow the jaws to fit prior to chemical blackening. So a duff match the "manufacturer" tried to make good.
What's poor is that not only are the parts not good enough, but Toolpost obviously aren't that bothered.

Not sure what to do now. Send them back for a refund ? that'll leave me out of pocket by £5.60 in postage, then buy some genuine Axminster ones that will be cheaper anyway <d'oh, should have spotted that before> or try to find someone that will remachine them to fit well.

NOT IMPRESSED

 

[Rhossydd]

Further update;

I've now been contacted by Peter at Toolpost and he's sending a complete assembled set of carriers and dovetail jaws to replace the faulty jaws I've received.

A fair and reasonable solution I hope.

 

[themackay]

Its a shame that so much manufacturing is outsourced to countries that cant consistently manufacture to a reasonable standard no doubt some of the work is done by kids for a pittance just so we can have something a little bit cheaper and more than likely a much larger profit margin for the importer/retailer Im sure a lot of people on here dont mind paying a bit more for made in UK/Europe quality.
Sorby can make chucks here so can Axminster just a shame Toolpost cant have the Versachuck made here then I might buy oneeven if it did cost a bit more
Alan

 

[Rhossydd]

dont mind paying a bit more for made in UK/Europe quality.

Absolutely, it's just a shame no one else makes such a versatile chuck system. I'd certainly have been happy to pay a lot more for a well made, stainless steel chuck system made in the UK.

The ironic aspect is that genuine dovetail jaws from Axminster are cheaper than the Toolpost Versachuck ones and seem far better finished.

 

[Dalboy]

Well I have got the Patriot chuck and have had it for some 8 years I am so pleased with it that if I wanted a second chuck there is no contest. The other day I had a query about it they where kind enough to send replacement screws even though it was just a question about the type of screws they used, I also got the reply to my question. Service like that is what I want

 

[toolpost]

Thanks for the comments vis-a-vis the Versachuck. When I "invented" the chuck my sole aim was to prevent future beginners ever getting into the state that I was in, owning five different, mutually incompatible chucks within two years. Why none of the "Big guys" ever did it before I have no idea - excepting for the obvious one that in doing so you lock yourself out of the (often lucrative) after-market scene. (Think ink-jet printers and cartridges.)

The important thing for everyone to clearly understand is that we are a small company and that I'm in it because I'm a wood turner: therefore I don't want any woodturner to struggle - therefore if anyone is having a problem with a Versachuck, I invite them to contact me, directly. In terms of getting satisfaction from using a Versachuck, this forum has no role (though it has lots of other values that we should not dismiss lightly). If you have a problem with a Versachuck, then there's only one port of call you need and that's The ToolPost. Call me, or email me, or call in and see me. I'd sooner talk chucks and solve technical problems than do the blank-blank accounts! (To have time to do a bit of turning would be even better though.)

Maybe I can throw some light on, even correct, some of the other observations made.

The Versachuck was never made in China. (That was a similar-looking chuck retailed by another, much larger organisation, currently apparently seeking world dominance (!) and well-known to us all.) That chuck did suffer from unplanned jaw incompatibility with its predecessors and was withdrawn after its second iteration. The Versachuck is made in India and always has been, by a small family-run business which primarily makes engineering chucks - upon one of which the Versachuck is based, as were its illustrious forebears such as the much-lamented Super Precision chuck from APTC.

All Versachuck backplates feature 24 indexing holes. We have backplates to suit the popular spindle threads, as listed on the website, and an adaptive backplate that allows us to make it fit an even wider range, albeit at the addition of the cost of the adaptor (which we buy in).

We have looked at having the chuck made in the UK but unfortunately we are faced with two major hurdles. 1) we can't find anyone that can produce a chuck for us because of the specialised machinery required for making parts such as the scroll - which is why Axminster make the Evolution in house, I believe and 2) when we have tried getting a costing for the final machining, let alone the rough turning (which no-one here seems to want to do) it is priced in the stratosphere. We do have one style of jaws which are manufactured in the UK and which we had to buy in to cover a supply shortfall. They are well;-made by a company whom we used for some of our other machining jabs - but we make no money in selling them - and we are a business. You may not love us, but if it costs me money to stay in business, we won't be able to stay in business. (Would you like to buy a woodturning supply company?) We buy British where and when we can but, despite the fine words I read in some of the posts, the wider audience - and you need a wide audience to get anywhere near critical numbers for manufactured parts - are not prepared to pay "a bit extra" (and it may be more than a bit) for fine old British manufacture. How I wish!

Given that there have been, and sometimes still are, vexing issues with the Versachuck why do we continue to work so damned hard to produce it? Simply because my original concept, my vision, has not changed. No other chuck in the wide world offers the jaw interchangeability that is featured by the Versachuck. We can mount the jaws of at least six manufacturers onto the single chuck body and that gives the user the choice of a vast range of workholding possibilities for the price of one reasonably economical chuck - lower in retail price, incidentally, than any of those mentioned in dispatches, above. That still has to be worth something to the keen woodturner. If not, tell me and I can save myself a whole lot of heartache and cash. I believe in what we are trying to do, but I gave up hopes of making it as a saint a long time ago.

Finally, I do not wish to appear rude or disrespectful to either the fine folk who run this excellent forum, nor to any other contributors, but I have to make it clear that I will not be monitoring this thread on a regular basis. I run a busy small business on a shoestring and simply don't have the time available - and I'm too damned old and tired to stay awake more than 24/7. If anyone has any real issues to resolve, rather than simply wanting to chew fat and throw stones, then please simply contact me directly - remembering that is the route to resolution.

Thanks for listening and for any reasoned response.

 

[jpt]

Well said Peter =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[Rhossydd]

Further update;
As promised a set of jaws arrived complete and assembled onto carriers. The assemblies fits my chuck perfectly and has resolved my concerns about the long term use of dovetail jaws that don't fit correctly.

As the OP of this thread and having now spoken with Peter at Toolpost about the issues I've had and seen them resolved. I'd like to respond to his posting;

No one here has criticised the concept or design of the chuck at all. It's pretty much beyond reproach. The problems some people have experienced is with quality control of chuck or accessories.
It's a bit of a curious situation. You've designed a fantastic product that should never become obsolete and ought to be a "Just buy it once" product that lasts a lifetime, but it seems to be built down to a price, rather than up to a premium specification that could to command a premium price.
The chuck costs less than many of the gouges you sell, but they could be considered 'consumables' as they'll get ground down to uselessness eventually.

What really puzzles me is why the faulty batch of jaws weren't returned to the manufacturer as unacceptable. A manufacturer of engineering tooling ought to be able to drill a 5.5mm hole in the correct place +/- 0.25mm.
If returning faulty stock means an item being unavailable for a while, well that's no insurmountable problem for most people making this sort of investment.
However being supplied a poor quality component repeatedly isn't good business practice.

Why none of the "Big guys" ever did it before I have no idea - excepting for the obvious one thatlock yourself out of the (often lucrative) after-market scene. (Think ink-jet printers and cartridges.)

This isn't a particularly good analogy. Domestic ink jet printers are usually sold at cost price or even less, the manufacturers then reclaim the loss through the sales of ink later throughout the printer's life. The important difference here is that ink is a consumable that is essential to make the printer function. With a woodturning chuck, once you've bought it no further items are needed to use it. You might buy a few extra accessories for it in future, but they aren't needed and there's not much to break and replace.
In practice in the last twenty years I've bought litres of ink jet printer ink for several different printers, but in the same period have spent nothing to use my old Henry Taylor Master chuck bought back in 1988.

In terms of getting satisfaction from using a Versachuck, this forum has no role

If you mean 'satisfaction' in the sense of resolving defects in goods, yes, obviously the retailer should always be the first place to contact.
Which is fine if one isn't in a hurry about an issue or might just want to find out if it's a user problem, rather than a mechanical problem. No one likes contacting a supplier about a 'problem' only to be embarrassed by finding out it's the user that is at fault.
There's a lot of good advice for using and getting the most from woodturning kit here and a lot of people are very grateful for it.
That advice can also be very quick. People often get helpful responses within an hour or two. Just how fast do you expect to be able to respond to support requests ? I waited more than 24hrs for a reply to my initial problem, then had to send a second email to get any reply and that was mid-week. For any business doing online trading waiting more than 24hrs for a reply during the working week isn't really good enough now. It's also worth remembering that effective peer to peer support reduces the supplier's own burden, many businesses now encourage that (eg Adobe), some even completely rely on it (eg Giff-Gaff).

Finally, I do not wish to appear rude or disrespectful to either the fine folk who run this excellent forum, nor to any other contributors, but I have to make it clear that I will not be monitoring this thread on a regular basis

That's a shame.
Manufacturers and retailers are usually welcomed to participate in forums like this when they add their expertise and insight. In return that can often generate goodwill towards them and thus increased sales.
It also allows a degree of damage limitation if they can be seen to quickly help any customers having problems with their products.
Keeping an eye on the woodturning forum here isn't an onerous or time consuming task, just a few minutes every lunchtime might prove quite profitable.

The first step for many people buying anything now is to do a Google search to find retailers and opinions. Type Versachuck into Google and this forum is the second hit.
It's simply good business practice now to engage with your customers and potential customers online through social media. Ignore it at your peril.

 

[Grahamshed]

Many words of wisdom there Rhossydd . There is more than one dealer I have spent reasonable amounts of money with because of their presence on here.

 

[Spindle]

There is more than one dealer I have spent reasonable amounts of money with because of their presence on here.

Hi

And there lies a bit of a rub.

It's a little ironic that the suppliers / manufacturers that don't have to demonstrate good customer relationships with regard to promptly addressing customer issues with imperfect goods because their goods meet customer expectations have a lower profile than those who promptly act to resolve issues of their own making.

Ah Well Mick

 

[OldWood]

The above posts on Peter Hemsley's input on these chucks I think highlight the problem that exists, and that maybe the philosophy applied to the selling of these chucks is incorrect.

We have on one hand a design that gives a remarkable amount of flexibility, but then Mr Hemsley has created a rod for his own back in targeting such a design at the bottom end of the market such that quality control in the manufacture of the chuck is the production element that suffers. From my experience of these chucks (my own and the 6 that the local club bought) it is not the scroll or the body that is the problem but the jaw carriers; this seems somewhat ironic when he states that it is the making of the scroll that is the difficult part and cannot now be done in this country - shame upon us!

I have an early production item and had to get assistance in achieving a smooth operation of the carriers; this chuck now works well, though I do have concerns on its concentric accuracy, but maybe all woodworking chucks suffer this. The six above were bought some years later and not dissimilar problems existed. What was really concerning was that my early carriers would not fit these later bodies, which rather implies I will not be able to get additional carriers that fit.

It may well be that this chucks versatility is attractive to some turners and maybe novices get sucked in, but it's the low price that make them sell and I'm not convinced that these are not actually a bit of a pig-in-a-poke - I wouldn't buy one again.

Rob

 

[Grahamshed]

There is more than one dealer I have spent reasonable amounts of money with because of their presence on here.

Hi

And there lies a bit of a rub.

It's a little ironic that the suppliers / manufacturers that don't have to demonstrate good customer relationships with regard to promptly addressing customer issues with imperfect goods because their goods meet customer expectations have a lower profile than those who promptly act to resolve issues of their own making.

Ah Well Mick

That is not what I meant at all. Take one example, that of Workshop Heaven. No problems there at all that I am aware of but his presence here, introduced me to a 'shop' that I had not known about and the way he is talked about encouraged me to go there and spend money.
Ok, he is not going to get rich from what I spend but I bet I am only one of many that found out about WH here.

 

[Sheptonphil]

And Ian at Tuff Saws, would never of happened across these superb blades if not for the collective opinions on this forum.

Phil

 

[Rhossydd]

And Ian at Tuff Saws, would never of happened across these superb blades if not for the collective opinions on this forum

A great example. He's someone who offers outstanding support for his customers, as well as a great product. A reply by text on a Saturday afternoon ? that's the sort of service that ensures repeat custom for many years.