Which chuck jaw size

[thelastgizmo]

I have a piece of oak 2 1/4" by 15" diameter. Currently mounted on a faceplate to work on the underside. I'm considering a new scroll chuck and am wondering which size jaws to choose. Most standard jaws go to around 3" and I'm wondering if this isn't a mite too small for this size bowl. The bowl will have a wide base so a larger jaw size is no problem to fit into a recessed dovetail. I've not turned this size bowl before so am looking for advise from the forum.

 

[LancsRick]

I like the Axminster chucks, and have a variety of O'Donnell, gripper, button and blank faceplate jaws.

 

[CHJ]

I regularly hold items of this sort of diameter on 72mm recess dovetail. should be no problem in Oak if you are wishing to limit the initial expenditure on accessory jaws with your new chuck.

Admittedly larger diameter accessory jaws can give greater stability, but in my opinion, with care and sensible approach to removing material they are not essential.

 

[Robbo3]

It's not so much the diameter, especially if the disc is flat & balanced, but how far it overhangs the chuck (without tailstock support).

I regularly made 12" natural edge oval bowls on a Mini Gripper chuck which required a 32mm recess to turn the outside (but mainly with tailstock support).
- oval-bowls-using-the-mini-gripper-chuck-t66092.html

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

+1 to what the guys above have said ie it's entirely possible with smaller jaws as long as you're careful and sensible (accurate dovetail in the recess, decent depth of recess, light passes once mounted). But if you did want to move up, it's something I did last spring and my choice was the Axy evolution chuck with 3 sets of jaws: C for most stuff, the piranha jaws for massive spindle projects and indeed various lumpy things and the G jaws for big bowls/platters where you want an 80mm plus foot. I absolutely love the Evolution and compared with what I've used in the past which includes Nova, Vicmarc and Sorby as well as the cheapies from Rutlands, it beats them hands down. But it's not cheap. I also bought 3 sets of jaw carriers which are permanently paired with the jaws I mention above. This allows me to wind the jaws completely off the chuck using the scroll key (while still on the lathe) and change jaws in quick time with no faffing of jaw screws. In other words this allows me to avoid spending entire afternoons sifting through shavings under my lathe to locate jaw screws!!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I should add that what motivated my Evo purchase was a lump of oak from which I was making a hollow form narrowly missing my ear! Truth is, this was far too big for the spigot on my Nova 2 50mm jaws so the upgrade was long overdue. A bowl project, being less further from the chuck, is a much less risky proposition. Nevertheless, it was time for my whole operation to scale up so I wanted a chucking system that represented the next step and the Axy was my solution.