# I need advice with my Drill Chuck / Dymondwood



## mbellek (Aug 4, 2007)

So my very favorite wood to turn is Dymondwood. I know a lot of people don't like it, and don't get me wrong, I like a lot of natural woods too, but for what I make (which is not pens) it really makes the biggest impression and it holds a lot of the small detail better than other woods. 

The only bad part is that when I want to turn a d-wood blank, I spend almost as much time getting it on the lathe as I do turning it!! At first I tried to hammer in the spur center like I do with so many other woods... I quickly learned that was a mistake! Then the place where I got my d-wood (wood n whimsies) said to use a 4-jaw. 

That made sense and off to woodcraft I went, planning to buy one... Until I saw, what? 

THE PRICETAG! Right! It was like $200 and was also the cheapest they had!! 

So I bought a drill chuck instead. I still spend an awful lot of time getting the blank on there, because I have to mark center, then mark a circle, then cut it down with a Dremel attachment that I found which does a better job than anything else I can think of. Oh, sure the tool jumps out from where I'm cutting a lot and my fingers are all beat up because of it, but so far its all I can manage. So when I cut it down with the dremel I have a little 1/4-1/2" long "thing" sticking out, which goes in the drill chuck.

So I'm asking for suggestions. 

Is there a better way to get my dymondwood blanks on the lathe with a drill chuck? I was thinking maybe I could somehow make a stencil of where the teeth lie and just carve that part out of my blank, but I don't know how. 

I would just do my above method and use a belt sander, but I don't have one and I'm not sure I can afford a big investment like that right now. 

Any ideas?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I'm very new and I don't know a lot of technical talk yet.

Thanks

Melanie


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## Randy_ (Aug 4, 2007)

Melanie:  I would go back to the spur center and do the following.  Drill a small pilot hole at each end of the blank to accept the points of the live center and the spur center.  Then I would use a cutoff wheel in the Dremel that you already own and cut an "X" in one end of the blank that will catch the lips of the spur center.  You should be able to do the entire process in only a minute or two....certainly as fast as or faster than carving the blank to fit the Jacobs chuck.


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 4, 2007)

I understand the splitting problem with D'wood and a spur center. One of the reasons I don't use that material. However, I'll suggest you try this: Mark centers on the blank, on one end drill a hole about 1/4" deep; insert a self-tapping (1/4") screw; hacksaw off the head and chuck that up in your headstock mounted drill chuck. Understand, you just cannot get a square blank in a drill chuck and properly hold. And, a three jaw chuck, of any kind, is the pits for holding wood. Then sell lots of pretty pens, save your money and buy a good 4-jaw chuck. You will get a lot of use out of it.


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## toolcrazy (Aug 4, 2007)

Well, to start off with, Woodcraft is expensive. Try PSI and one of their Barracuda chucks. They also have some utility chucks for a very reasonable price, 80 to 150 bucks. I've never turned diamond wood, but looks like other members have good suggestions.


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## TellicoTurning (Aug 5, 2007)

Melanie,
Look at PSI's 4 jaw chuck at the bottom of the page at this link..
http://www.pennstateind.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

much more reasonably priced and this is a pretty good little chuck for light work... I've used one for 2 or 3 years now and pleased with it.

And I like Dymondwood... gets lots of attention at my shows.. people always ask.."how do you get the colors... did you paint the wood" If I'm in my smartass mood[] I'll say yes... then always think better and tell them the truth.


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 5, 2007)

> _Originally posted by ozmandus_
> <br />Melanie,
> Look at PSI's 4 jaw chuck at the bottom of the page at this link..
> http://www.pennstateind.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?
> ...



With things like that [I get a lot of "How did you....?" questions] I usually just say, "I have to keep a few secrets." That makes the mastery/mystery of our craft all the more appealing. Usually I get those questions with snakeskin pens. I'll start by saying, "First ye kill a rattlesnake...." , then I give the 'secret' line.


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## mbellek (Aug 5, 2007)

It's true. What I like most about dwood is the impression it makes on others. I remember the first time I saw it, I didn't even know what I was looking at!! Was it wood? Was it painted? Was it carved? What? 

It truly makes a big impact, that is for sure. Even the solid or more natural colored woods like cocobolo macassar or the more natural combos like hazelnut, etc.


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## mbellek (Aug 5, 2007)

BTW Thanks Ozmandus, but I looked that that 4-jaw and it is still $170... that's $200 if you ask me.

I was kind of hoping to get by for under $100, but that won't happen will it?

I looked on ebay, but it's so hard to separate the wheat from the proverbial chaff on there... And if something truly has a price range of $150+, then there's no free lunch-- I just gotta buck up and pay what its worth!!

Maybe after I make a few sales.


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## toolcrazy (Aug 5, 2007)

Try this one.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/cug3418c.html
Or This one
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/e-10284b.html
Both under 80 bucks. PSI sell some good chucks. I've got the barracuda 2 and love it.


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## Randy_ (Aug 5, 2007)

Melanie:  PSI has other chuck options besides the Baracuda 2 System.

Check out the Mini Grip and Utility Grip chucks or for a little more money there is the standard Barracuda system.  Prices range from $80 to $125.  These three chucks all use tommy bars to tighten the jaws rather than a T-handled chuck key; but that is not a big deal IMO.  The slightly lesser ease of use is totally offset by the money you save.  After using them a few times, the tommy bars becomes second nature and you probably won't notice any real difference at all.


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## mbellek (Aug 5, 2007)

Hey, and also, I guess for my lathe I need the less-common #1-MT taper or whatever it's called. (sorry I'm new and I don't know all the techie talk yet)... If I already have the arbor for my drill chuck, will I be alright on this? I didn't see any mention of the arbor on any chucks that people have recommended so far.


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## Randy_ (Aug 5, 2007)

What kind of a lathe do you own?

The chucks mentioned above screw onto the threaded end of your headstock spindle and do not require an arbor.  There are two standard threads.....3/4" x 16 tpi and 1" x 8 tpi.  If your lathe uses a #1 Morse taper, it most likely has the 3/4" threading.


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## mbellek (Aug 5, 2007)

Rigid WL1200LS 12" Lathe.


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## KenV (Aug 5, 2007)

Melanie --

Nice hair sticks!!!  They remind me in some ways of bobbin lace spindles.  CUSA used to seel a bobbin lace chuck -- a square socket that tapered towards the back that would drive a square blank.  I did not see it in recent catalogs, but you might call to see of there is an old stock one on the shelf.  

Personally, I do not like spur drives, especially for small items.  I would rather use the oneway safe driver, or the 1/2 inch steb drive sold by Sorby or cloned by PSI  (Check amazon.com for PSI items as they are usually much lower in price than from the PSI web page).  These drives require only that you have a small shallow hole in the drive end and a nominally square end on the wood.  They can be adjusted for give in case of a catch by the pressure on the tailstock.  They do not catch flesh and are less likely to catch tools.

Another -- Jerry Bealle sells a "puck chuck" that is similar to a bobbin lace chuck when attached to a small faceplate.  

Last -- build a square drive chuck out of a waste block and a small face plate.  Drill a hole  (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch) and use a carving chisel of three to rough out a square hole that tapers smaller at the back to hole your spindle blanks.  Note that the fit does not need to be anything precision -- rough, but tight fit does just fine.

I presume you are using a live center or Steb live center on the tail stock side??  I like the ball bearing stebs or PSI knock offs on that end too.  1/2 inch slips into a bored 1/2 inch hole about 1/4 inch deep and never budges.


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## Chuck Key (Aug 5, 2007)

How about a chuck for $30.00.  You will need to get your stock fairly round somehow then finish turning. 

Follow this link.

Pretty cute, eh?
Chuckie


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## bjackman (Aug 5, 2007)

Melanie,
How about a Stebcenter. The outer ring holds the wood as the inner point pushes back into the center on a spring. Little or no splitting.

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Lathe_Accessories___Drive_Centers___Stebcenter___stebcenter?Args=


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## mbellek (Aug 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by KenV_
> <br />
> Last -- build a square drive chuck out of a waste block and a small face plate.  Drill a hole  (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch) and use a carving chisel of three to rough out a square hole that tapers smaller at the back to hole your spindle blanks.  Note that the fit does not need to be anything precision -- rough, but tight fit does just fine.
> 
> I presume you are using a live center or Steb live center on the tail stock side??  I like the ball bearing stebs or PSI knock offs on that end too.  1/2 inch slips into a bored 1/2 inch hole about 1/4 inch deep and never budges.



KenV - Thanks for the compliment! Yes I do use a live center on my tail stock. I don't know which one it is, just that it was the only MT1 they had at Woodcraft the day I went, and I was SICK of my dead center (why do those awful, AWFUL things exist?! Someone tell me!). All I can tell you is it was $15

Your idea gave me an idea... What if I build my own chuck like this...

Take a waste block, and attach some replacement jaws







to it. Then whack the drive center in the back?

Would that work?

My blanks are always the same size, because I rip them down myself (okay okay my father in law rips them down for me!) from a bigger piece usually. Plus I need longer blanks than pen blanks so I always have to get them from a larger piece of wood.

That or I can just buck up and start saving. I mean, I could just buy one right now, but my husband would probably be happier when I buy a belt sander if I didn't just buy a jaw-chuck too.


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## mbellek (Aug 6, 2007)

Hello! How bout this:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=292


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by mbellek_
> <br />Hello! How bout this:
> 
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=292



Melainie, dead centers exist because that is all that was used for centuries before live centers were invented/developed. They work fine but not up to our current standards.
Take a good look at those ads in your link. They are jaw sets for use on the chuck. You still have to buy a chuck to use the jaws.


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## dbriski (Aug 6, 2007)

Ok here is a solution for you, take a piece of 3/4 mdf or ply find the center of it and drill a small hole though 1/8" or less to be your center reference.  Then use a forsner drill bit and drill out a hole the size of your blank about a 1/2" deep using your center point. Square up the corners so your square blank fits in it snugly (chisels). Now attach it to your face plate (they have centering points you can use to center it onto the faceplate, you need to make sure you get it as centered as possible).    Now you have a square holder faceplate for the headstock end of your blank and just use the live center to hold it in it (you will still have to do the centering deal on the tail stock side).


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## mbellek (Aug 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> Take a good look at those ads in your link. They are jaw sets for use on the chuck. You still have to buy a chuck to use the jaws.



Yes I know that, I can read!![] The point is that why could I not bolt them down permanently since my blanks are always the same size, being that I cut them myself. Essentially the replacement jaws I was talking about are simply pieces of metal that are in the shape I need. I'm saying basically why could I not construct my own chuck, except the jaws would be stationary.


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## Randy_ (Aug 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by mbellek_
> <br />.....The point is that why could I not bolt them down permanently since my blanks are always the same size, being that I cut them myself. Essentially the replacement jaws I was talking about are simply pieces of metal that are in the shape I need. I'm saying basically why could I not construct my own chuck, except the jaws would be stationary.....



Melanie:  You certainly "COULD" do that; but why go to the added expense of purchasing a set of jaws when you could accomplish the same thing by using a couple(actually four) pieces of scrap wood??  

One thing some people are assuming with their suggested solutions is that Melanie has a well equipped shop with lots of hand and power tools.  This assumption may not be correct.  Melanie, if you can give us an idea of what type of tools you have available to you, we might be able to supply a better solution to your problem based on the capability of your shop.


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## Randy_ (Aug 6, 2007)

> _Originally posted by dbriski_
> <br />.....Now attach it to your face plate (they have centering points you can use to center it onto the faceplate, you need to make sure you get it as centered as possible).....



This is an extremely important point if you are going to build your own chucking device and not really emphasized by other posters.  If you don't have the center of your blank aligned with the center of your headstock spindle, your hair sticks will not be quite round.  Of course, that may be a good thing??


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 7, 2007)

> _Originally posted by mbellek_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...



Didn't mean to offend. But you have expressed concern over spending big bucks for a chuck set. What you are proposing here is getting into the $200.00 range. For less you can get one of the PSI chucks that comes with several jaw sets and save a bundle of money.


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## mbellek (Aug 7, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...



And I didn't take it offensively at all!! Hence I chose the smiley face with the big teeth! []


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## mbellek (Aug 7, 2007)

Okay... Power tools...

Its my father in laws shop... so I don't know EVERYTHING's name... But let's see

Drill Press (with every sized drill bit you could EVER imagine!!)
Table Saw
Jig Saw 
Lathe (duh)
Grinding Wheel

And more littler power tools than I can name. I mean, its a pretty serious shop, I think. The walls are covered with different saws and stuff...


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## Randy_ (Aug 7, 2007)

Sounds like you have everything you need to make up a nice wooden jig out of a few pieces of scrap wood that would attach to your lathe faceplate and hold your blanks.

There have been several good suggestions made about the method for doing so.  Do you have a plan/design in mind based on what has been posted or are you still uncertain of how to proceed??


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