Question About Jacobs Chucks

Charles Spencer said:

I'd buy them in a New York minute. I think they'd work well if you made a threaded 5/8" sleeve and fit them into something like one of these:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Tailstock-Turret-MT2/G9318

I have one and also a flat, capstan I guess, version. A smaller drill chuck would work better than a larger one in these. True it would lack rigidity but it would probably work OK for center drills, pilot holes, etc.

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I thought about getting one of those before, but put it off. I think it could be handy and will have to look into it again.

I think I'm going to go back up there tomorrow and get at least one of the chucks. Probably the two keyed chucks. I don't think the keyless chuck is of the quality of the more "industrial" type ones for lathe work, but I'll check it out again. It actually looks pretty similar to the one I have on my Milwaukee cordless drill that is about 20 years old. For $11.00, though, I can stash the other two if they don't work out for lathe work. You can't find $11.00 USA made chucks around anymore. Even the China ones are more than that.

I was looking on ENCO and all of the threaded-mount arbors are pretty much about $50. I went over to Victor Machinery Exchange and they have threaded arbors for $5.90. Has anyone ever used Victor's arbors? If not, how about anything else from Victor? How was the quality? That's a big difference between $50 at Enco and $6.00 at Victor. I think Wholesale Tool is about the same price as Victor.

If I were to buy a couple of those chucks for $11, and then buy a couple of the $50 arbors (cheapest at Enco), there really wouldn't be any benefit to it. I could just buy another Jacobs chuck on Enco with a taper mount and then buy a cheaper taper mount arbor from them (about $15) and be spending the same money.

Anthony G said:

But the outer thread is right-handed, correct?

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Yes. The RH outer thread and the shoulder keep the chuck in place running forward. The LH retaining screw keeps it in place running in reverse.
As for Enco vs Victor arbors, I wouldn't expect a lot of difference. Both are probably from China. You can also check out Little Machine Shop. They have several arbors (short MT2 for mini-lathe tailstock, tang MT2 for drill press, drawbar MT3 for mini-mill and tang MT3 for larger drill press, etc.) that go to ⅜-24 threads and are about $9:
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_search.php?critFast=arbor&B1=Product+Search

Just a thought - chuck a piece of straight stock - 3/8" x 1 1/2" in the new chuck
And just "kiss " the seating base of the chuck. ........BLJHB

The Liberal Arts Garage said:

Just a thought - chuck a piece of straight stock - 3/8" x 1 1/2" in the new chuck
And just "kiss " the seating base of the chuck. ........BLJHB

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Do you mean to chuck up in the 3-jaw chuck the piece of "round" straight stock that is chucked up in the new drill chuck, and lightly machine the seating base of the new chuck? I take it that's what you mean. I haven't ordered a threaded arbor yet for the chucks, but will soon.