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Adjust-Tru Bison
- Thread starter ddickey
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Messages
- 1,133
Is that a special backing plate for your model lathe or are you talking about the adjustment portion of the chuck?
8" chuck.
My lathe is D1-4 mount.
I think the adjust -tru chucks need a certain back plate.
Was offered to me for $850.
I didn't want to spend that much and may not. With the cost of the backing plate it is not looking very attractive.
My lathe is D1-4 mount.
I think the adjust -tru chucks need a certain back plate.
Was offered to me for $850.
I didn't want to spend that much and may not. With the cost of the backing plate it is not looking very attractive.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
- Messages
- 7,854
Wow, their prices have really gone up! The Bison D1-4 6-1/4" Set-Tru backplate for my 6-jaw was $165. A couple of yrs ago I paid $250 for the same back plate for my 3-jaw. Now they're like $300!
I got my Bison 6-jaw & backplate from Ajax, they were cheaper even than Enco 20% sale at the time. Give Rocky a call, sometimes he can do better pricing over the phone.
KBC Tools has the 8" D1-4 Set Tru backplate for $328, 1 in stock.
You can also use a Gator backplate as they are pretty much direct copies of Bison. Not sure who carries Gator these days & their prices have gone up too but should still be cheaper than Bison. Ajax carried Gator also, got my 4-jaw from them. Not sure if the new TMX that are made in Poland will fit.
Grizzly sells thick blank adapters that can be used to machine your own Set-Tru style backplates.
I got my Bison 6-jaw & backplate from Ajax, they were cheaper even than Enco 20% sale at the time. Give Rocky a call, sometimes he can do better pricing over the phone.
KBC Tools has the 8" D1-4 Set Tru backplate for $328, 1 in stock.
You can also use a Gator backplate as they are pretty much direct copies of Bison. Not sure who carries Gator these days & their prices have gone up too but should still be cheaper than Bison. Ajax carried Gator also, got my 4-jaw from them. Not sure if the new TMX that are made in Poland will fit.
Grizzly sells thick blank adapters that can be used to machine your own Set-Tru style backplates.
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Messages
- 9,422
This. There is nothing magic about a Bison back plate other than it might be prettier than the others. Once your chuck is on it, you won't even notice the difference. I have a Buck back plate that is so pretty I am loathe to machine it but I'm gonna' ...
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2014
- Messages
- 4,808
Gator back plates are interchangeable with Bison, I have a Gator back plate on my 4J combo Bison. My understanding is they were a direct copy, just made in China. The few Gator back plates I have checked all ran with almost unmeasurable TIR. Check their catalogue, they should give you the specs.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
- Messages
- 7,854
Yup, these days prices are so much I'd probably just make my own like I did when I had a 5" Bison 6-jaw on my mini lathe.
The Bison Set-Tru adapters are expensive to begin with cause they are steel, fully machined, & both mating faces are blanchard ground. I bolted them right on with no truing up needed. Same when I had a Gator 3-jaw chuck with Tech-Tru backplate, it was blanchard ground on one face, not nearly as pretty as the Bison and it was cast iron but it did the job just fine. It was a decent chuck, only sold it cause my sales guy at MSC gave me a smoking deal on a Bison 3-jaw Set-Tru that I couldn't pass up.
I wonder what happened with Gator distributors. When Fuerda first came out with the Gator brand, lots of places were carrying Gator. Now a days not so much & their prices have gone up at least 3 times since I purchased mine. Maybe the price increase has something to do with it?
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
- Messages
- 7,854
I won't name any names but the VP of Operations left Bison & went to GTS/Gator. Both facilities are not too far from each other IIRC. Not saying that has something to do with it but....
That person was great to work with too. That Gator chuck that I no longer have, when I first got it both the chuck & backplate had cosmetic issues. All Industrial didn't have anymore stock. Emailed GTS (US dist for Gator) just to see what they would say & that person replied back directly. Without question said he would replace it free of charge but they were out of stock. Told me to just use the chuck until they got their next shipment & they kept their word.