Help choose Ind 4-jaw chuck for 1440GT, please

When you look at how the forged steel chucks are made, they do not cast the voids in the back it is all machined. The Bison semi-steel have very clean castings and webing vs. the Chinese mainland ones I have seen. This is the TMX 8" 4J which is a copy of the Bision. Note that the through hole is 1.97" on the 8" independent chucks. The forged 10" Bison was gorgeous. I guess it depends on your needs, how much you use the chuck and how much you want to spend. Also these 4J independent chucks are more limited holding smaller stock, there are limitations to how far the jaws can come together and the jaws tips are wide. The 8" combination chuck can hold stock down to 0.2".

Independent 4J chuck.jpg
 
Hello, I was in the same boat and am the one Mark is speaking of. I may never need it and Mark teased me about the need for a chuck with a 2 inch thru hole being needed to turn an elephant barrel, lol. While waiting on the machine I looked everywhere and even posted here kinda like a poll on brands. I called several vendors and all quoted me prices for a forged body Bison 10" 4 jaw stating only one at the warehouse. I found mine on EBAY, I was nervous and had a few folks here look at the ad not wanting to buy a copy or junk. The chuck was shipped to me from Canada which was another concern for me (how many pieces would it be in when or if it arrived). I ordered it, with the taxes and shipping it was less than half any of the quotes I received from anyone state side. The chuck was brand new in the box as advertised, it was packed VERY well. The Bison box was put inside a milk crate lined with plywood and foam board insulation and that was packed inside a cardboard box lined with foam board insulation. No damage at all. The chuck is a hand full at 60-65 pounds but I can handle it no problem, it is butter smooth and I am very happy with it. The link Mark posted above is from the seller I purchased from, he also has a Swiss made 10" 4 jaw the he has listed as a display model that might be good but I do not know that brand. Good Luck and reach out if I can be of any help.

Steve
 
Kalamazoo makes the old Buck chuck in Michigan. Not any cheaper but I've heard they are very good quality. Dave
 
Rifleman1384, I've seen the Swedish made 10" SCA you mention. Heck, months ago I made an offer on it! I will consider the seller when seeking bids. Regarding bore size, I'd go 3" if I could! Gots some wild ideas! LOL

I am also seeking info on other brands that have been mentioned.

Thanks guys.
 
You are limited by the spacing of the D1-5 pins, so the 10" chuck will go to 2.56" and that is about the maximum size through hole that is possible. Otherwise consider the 1440TL with a D1-6 mount and the larger spindle bore.
 
Rifleman1384 said:
Hello, I was in the same boat and am the one Mark is speaking of. I may never need it and Mark teased me about the need for a chuck with a 2 inch thru hole being needed to turn an elephant barrel, lol. While waiting on the machine I looked everywhere and even posted here kinda like a poll on brands. I called several vendors and all quoted me prices for a forged body Bison 10" 4 jaw stating only one at the warehouse. I found mine on EBAY, I was nervous and had a few folks here look at the ad not wanting to buy a copy or junk. The chuck was shipped to me from Canada which was another concern for me (how many pieces would it be in when or if it arrived). I ordered it, with the taxes and shipping it was less than half any of the quotes I received from anyone state side. The chuck was brand new in the box as advertised, it was packed VERY well. The Bison box was put inside a milk crate lined with plywood and foam board insulation and that was packed inside a cardboard box lined with foam board insulation. No damage at all. The chuck is a hand full at 60-65 pounds but I can handle it no problem, it is butter smooth and I am very happy with it. The link Mark posted above is from the seller I purchased from, he also has a Swiss made 10" 4 jaw the he has listed as a display model that might be good but I do not know that brand. Good Luck and reach out if I can be of any help.

Steve
Click to expand...

I've also ordered from JRWoodca on eBay and been very happy with their prices, service and packaging.

John
 
mksj said:
You are limited by the spacing of the D1-5 pins, so the 10" chuck will go to 2.56" and that is about the maximum size through hole that is possible. Otherwise consider the 1440TL with a D1-6 mount and the larger spindle bore.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm beyond maxed out on this machine. LOL 2" will do wonderfully. I began this purchase in December actually. Hit a snag and was concerned if it came in - on time (LOL), in March I might not be able to do it. So I traded my place in line for an early May time frame, which is NOW. (Smiley) Paid for and in the warehouse. Yahoo. 3-phase, PEP, Mag DRO.... Getting pretty excited!

About "combination" chucks. Do they scoll, then also have an independent fine adjustment feature? Been my assumption, but, figured I'd ask.


Really liking the TMX and Bison chucks, and also curious about Kalamazoo. 8"

Been greatly informative, and dare I say entertaining, reading many threads on this forum!
 
Combination chuck is a scroll chuck with individually adjustable jaws that ride on the lower scroll portions (see picture below). The scroll section will typically repeat to 0.001-0.002", there are slight variations when reinserting stock because the pressure you use on the jaws may vary. The nice feature is getting stock in/out and dialing the TIR to zip quickly or if you do anything off center. A Set-Tru scroll chuck is not really made to dial in stock, it is more to dial in the jaws for minimum TIR. My understanding with rifle work is the center bore can often be slightly off center from the outer barrel, and alignment is relative to the bore requireing tweaking the jaws.

The downside of combination chucks (other than cost) is they take longer to clean getting all the swarf out, and they are heavy (my 8" is around 80-85 lbs with the back plate). My heavier chucks I clamp down on a road when I remove them and the rod extends past both ends of the chuck which makes them easier to carry. Some people make a sled for the ways for getting the chuck on/off the spindle.

I would be very careful on some of the other chucks, such as Buck, Kalamazoo, and even the newer PBA atlas line as many of the lower end products are just rebranded Chinese mainland chucks. Not saying they are bad, but I saw one side by side discussion and the remark was that two chucks were identical, onle difference was the name on the chuck and it was twice the price. I went through my share of chucks, and spent more in the long run than if I had just bought well made chucks in the first place. It is not only the TIR but the skew in holding the stock, the linearity of the scroll/jaws, the rigidity as well as the movement, grind of the jaws, etc. There are subtle differences, on my PBA scroll the jaws are ground with a very small taper along the length so that when they clamp stock the jaws are parallel along the length with even pressure.

They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but if I were going to use just two chucks it would be a combination and a collet. Others such as gunsmiths often leave their 4J independent on the lathe and may never use another chuck.

Bison Combination.jpg

Bison Combination Threading.jpg
 
I researched this extensively for a D1-6 12”, & I ended up buying a TMX. Bison-Bial would have been my second choice.

I chose forged steel & 2-piece jaws. The chuck was very expensive, but I not be happier. I added an extra chuck key when I made the order.

You can call TMX in MA & ask the rep questions on the phone. They are very approachable.

Small Tools is an excellent source for chucks! You will save a lot of money. I was happy that the chuck was drop shipped directly from TMX in MA. After paying what I did, I certainly didn’t need any funny business.
 
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