Smithy 8" chuck options for 1220LTD

[General Zod]

Hello everyone. I'm looking to upgrade my chuck on my Smithy 1220LTD to an 8". The problem is: I prefer an 8" 3-jaw self-centering (scroll?) chuck vs a 4-jaw independent, since I don'd need the extra accuracy. Smithy only sells the 4-jaw indep. Aftermarket 8" chuck vendors are asking me about the spindle type and what adpater is needed for an 8" chuck, and I can't get an answer from Smithy because they say a self-centering 8" chuck is much heavier than a 4-jaw indep. How much truth is there to that? Am I really stuck with having to get their 4-jaw indep chuck? If I missed any important info, it is not on purpose, by all means ask away.

 

[Alcap]

I have a Chinese lathe which would be like the original Smithy but without the mill head . It came with I think 5" 3 jaw I recently install a Grizzly 8" 4 jaw independent with the backplate is heavy but on an interrupted cut it had plenty of mass and seemed to keep the vibration down .

 

[General Zod]

thank you for the input,

 

[Alcap]

Does you chuck mount from the front ? Mine mounts with 3 bolts from the headstock end towards the tailstock . The original bolts right to the spindle where as the Grizzly ,like I mentioned needs a backplate and the chuck bolts through the front into the backplate

 

[General Zod]

Mine mounts like yours, there are bolts that I have to thread from the headstock side toward the tailstock.

That Grizzly 8" chuck is priced great, but if I can't adapt it easily to my machine, then it's simply not worth it to me, as I don't need a project in front of the project I want to tackle, lol. I might as well order the one from Smithy that comes ready to bolt-on for around $200. Remember, I'm the amateur machinist, lol.

 

[Alcap]

Not a bad price if you figure you not having to deal with a backplate

 

[mac1911]

Did you ever get the chuck

 

[General Zod]

No, I have not.