The Fabled and Legendary Universal-Independent 3-Jaw Chuck?

[MrWhoopee]

While looking at an old ad on CL, I noticed this..





It would appear that this is a scroll-type 3-jaw chuck with independently adjustable jaws. Why do we not see these anymore? The ad says that this is a 1906 vintage lathe. Might be worth the price of admission for the chuck alone.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/d/metal-lathe/6733822339.html

 

[francist]

Looks like you can still get them...

 

[markba633csi]

Probably too small of a niche market to make it worthwhile
M

 

[francist]

 

[cjtoombs]

Probably because adjusting a 3 jaw independently to set something up would be a PITA. They still make 4 jaw combination chucks (scroll and independent), which seems much more useful than a 3 jaw of the same type. I would love to have one, but they tend to be quite expensive.

 

[francist]

 

[cjtoombs]

View attachment 279161

Well, I stand corrected. I still don't think trying to center or offset a 3 jaw independent chuck would be any fun at all.

 

[francist]

It probably isn't! My take on it is that it's not necessarily for centering purposes, but rather to grip an odd-shaped part repeatedly with speed. I guess you'd still want it centered to a degree, but not like a set-tru would accomplish. I could be totally off base though.

-frank

 

[markba633csi]

Only 49" diameter? Too small for my Atlas

 

[Ulma Doctor]

i have looked at the CL ad for this lathe more than a few times now......