Wood Lathe Chucks - Not Necessary But Very Nice

Woodturning has been around since at least the time of the great pyramids of Egypt. In all that time there have been very few innovations in the craft. However, in the last few decades, the four jaw, self centering, wood lathe chuck has come into its own with myriads of jaw sets and sizes as well as competing manufacturers. While the chuck may not be necessary, it is certainly nice to use and makes some tasks easier and more enjoyable.

Consider if you will, the making of a salad bowl, one of the mainstays of a woodturner's repertoire. Traditionally, the top of a bowl blank would be mounted on a screw chuck or a faceplate and fastened to the wood lathe . The outside would be turned and the bottom flattened. Either a wood block would be glued to the bottom to handle a faceplate for turning the inside or the bowl would be fastened to the faceplate with screws leaving hole to be filled or covered later.

Most if not all of the new four jaw chucks come with a wood screw attachment. A hole is drilled in the center of the top of the bowl blank for the wood screw. The screw holds it to the chuck with incredible power. The outside of the bowl is turned, the bottom levelled and then a shallow mortise is cut in the bottom. Once the bowl is removed from the screw, the screw attachment is removed from the chuck and the chuck jaws are opened into the mortise on the bowl bottom. Again the holding power is awesome. Now the bowl is finish turned, sanded and finished. Instead of screw holes in the bottom there is a decorative mortise that is simply left as part of the artistic design of the bowl.

One of the difficulties of turning bowls is that they are generally turned of green wood. This leaves a very thick bowl that must be dried before finish turning. As it dries it warps and twists making it hard to remount on the lathe for final work.

With a chuck it is possible to leave a mortise on the bottom as with dry wood and to leave either a tenon or a mortise on the inside as well. The chuck is opened into the now oval internal mortise or onto the now oval tenon. Because of the power of the chuck, the hold works and it is now safe to once again turn the outer mortise and to flatten the remainder of the base. All that remains is to flip the piece around and final turn the outside and inside of the bowl. Once it is turned, sanded and finished it is time for the next one.

Is the four jaw wood chuck for the lathe necessary? No, but it does make some things faster, easier, and above all safer.

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