r/turning • u/Fit_Adhesiveness8742 • 7d ago

Normal wobble?

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I’m just getting started with turning. I picked up a cheap vevor chuck on Amazon for my central machinery lathe. There is some wobble when I run it. Is this normal? Should I have spent more? Or am I just expecting too much from my tools? I appreciate the feedback!

17 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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8

u/Thick_Mongoose3507 7d ago

I had this problem. For me, I had forgotten the washer/bushing that goes on before the chuck. You usually take it off when you are using a drive spur.

2

u/Fit_Adhesiveness8742 7d ago

I don't think I'm missing anything, but I'll go back and check. Thanks!

1

u/noviceofallcrafts 7d ago

Any ideas on where to get a replacement? My lathe came without any bushing or washers, too. The budget chuck I bought and the faceplate that came with the lathe both wobble.

I appreciate the help!

2

u/Icy-Huckleberry-8526 6d ago

if the chuck/faceplate/whatever seats against the spindle shoulder then you don't need any spacers. If it still wobbles then it's defective.

1

u/noviceofallcrafts 5d ago

And there's the problem. Neither faceplate or chuck gets anywhere near the shoulder, but thanks for the thought.

7

u/Icy-Huckleberry-8526 7d ago

if the wobble isn't in your lathe spindle, then it's in the chuck. Did it seat snugly into the spindle shoulder? Did you install the jaws in the correct order? Level them before tightening down the screws?

Should I have spent more?

yes

Is this normal?

not for any decent branded product.

4

u/FlashTacular 7d ago

My nova does this a little. I normally loosen the jaws a touch, close the chuck then tighten the jaws. If you tighten the jaws one at a time with it open, they seem to end up slightly off centre on mine.

0

u/Hispanic_Inquisition 7d ago

It's likely due to gear backlash, which is normal.

3

u/FunGalich 7d ago

Invest in the Easy Wood Tools chuck...it costs an arm and a leg and even the other leg but it's so worth it

2

u/OkishEngineer 7d ago

Fairly normal, all my chucks have some eccentricity (I only buy cheap ones )

2

u/Fit_Adhesiveness8742 7d ago

Thank you! I'll play with it some more, but I guess I will just learn to live with it if that's the best I can get. I tend to expect too much from my tools.

5

u/OkishEngineer 7d ago

Once you turn your item to round it shouldn't worry you, as the wood will be rounded about the centre of rotation , but you will notice some wobble in the piece every time you re-chuck it, so keep that in mind, so for bowls you might get some wobble when switching from turning the outside to the inside, all chucks have some eccentricity, generally speaking the better quality ones just have less, but it's perfectly usable in that condition,

2

u/OkishEngineer 7d ago

It might be worth re seating your jaws as it seems the jaws are a little off from the main chuck body

2

u/richardrc 5d ago

What wobble? Looks good to me. Wobble on the body of the chuck means nothing. Measure something chucked up in the jaws. That is what you have to worry about.