The purchase of a lathe by a prospective turner may be a considerable investment, but funding should also be allocated for other essential basic items such as a suitable chuck.

Chuck development at Axminster

Made by us in Axminster using the latest CNC production techniques, our world class chucks were not born overnight. They are the result of over three decades of experience in production and design. Our team of expert product designers and engineers here at Axminster Tools, produced one of the world's first four jaw, self-centering chucks for woodturners back in 1984. It wasn't long before the team explored all manner of different accessories for the chuck. They devised a style of mounting four quadrants of a profiled disc that we called jaws. These jaws are still, to this day, compatible with all the chucks we have made. It is important to us to ensure that the accessories you purchased yesterday, will still work with the chucks we make and sell today.

Over the years, much of the development of our chucks and jaws has come from the feedback and input of professional woodturners. And our design and engineering team continue to develop our lathe accessories to provide our customers with world class products.

The ever-expanding range of Axminster Woodturning chucks now covers almost every type of work-holding requirement, from dolls’ house chair legs just a few millimetres in diameter to 60cm diameter bowls weighing 20kg or more. Precision made in high grade steel, the chucks and their associated accessories have been developed over the years, in many cases in discussion with our professional turning friends, to cover almost every eventuality likely to be encountered by the amateur or professional alike.

One of our guiding principles has always been to ensure that as many different operations as possible can be carried out without removing the chuck from the lathe. This approach, combined with the provision of multiple gripping diameters on most of the jaws, gives minimum outlay coupled with maximum flexibility of operation.

woodturning starter kits 01

Apart from the junior chuck which utilises engineering end mill collets to hold small workpieces, all the Axminster chucks use the tried and tested scroll mechanism to control the jaw travel. This system provides the dual benefits of a nominal half inch of radial movement of each jaw in expansion and contraction and a security of grip onto the work which is unrivalled by any of the collet style chucks on the market. They are also supplied with a set of SafetyJaw accessory mounting jaws with rounded corners which minimise the chance of injury should your fingers get too close to the rotating chuck.

Axminster Discovery GK88 and GK100 Chuck

Discovery GK88 Chuck

The GK88 88mm stainless steel chuck is the smallest chuck in the Axminster Woodturning range. It's light and compact design makes it suitable for a variety of lathes and is particularly suited to smaller models. The GK100 chuck is the same as the GK88, however 100mm in diameter. They both feature an interchangeable backplate, which allows you to keep your chuck body and swap your backplate should you wish to upgrade your lathe and need a different thread size. 

As with all the chucks in the Axminster Woodturning range, the GK88/GK100 chucks are precision designed and manufactured from Axminster Tools HQ in Axminster, Devon, UK and is engineered using the latest in CNC technology. They're stainless steel for effective corrosion resistance, making it ideal for when turning wet timber or for storing safely.

The chuck package includes the basic tools needed for work holding on the lathe, and is ideal for beginners in woodturning. The package includes chuck body, interchangeable backplate, faceplate ring, dovetail jaws and screw chuck (all available to buy separately).

Also available is a range of jaws compatible with the Discovery GK88 Chuck, useful for holding a wide range of projects. The Discovery GK100 chuck is compatible with our range of our existing stainless steel jaws. The chucks can also be purchased as a body and backplate only.

Explore Jaws

Axminster Discovery SK100 Chuck

The Discovery SK100 chuck has the same design features as the GK88 and GK100; includes the interchangeable backplate, stainless steel, precision made, however it is fully enclosed. The chuck uses a square key, allowing for more positive engagement with the scroll and easy operation by giving the user extra torque. It’s the perfect upgrade from a smaller chuck, or ideal for more ambitious beginners.

If you already have a GK100 chuck, and wish to upgrade to a fully enclosed chuck, simply purchase the SK100 Enclosure to create your own SK100 chuck.  The SK100 is compatible with our extensive range of stainless steel jaws.

woodturning starter kits 03

Axminster Evolution Chucks

Evolution SK114 woodturning chuck

First drawn at a desk in Devon, the Evolution chuck has been machined and refined to make woodturning easier, accurate and more enjoyable. Our aim was to produce a chuck that was slim, keeping the weight of the work over the bearings.

We achieved maximum accuracy by threading the body of the chuck for perfect concentricity. We also wanted a chuck that would suit the jaws already owned by our customers. Our first prototypes were tested by some of the most well known names in the woodturning world.

Taking the best features of our Axminster chuck designs over the past 20 years, we have in our view the most superb woodturning chuck ever made - the Evolution SK114. We have introduced round the clock manufacturing at our production workshop in Axminster to keep pace with global demand.

Uniquely the Evolution body is made of stainless steel making it totally rustproof. Every millimetre of this chuck is made in the UK and assembled in Devon. All of the components are machined in our workshop giving us total control so that the chucks we produce are supreme in terms of longevity and quality.

The Evolution is a revolution in chuck making and, we believe, it is the finest woodturning chuck ever made.

Lathe Thread Information

The table below lists all the stock thread types which can be used when ordering any of the threaded items, such as chucks, chuck backplates, faceplates and screw chucks. If you are uncertain about which thread to specify please ring our Specialist Sales Team who will be pleased to help. They will need to know either the make of the lathe or the dimensions of the lathe spindle as shown in the diagram. The column heading numbers refer to the dimensions in the diagram as follows:

1. Register diameter.
2. Register length.
3. Thread diameter.
4. Combined length of thread and register.
5. Thread pitch, either threads per inch or thread pitch if metric.

Thread diagram

Right hand threads

Thread size
1
2
3
4
5
T01 (3/4" x 16tpi)
3/4"
3/16"
3/4"
11/16"
16
T04M (1" x 8tpi)
1"
1/4"
1"
1.1/8"
8
T23 (1 1/4" x 8tpi)
1.1/4"
1/8"
1.1/4"
1"
8
T38U (33mm x 3.5mm)
34mm
16mm
33mm
30mm
3.5mm
*Please measure register diameter (1) to ensure the correct fitting

Right hand / left hand threads

Thread size
1
2
3
4
5
T02RL (1 1/2" x 6tpi)
1 1/2"
3/8"
1 1/2"
1 1/8"
6

Some care should be taken when buying a chuck as they’re machined with an internal thread which must match the spindle thread of the lathe it’s going to be used on. The chucks are also supplied with a set of precision ground accessory mounting jaws, machined with threaded holes which accept the Axminster range of lathe jaws.

lathe_accessories01

Specialist Chucks

Apart from a standard chuck, it’s also desirable to have a way of initially mounting bowl blanks for the first rough turning. Although a faceplate (usually supplied with the lathe) can be used, it’s probably more convenient to use a Screw Chuck, which are available in a variety of different designs. Turning smaller items present their own difficulties, as tools and hands may become too close to the rotating parts of the lathe. One solution is to use an Axminster Junior Chuck (supplied with three collets). As knowledge and skill increase, more specialist and advanced equipment can be purchased, such as an Eccentric Spiralling Chuck which allows a range of eccentric and spiral stems to be produced.

Conclusion

The choice of a basic chuck is fairly straightforward and if funds allow, the Evolution SK114 is the obvious choice for larger lathes, with the GK88 for the smaller range of bench top lathes. For more advice on which chuck would suit your lathe and project contact our Specialist Sales Team on 03332 406406 or email sales@axminstertools.com.