Wood lathe chucks
Wood lathe chucks are an indispensable tool when working on wood with the lathe. It is in fact an accessory that allows you to tighten, keeping the workpiece still and allowing it to be rotated by the machine tool. The shape it may have varies according to the processing needs, therefore various factors must be kept in mind when choosing.
A key feature to consider when choosing is the number of jaws. In fact, this will determine the type of piece that can be machined. When the jaws are 3 it is possible to work circular pieces or pieces with a number of sides that is divisible by 3. When instead the jaws are 4 it will always be possible to work circular pieces, but also polygonal pieces with a number of sides that is divisible by 4.
Another very important feature to take into account when choosing wood lathe chucks is whether they are self-centering or with independent jaws. In the self-centering models, the jaws, which can be 3 or 4, open and close simultaneously in a concentric way. This feature ensures that the centering of the piece to be machined is kept constant.
On the other hand, in the models of wood lathe chucks with independent jaws, the movement of the individual jaws is independent. This type of tool allows you to fix the pieces that must also be machined off-axis. In fact, each single jaw has a movement independent of the others. This model can be particularly useful for carrying out particular processes or for pieces with irregular dimensions.