Okay, I have gotten to the point where I actually need to remedy my issue. The 3-jaw chuck on my Lot 4 is not longer able to hold stock true enough that I can’t make up the difference with one of my other lathes. I work on very small parts and often use the Dalton to rough in larger material that I can finish up on a smaller lathe. From what I can tell, the jaws on the chuck no longer grip the workpiece evenly. Typically I turn most of the surfaces down to spec and then cut the part off. However, yesterday, I needed to use the whole OD of a piece of stock and turn a small shaft down in the center. When I parted the piece off and put it in my other lathe, I noticed how off the chuck was.
I use this lathe about 3 times a day. Can anyone recommend a specific model of chuck that they have had success replacing the original one with? I’d love to have one that can be dialed in to perfection like the Bison Set-Tru series. My lathe has the standard 3-hole mounting plate and an MT3 taper in the headstock. I was looking to see if there was a collet solution that might work with that.
Is there any way to keep the original going? It’s looking pretty worn, but it’s led a good life. :)
Thanks,
Ryan
Manchester, MA
