Original Super Nova Chuck- Missing Key

Hello all,
This is my first post here as a new member and I'm hoping someone might be able to help a fellow wood turner in need. I have been turning tobacco pipes now for a few years and decided to buy a Super Nova chuck on eBay. The chuck was missing the jaws and key. I noticed TeknaTool's website had spare pinion style keys for the G3 and the price was right on the Super Nova so I bought it with the assumption it'd be compatible. Much to my dismay, it is not compatible. I do not want to spend $80 dollars to get one of the replacement keys from New Zealand either. I believe I have the machining skills to make this chuck key but I have no dimensions to work from. Would someone be willing to help me out here? I don't need a spare key from someone (per say) but I need the key dimensions. Namely, the OD, number of teeth, draft angle, diameter of the alignment pin on the bottom, and if possible the pressure angle on the teeth. I know that's asking a lot but I figured I'd ask anyhow. The $50 paperweight I have right now isn't getting any more useful sitting in a drawer. Thank you in advance for any help.

Drew

If you are looking for the tool tighten and loosen the jaws,a 3/8" hex key will fit ... and be better than the tool they send with it.
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It's not the one with the hex key, rather it's the one with the pinion gear key, like this photo. I hope this attachment works... Attachment 369967

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Originally Posted by Andrew Wegner

...I believe I have the machining skills to make this chuck key but I have no dimensions to work from. Would someone be willing to help me out here? I don't need a spare key from someone (per say) but I need the key dimensions. Namely, the OD, number of teeth, draft angle, diameter of the alignment pin on the bottom, and if possible the pressure angle on the teeth...

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Drew,

I use several of the orig SN, some SN2 chucks, a couple of G3 chucks, and one of the Titan chucks. (I don't like to change jaws.) I have seen the missing SN chuck key issue pop up over and over. I have no idea how most of those people resolved things. I did have some spare keys but they have gone to people with the same problem you have and I'm down to one for each lathe plus a spare.

I could try to measure one of the keys for you but it would have to be next week. (I'm sinking in deadlines this week.) If you still need this by next Monday then send me a PM then (or Sun evening) and I'll see what I can do. I do have some ways to measure things. (BTW, one thing I hate about that chuck key is the pivot on the handle which makes it very difficult to line up and insert sometimes without leaning over and peering in the back - I've thought about tack welding one so it doesn't move but I haven't tried that yet.)

It occurs to me it might be a lot easier to copy if you had one in hand. This way you first verify that it works with your chuck, then see just how it's put together and which parts are hardened steel. I don't see if you said where you live but perhaps someone near you could lend one. Are you a member of a turning club? If you didn't live at the Argentina or the South Pole I could send you my spare key to measure and copy but it would cost postage both ways. (You might even make a plaster or resin casting of one to work from.)

Another option might be to sell the chuck to someone who already has that chuck and a key (like me, I can always use another!) and buy another one, perhaps a new G3 which I find very capable - it sometimes goes below $90 on Amazon. Better yet, get the SN2 - the Allen chuck key is a huge improvement over the SN and even some improvement over the G3. I like to find used chucks for cheap but I haven't seen many used SN2 for sale. I do occasionally find them ON sale - the last one I got was just over $100, not including the insert.

JKJ

Attachment 369987Largest Diameter .85"
7 teeth
30 deg angle where engages.
13 Deg on upper part

$50 for no chuck key and no jaws is a ripoff, IMHO. That said, I like the chuck, although the precision is not great. The powergrip jaws hold really well. Much more useful than the "normal".

The key often breaks at the swivel. If mine does I will weld it. I have 5 sets of jaws.

I'd pay $20 For a bare chuck just to save on jaw changes. For $50 I will change jaws.

Wow! Quick and generous responses! To address a few things: I don't have any immediate need for this chuck key, as I have other means of turning my briar, and yes it would be very nice to have one in hand. For gears to mesh properly (and not wear out rapidly) their pressure angles have to match. I'd strongly prefer to have one to measure the radial profile of the gear teeth and I'd make the replacement key out of one piece of steel. No need for a multi-piece assembly. A good piece of 4140 prehard will suit my needs here. Maybe I could make several for the folks here who need them because I have taken similar note of this being a recursive issue. Im not in a turning club as pipes are the only thing I turn regularly. John, I live in Chicago and would be very grateful if you would send me that spare. I'd gladly pay the postage both ways. It shouldn't take long to measure everything. I also have access to good CAD software so I can make a drawing too for the other machine shop savvy folks who want to make one.

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Originally Posted by Andrew Wegner

John, I live in Chicago and would be very grateful if you would send me that spare. I'd gladly pay the postage both ways. It shouldn't take long to measure everything. I also have access to good CAD software so I can make a drawing too for the other machine shop savvy folks who want to make one.

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Ok, if you would, please, send me a PM with your address. (Or better, an email - I think I have that turned on. As I mentioned, I can't get to it until next week but I should on Mon or Tuesday (along with three or four other packages I'm delinquent in sending out!!)

Hey, you might want to visit a club anyway - there may be a people who would be very interested in seeing your pipes and how you do it. I know a guy here who had been making pipes by hand and I helped him with some ideas of how to use a lathe but I certainly don't know much about pipes. Someone sent me a box of briar blanks once but I've just cut off the stems of some and "turned" them into little bowls! I made a wooden collet chuck to hold them - tightens around the briar blank with a hose clamp.

Some people in the clubs I go to also turn just one thing. I know one guy that just turns pens!

JKJ

Interesting. Perhaps I should look into that. I'd say 90% of what I turn is steel, but I'd love to see what other people are doing with their lathes. In hindsight I guess $50 for this chuck wasn't that great but I planned on milling some custom jaws for my briar blocks anyhow. Relatively speaking though, I don't think I've ever spent under $400 for a metal lathe chuck before so it seemed like a steal! Pun absolutely intended. John, I'll email you my contact info. Thanks again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrew Wegner

Interesting. Perhaps I should look into that. I'd say 90% of what I turn is steel, but I'd love to see what other people are doing with their lathes. In hindsight I guess $50 for this chuck wasn't that great but I planned on milling some custom jaws for my briar blocks anyhow. Relatively speaking though, I don't think I've ever spent under $400 for a metal lathe chuck before so it seemed like a steal! Pun absolutely intended. John, I'll email you my contact info. Thanks again!

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What kind of metal machining equipment do you use? I have a small mill and lathe from Little Machine Shop which have been great fun and a larger mill-drill I'm refurbishing in my spare time.

Do you turned steel on the wood lathe freehand with wood turning tools? I turned down some Nova chuck jaws not long ago using a Thompson scraper I ground for it. I have turned a lot of brass and aluminum but that was the first time I've tried steel. I was surprised at how well it worked. I was not surprised at the needle-like "shavings".

BTW, woodturners often need things machined - collets, special face plates, threaded spindle adapters, texturing and other tools, tool handle adapters, there is even a market for sets of threaded brass inserts that can be glued into turned wooden boxes. I've made a bunch of turning tool handles with aluminum, steel, and brass adapters:

Attachment 370054

The guy at Best Wood Tools has a business built on machining things for woodturners - look at some of the stuff he offers! He has a bunch of my dollars. :)

JKJ