super nova 2 users

[Cory Martin]

Has anyone with the sn2 tried using the spigot jaws for turning a bowl?

Thanks
Cory

[Dennis Peacock]

The best jaw set that I've seen for the SN2 are the Powergrip jaws. Mark Cothren has those on his SN2 and man....what a great way to more securly hold a bowl on the lathe.
They are on my "want list".

[Kevin McPeek]

They work OK but if you are buying another set of jaws there are better choices I think. I have the spigot jaws and have only used them a handful of times. I have 2 chucks and one almost always has the power grip jaws on it and the other gets changed around between the stock jaws and pin jaws. If you want a set for bowl turning the power grips are the way to go, IMHO of course.

[Gordon Seto]

Cory,

The 75 mm bowl jaw is also a good choice for bowls. Its wide rim gives a lot of shoulder support for firm grip. The tenon size is only slightly larger than the 50 mm standard jaw set that came with the chuck. But it takes a much bigger catch to unseat the blank from the 75 mm bowl jaw. (Don't ask me how I found that out and confirmed it.) A good fitting shoulder on tenon provides better grip than the brute force of the spigot jaw crushing the wood fiber.

IMO, the step jaw set is so "versatile" and good for nothing.

Gordon

[George Tokarev]

Has anyone with the sn2 tried using the spigot jaws for turning a bowl?

I bought a set with a gift certificate because I had never used spigots much, and everyone was always talking about them. They are in the ignore drawer along with the 25mm non-pin jaws. They have all the faults of a chew chuck, and do nothing else, as there are no dovetails. They are fine for corner grabbing 2x2 legs, but that's the last time I used mine.

The 75mm are great tenon jaws. As noted, they are about the same inside as the 50mm, which are not designed for a tenon dovetail, but with a wonderfully generous shoulder if you want to use it all. Their minimum mortise is around 82mm (3.25), which makes a style choice for you that you may not wish to use, especially on smaller items.

The Power Grip are very large. I got them with my first Super, but never really used them much. Too big. Stabilizing platters is one regular use, as is larger boxes and covered bowls and their lids, where size does matter.

[Paul Engle]

I have the 45mm spigot jaws and use them for holding by a recess on small bowls ( under 8 in) as it sets the bowl a little further out from the chuck and allows me to do bottom work if needed. they open the same nearly as the 50 mm jaws that come with the chuck so the only thing you gain is the distance from the chuck to the jaw, they are dove tailed but the plus is the teeth internal for holding square for spindle. Since I have a G3 also it allows me to change around if need be. I got the 100mm bowl jaws not the power grip and used on biggest bowl to date a 12 in spalted birch seen in jury thread and 16in walnut platter shape ( recess ) as a lid for a 4 foot high ceramic pot for a person at work... not even a sniffle.

[Dave Wimmer]

The best jaw set that I've seen for the SN2 are the Powergrip jaws. Mark Cothren has those on his SN2 and man....what a great way to more securly hold a bowl on the lathe.
They are on my "want list".

I agree with Dennis. I have the spigot jaws, but I probably use the Powergrip jaws 90% of the time.

[Cory Martin]

Thanks for the advice guys. Those of you who use the power grip do you leave the tenon on and turn it into a foot?

[Kevin McPeek]

That is one of the things that I really like about them is you have have enough there to turn into a foot. I got my Power Grips after getting my McNaughton rig and wanted a little more strength after ripping a tennon of a bowl with the 50mm, but I use them primarily now. I also like that they are a little longer and give you a little extra room to get to the bottom of the bowl.