DIY Wood Lathe Collet Chuck

When turning small cabinet parts on the lathe, it helps to have a way to hold them tightly. I made this collet chuck to turn knobs for kitchen cabinets. The original design was shown to me by Ernie Conover, when I visited his shop in Parkman, Ohio. More information can be found in his books. Commercial versions sell for $100 to $200 but, with a $12 faceplate, the rest can be made free from firewood. I hope you enjoy.
To see more woodworking in the microshop, my tiny shed workshop, visit In The Woodshop - www.inthewoodshop.org

[@hjfoiggs69]

Thomas you can use a hose clamp to tighten the collet. And the Collet doesn't have to have a taper.

[@benpress8884]

But it does help keep it in place

[@philbutcher6959]

@@benpress8884 Wouldn't the hose clamp (or jubilee clip) be a a little dangerous? Like a mini, very catchy hammer flying round, whereas the doughnut is smooth and of little danger. I know we all have different tolerances, but if it is something you are using a lot, you might be absent minded one day.

[@user-gh9ws1uj9p]

I'm going to try and make a similar collet but with a jubilee clip sitting in a groove. I want it for drilling pen blanks on the lathe.

[@Retroweld]

Very cool video. Love it. Thanks Douglas.

[@ottograff3986]

I warped sand paper around the mandrel, then sanded the inside of the doughnut taper.

[@inthewoodshop]

Good idea! Thank you.

[@WoodFrontier]

Cool concept, thanks for sharing your build.

[@inthewoodshop]

You're welcome. Thank you for watching.

[@benpress8884]

:) this "concept" has been around for decades, maybe even centuries.

[@schpoingle]

i made one for bigger stuff 'cause i didn't have money for a chuck. This guy on my shopsmith forum told me how. it's similar but you make proportionally bigger slits and you put a hole at the end for extra flex. then you use the not so romantic pipe clamp to tighten. My addition was putting sharpened machined screws through the 'tongues' for extra bite. it's no wear near as beautiful or elegant as this one you made. nice video, thanks.

[@inthewoodshop]

Thanks for watching. I think I am going to make a couple more in different sizes. I don't have the money for another chuck either. It's more fun to make stuff out of firewood anyway.

[@schpoingle]

agreed. i forgot to mention that i used a hardwood ( i mean that in lumber terms;not a pine, maybe a fruit tree) and i keep the wood disgustingly soaked in a non curing/hardening oil like linseed.

[@inthewoodshop]

schpoingle I think mine is spruce. Interesting about the oil. How does that work? Does the clamp slide?

[@schpoingle]

it doesn't taper like yours. you try and use a straight grain piece and follow it on the collet shape for bending power. if you were worried about it though you could turn a little groove for the pipe clamp. that might look nice as long as the wood didn't get to thin.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Great video on a classic technique for holding wood. Your use of pictures and overprinted text explanations worked well in communicating your process. One safety comment. When drilling with a jacobs chuck in the tailstock, you need to hold the jacobs chuck when withdrawing because it is easy for the drill bit to seize and pull out the jacobs chuck from the tailstock. If it gets pulled out, it can start whipping around and be dangerous! You might check out the video I made on chucking wood. 01-19-12 Chucking Wood by Mike Peace (01h28m33s)

[@inthewoodshop]

Thanks for watching. That sounds like great advice. I've used that technique a lot, but I will watch out and hold that chuck!

[@klpittman1]

Try a 5° taper and a steel bridle ring to clamp it with. A split ring will also work.

[@andrewross1639]

I would have just used a jubilee clip to hold the piece in the collet chuck you made. Much easier than all the hassle you had getting the taper just right. Only saying !!!!. Good job, well done.

[@nickdispensa9762]

thank you I will mack one

[@sc928porsche8]

I have adapted a compound table for a mini lathe to fit on my wood lathe. It makes turning tapers much easier. Yes, I could have done such things on my metal lathes, but I do not want to have wood chips etc on my metal lathe. Nor do I want to have oil on my wood projects. It also provides precision turning for parts that need to fit together. Just and idea for you if you wish

[@inthewoodshop]

Interesting idea. Do you have video that you could upload to demonstrate? I would love more information.

[@mauriekeep1737]

inthewoodshop 6w morning

[@gregoryhalye8907]

I would create my own wood faceplate to create this from ... For me, it would involve a 3/4 inch 16 tpi nut (I can buy them for about a dollar each at Atwoods or Tractor Supply). First, I would get a wood blank about the size you are using (cedar post or some other off-cut scrap) and true up one end, and then drill a hole just smaller than the nut's exterior ... Then, I would chisel out the wood around where the nut will be seated, and epoxy it in place. This would give me a metal threaded faceplate that will run true pretty much forever, since it will have no play once it's threaded on my lathe spindle. After that, I would follow the same procedures you've outlined in creating the collet for your chuck, to create the main body and the collet portion. For the holding ring, I would temporarily chuck a faceplate with a smaller section of wood on it and turn it round, and drill out the center (I'ld use a backing that I could drill into, of course). After drilling the center hole, I'ld grab one of my precision scrapers and simply aim straight at the base of the hole from a larger angle... So, from the visuals you've provided, the hole would be that inner circle you marked, and the outer circle would mark my starting point from the front face, and I'ld be aiming to hit the inner circle from that starting point, following the angle straight through the donut. And to finish the piece .... I'ld avoid using any kind of wax finishing agents. Superglue (CA finish) might be overkill, but I don't want my collet to slip loose on me! I'll probably make mine sometime in the next few weeks for turning bottle stoppers. When I turn the donut, I think I'll leave one side more squarish looking (the side toward the headstock) to make it easier on me figuring out which end fits where. To get a small precision scraper to use for detail work and for cutting that taper, I went to a local pawn shop and took a look at their old hand tools. Specifically, screwdrivers with square shanks and wood handles. (Gives good control with flat surface against flat surface. The wood handles part was so that I didn't have to deal with dirty looking plastic.) I took a few home and cleaned them up, and then ground the tips off to put a ground scraper/chisel profile on the end that pleased me. Alternatively, you could just go pick up some round bar stock of mild steel at a local hardware store and turn your own handles for them, grind the tips any way you like and run with it! (No, don't actually run around your shop with chisels, boys and girls!) Just make sure that when you are grinding, you have a small container of saltwater nearby to cool the tool off. You do NOT want to remove the tempering and heat treating of the tool steel, it's already perfect as is. If you see ANY discoloration in the tool's tip as you are grinding or sanding, dip it in the saltwater right away. To answer the question about all the waste wood and sawdust ..... It makes awesome and free packing material. When turning wet wood, you need to dry it slowly to avoid cracking and checking ... pack it in it's own wet shavings! You can compress it with melted wax and create a Yule Log or fire starter log. You can mulch your yard (or a friend's garden ect) with it. Compost heap for anything other than cedar and other bug-hating woods! You can also use it for tree nursery seedlings (to stratify and germinate the tree seeds). Holding it against the turning wood piece causes it to burnish up and polish, so it's useful for finishing. Sawdust from the finishing process can be saved and mixed with wood glue to give you a perfectly matched color wood putty for filling in holes. Have fun finding more useful ways to use that stuff up! :) Just thought of another alternative you could use for a perfectly fitting donut on your collet chuck. Turn the cone as normal, and then GLUE SOME SANDPAPER TO IT and grind your donut's hole for a perfect fit!

[@inthewoodshop]

That's a really cool idea. Thank you! I will be trying that out.

[@benpress8884]

You do you

[@thomasblackwell9507]

I think I can use something like this on a metal lathe. Thank you for the info.

[@benpress8884]

There are thousands of collets available for metal lathes, even lathes specifically dedicated to suing collets only

[@thomashanson6607]

I use a 1/2 inch bench chisel (upside down) to cut tapers after I drill out the waste.

[@inthewoodshop]

Inside tapers?

[@thomashanson6607]

inthewoodshop You know the size of both ends because you can measure it from the width of your ring and transfer it to the shaft to measure. . Bore a hole to the small size, and cut gradual tapers till the other end gets to the big size. I saw someone else use a thick scraper for this but I don't have one. Yet.

[@inthewoodshop]

Interesting. I tried a scraper and I found it very awkward. It was my first time doing that. If I had a very all bowl gouge, I would have used that but my bowl gouges are quite large.

[@thomashanson6607]

inthewoodshop You want a sharp cornered tool like a wood chisel or a skew if it's small enough, and push in a straight line cut. I have the smaller diameter precisely bored and toward the chuck. Mark the large diameter carefully with pencil and make straight cuts not touching the small diameter till the last pass. This used to be child's play on the metal lathe with it's taper attachment.

[@inthewoodshop]

Thomas Hanson I'm going to try that. Thank you very much for commenting and for watching the video.

[@Shinda6917]

Awesome Video. I do not know if anyone has said this to you for the Taper on the doughnut but you could have used what I call a Pyramid Bit. They are a staged drill bit that tapers from a small size to larger ones.

[@mcdowell356]

Try using an old wheel bearing race as a tightened on the taper . I ,m thinking it would be a similar taper

[@john196719670]

Just a thought but what about a step drill to get the taper, use the same angle as the step on the collet

[@inthewoodshop]

What an intriguing notion. Never used one of those. Thanks for watching.

[@Carl4193]

I think I would have put sandpaper around the taper you already have and sanded out the taper on the donut part, just a thought.

[@stevecrawford2764]

You could have wrapped the spindle taper with course sand paper, it would have formed an exact match and the rougher surface you needed.

[@carloastone166]

bravo

[@inthewoodshop]

Thank you. Thanks for watching!

[@poppajoe801]

hi there, i have an axminster midi lathe and want to extend the tool rest. ive just noticed yours and wondered how you fixed your extended bar to the existing one. it looks a simpler fix than having to make one from scratch, thanks.

[@inthewoodshop]

+poppajoe801 I didn't. I bought a replacement tool rest from Lee Valley. It was cheap but I find the post is a little short.

[@benpress8884]

Why not use a center finder?

[@joshuarobertdaniels]

Maybe use a stepped drill bit to make taper?

[@endemiller5463]

Could you have placed a piece of sandpaper in one of the slots and then hand finished the inside?

[@inthewoodshop]

Interesting idea. I wish I had thought of that. Thank you.

[@sapiringo18]

Hi there, thx for your video. I may sound dumb because Im new to wood crafting, but I got a question. Is there a way not to waste so many wood? So much wood for such a little piece. Or do you recycle somehow all the sawdust?

[@inthewoodshop]

I don't think there is a way - with this project - not to waste so much wood. People turn nested bowls so they don't waste the wood inside the bowl, but this obviously is not a bowl. Unfortunately that is woodturning. The waste is not sawdust, however, it is shavings and can be used for several purposes. You reuse some of it for burnishing the piece (part of finishing) and it is great to heat the shop. I have a Kelly kettle in which I burn shavings and small pieces to heat my tea or hot chocolate. I mulch around the shop with it. I'm sure others have way more suggestions than I have. Thanks for watching and good luck with woodworking.

[@danielparker6102]

A stepped Metal drill bit would probably would do the trick.

[@CKE142B]

It's called a Tapered Reamer.

[@jessewaho6o9]

Interesting

[@inthewoodshop]

jessewaho6o9 Thanks for watching!

[@richarddonkin3279]

Why not just buy a set of pin jaws for your chuck,or use your drill chuck in the head stock for small work

[@inthewoodshop]

This way is cheaper than the first and marks the wood up less than the second.

[@TheGoogtube]

The taper angle is too big, should be the degree of the drill chuck taper which is a 1deg. morse taper. The collet id should match the od taper.

[@danielamaldini3119]

Dude forget the doughnut use a pipe clamp!!! just make the collet straight with no taper and use small pipe clamp...... works great and a lot simpler to make....just say'n ....but great video anyway :)

[@MrGlorybe]

A metal lathe would cut that doughnut taper easily.

[@inthewoodshop]

I've often wished I had the room for one. That's a great idea. Thank you!

[@Puggy1234ful]

Forget about the pro bull, but try to learn all you can about safety. Your dealing with a machine that is spinning usually at 2 or 3 thousand rpm and that can do an amazing amount of damage to you or any bystander in a very short period of time.. If it is at all possible join a turning club or at least try to get in touch with other turners in your area.

[@williamcastleberry7338]

your music is to loud, drowns out you voice

[@inthewoodshop]

I'll take another look at that. Thank you.

[@andrewcrawley7384]

Definatly not a pro multiple safety violations an lack of tool knowlegde

[@inthewoodshop]

More details please, if possible. Always willing to learn.

[@SuperBowser87]

I checked your channel to see your video about safety and I didnt find one. I also looked for your video telling us exactly what a "PRO" wood turner is? How do I become a pro? What is the first and final step in the process of becoming a pro wood turner? Never mind your safety methods but I want to know your method of holding the title of pro? I really want to know this so post your video asap we would all appreciate it.