Free Woodturning Tool: The Ultimate Jam Chuck Tutorial!

[@waltwhybrewwoodworking]

Thanks for the training

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

My pleasure, Walt. Happy Turning!

[@braytonbailey3782]

Great video, hopefully I will be able to make some good jam chucks, as I am turning some black walnut.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

You can do it, Brayton! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@bethpurdy-ij6jo]

Not a FAN of VACUUM? I love the unintentional humor. I also love the practical and tremendously pertinent advice. Thank you.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Glad you enjoyed it, Beth! Happy Turning!

[@wendyheller8390]

Thank you, professor!!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

You are welcome, Wendy! Happy Turning!

[@tielkgate]

We Be JAMIN! I like my Vacuum, but I feel more secure with either of my Jam Chucks. I have my bigger chuck mounted to a face plate, and use it quite often. Lowell 😉😉😉

[@gpanizzolo6090]

Muy útil y práctico! Gracias por compartirlo! Un abrazo! Germán, Lomas de Solymar, Uruguay

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Muchas gracias, Germán. ¡Me siento honrado de poder ayudarte en todo el camino en Uraguy! ¡Todo lo mejor para ti y Happy Turning!

[@charlottemiracle4601]

I am a widowed woman and would like to get back into woodworking. I love your videos. Would you please give me some hints as to what kind and size of lathe I should restart with? Thanks for your help

[@williambuckley1185]

Interesting learning here, good video to watch, thanks for sharing.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

My pleasure, William. Happy Turning!

[@glen3257]

thank you as always for your video! I still have to catch up, but can not get enough!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Glad you enjoyed it Glen. Happy Turning!

[@prsearls]

Jan chucks are very useful. I've taken that idea and adapted it to suit my projects. I use a scrap piece of cherry or maple, drill a hole through it and thread it using a Beale Tool Co. spindle tap. After truing up the front surface, I glue on a piece of 1/2 inch plywood and turn it into a circle. Then I glue on a piece of 1/8 inch neoprene rubber (from Amazon) to serve as the "cushion." I have made these in various diameters to fit different size bowls/platters. The rubber adapts to surface irregularities and grips the bowl surface better than other padding material I've used. The larger disks provide better support for bigger or unbalanced pieces. This system does not require the use of a chuck so it speeds up some of my turning. My variation of a good idea.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Great method. Thank you for writing and sharing! Happy Turning!

[@markduggan3451]

Interesting video.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@tschmath]

The cole jaw goes inside a closed rim bowl and expands. Works every time.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Yes but won’t work on live edge bowls. Happy Turning!

[@howesfull8]

at 6:12 did you mean "vacuum" . Nice vid. Great teaching series. Thank you.

[@giorgiomariaspani9725]

I would love to see a video of you making a bowl shaped like the one at 11:20. I love that shape! By the way very nice and informative video

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

I’ll see what I can do. Happy Turning!

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

I have 2 points to add. One is the type of wood to use for a jam chuck. I would avoid pine or other soft woods as the tenon is not as strong and, in my experience, can tear out on occasion. I also note that many of us to not have access to a 6x6 piece of hard wood (and if we do, we want to turn it) so I buy a piece of poplar about 24x6 and I am able to cut out some circles and glue them together and then turn them down to make strong, long lasting jam chucks. I also try to have 4 sizes on hand so I don't have to re-turn the chuck to fit different bowls. Poplar is pretty stable and keeps it's shape. Just my two cents, but I like your idea of cupping the top of the chuck to make more contact. Thanks for the video.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Good points Jeff. Thank you for writing and sharing! Happy Turning!

[@scottmedori1437]

I use a piece of leather between the jam chuck and bowl. Better than foam.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Great idea Scott thanks for sharing. Happy Turning!

[@rinaldobergamelli7451]

Grazie!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

My pleasure, Happy Turning!

[@AmarettoEyes]

Versatile.... 😘

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, good catch. It's been corrected. Happy Turning!

[@chuckcagle5324]

I am just starting out and don't have a 4 jaw chuck yet, would it be ok to just tap the bottom of the jam and use it like that? Thanks for all the videos I'm learning a bunch.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Yes, absolutely Chuck. You can also use a faceplate for the jam chuck. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@simonc1433]

Tried this with my 2nd live edge today, it was very effective. I did a mortice on the first to avoid the tenon problem. I've used a cole chuck previously and that would work. Timing of your video was perfect. I used the cole chuck in reverse, i.e. expanding to grip the inside of the bowl which gets around the problem you mentioned with close rimmed bowl. The other issue with the Cole chuck I found is that it doesn't center the bowl well like the jam chuck + tail, thanks for sharing.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks for sharing, Simon! Yes the live edge bowl won’t work with a Cole chuck making the jam chuck ideal. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@BobBlarneystone]

Why not mention gluing workpieces to waste blocks on a faceplate or in a chuck? Drill for a dowel in both the workpiece and waste block to center the workpiece and hold it in position while clamping with the tailstock.

[@garyhead577]

..because the video was about jam chucks..not how to chuck a piece on to the lathe.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you for writing and sharing, Bob! Good ideas. Happy Turning!

[@demonicsquid7217]

Flat bottomed bowls they make the 55° swept back bowl gouge world go round.