Yes Alan, in Iraq currently. Only had 4 weeks at home since December last year. I often feel more like my hobbies is Research Woodworker rather than a real one! also noticed a typo in my earlier post which should have read, "thank you for taking the time..." Mike
Great video on how to build Cole jaws! I used cole jaws for the first several years of turning. I recently purchased a factory made Longworth style and love it. I don't see myself going back to the cole jaws at any time.
It's a good thing that we can select our own tools. Otherwise, you'd be stuck with your cole jaws. But others still like their Cole jaws. Is there room for personal preferences? Thanks for expressing yours Hmmm. :) Alan
Great idea. In fact I was just thinking about making my own today, glad I tuned in to see yours. Much easier to follow your chuck layout than to spend time doing the same type of thing myself. As always you never fail to lead the way. Thank you.
Very useful video Alan. I made my own Longworth Chuck a while back. Whilst they are very useful, trying to hold an even amount of grip whilst tightening each of the stoppers calls for that extra pair of hands I just don't have. Homemade cole jaws are now firmly on my agenda. Many thanks. Take Care. Alan
Excellent video Alan, as usual very clearly and concisely explained. I have a small set of aluminium button/cole jaws, but need some bigger ones - now I have the ideal solution - thank you. Take care Mike
Alan, thanks for this video. I've thought about Cole jaws but the expense has kept me from it. I did make a Longworth chuck and it's okay, but getting the piece centered exactly is a challenge. I think the Cole jaws will be more precise and I'll definitely make one of these. Thanks for the great detail.
Thanks for the video. I have a longworth thinking it would be easier/better since all you have to do is rotate the plates but it is a hassle for me trying to get the tension the same on all 8 buttons. I have the birch plywood ready for the jaws and I like the buttons you made. Thanks again.
That is my sense as the biggest drawback for a longworth. But go ahead and make a set of these jaws. Then you can use each to their best advantage. Thanks for commenting. Alan
Great project Alan. i made a small set a number of years ago and bough a large set very rarely us them lazy bone me lol maybe more chucks is what i need
Nice Jaws Alan, I have made the Longworth Jaws and the only thing that holds me back from making the Cole Jaws is that it ties up my chuck and the Longworth does not I would think that the Cole jaws also might have a better grip. Thank you for a great tutorial and list of materials on this video Albert
From my experience with a commercial Longworth chuck and my cole jaws, I also believe the cole jaws can be tightened more securely. But given that the bolts are in the pointed sections of the jaws with the least wood, I could also over tighten and break the jaws. They do tie up my chuck but I'm already constantly changing jaws so that is a minor irritant. Your welcome. I hope all information is useful in some way. Alan
I imagine that numbering the jaw-sections would be a good idea, but your chuck may be so accurate that it does not matter .. (mine is not quite as accurate). Every one of your videos provide excellent information, and for that I thank you!
Numbering is a very good idea. Mine are numbered but I omitted mentioning that in the video. I've since added an annotation. Thanks for the comment. Alan
Alan, a few ideas; to cut the plastic tubing, there is a cutter in the home centers made just for cutting Pex and tubing. It's easy, quick and best of all straight cut. To get the plastic tuning on the dowel easier mix up soapy water solution in a plastic spray bottle and give each piece of tubing a quick spray. Don't worry the soapy water dries quickly. The tubing will slide into the dowel easily. Then squeeze a drop of CA glue at the end of the tube to set it. Where did you buy the T-Nuts? Best regards, Richard....
I liked the video--thanks for sharing. I am lucky enough to have a Science surplus store nearby and I purchased a whole bunch of stoppers with a center hole. They might work a little better than the dowel and the tubing.
I looked at the stoppers but they were relatively more expensive. Perhaps as a surplus the price will be reasonable. Please let me know if the stoppers leave a black mark. Thanks for commenting. Alan
This is a great video Alan, thanks for the upload! been meaning to make me a set, but I have just one chuck, thinking about screwing the jaws off and on makes my lazy bone hurt like hell... :) but I'll do it, sooner then later!
Alan, I've seen this video a couple of times. I've tried to make myself a Longworth chuck going be Cap. Eddie's directions, being very careful as to get my arc's right. However, it does not turn as easy as it should. Anyway, the question I have after watching your video on Cole jaws, is instead of using birch plywood, would it be ok or safe to use MDF board? I have a Lowes store near but what they call Chose grade lacks a lot. By the way, I have learned a great deal watching your videos. great work keep it up please. Randy in Tennessee
I would not use MDF for this chuck. IMHO it lacks structural strength.I would not use common Birch plywood either. My spec is Baltic Birch: it has more plys and no voids. There are different names but that is the spec. may not be in a Lowes or HD. May take more looking. Actually, I'm not surprised about your experience with a Longworth chuck. I have one from plastic. It's hard to get it as tight as I'd like. Works great for positioning segment rings. Good turning.
Alan, Great Video I have a 11" commercial cole jaw but not large enough for everything. Will make larger one for big lathe and save the other for the smaller lathe. One question, What is the row of holes for on each quadrant that you did not install T nuts? I wonder if they were necessary unless you wanted to make a 12 button holding chuck. Thanks, Bobby
I drilled the other set of holes just in case I every wanted to do something else - I don't know what. It's easier to drill while drilling everything else. 12 button would be overkill. Thanks for paying close attention. Alan Stratton
Hey Alan, Thanks for making the instructional video, I just finished the set of jaws and it came out very well. Tell me, did you take into consideration the little pin on the metal jaws that prevent the jaws from opening to far? I'm still thinking about how to address that concern. Thanks again, Tim Boger
thanks for this,I have all the bits now to make bowl reversal jaws but how to fit the locking posts without having to thread into wood eluded me, using t nuts is the obvious solution so thanks for the smack upside the head with a common sense plank :) Mark.
Question please. If you were going to make this or the Longworth chuck--and had not made one before---which one would you make ? It seems to me that they perform a very similar function.
+Terry Ellis This question tends to provoke a bipolar response. There are those who swear by a longworth chuck and disparage Cole jaws. On the other side, they swear by cole jaws and disparage Longworth. They both perform the same primary function. enable cleaning up the foot of a bowl. Both have pluses and minuses. Longworth have a wider range of grip but can be difficult to cinch up tight. Cole jaws will cinch up tight but may take some adjustment to get spacers for the right size. For me, I use Longworth when I don't need a strong grip such as segmented work. I use Cole jaws for bowl bottoms. Others will have opposite opinions. But that's woodturning. :) Alan Stratton
Nice one Alan. I have a large 1/8" thick aluminum sign laying around. Wonder how well that may work for making up a set of these for my HFT 10x18 mini lathe.
Not sure whether 1/8" Aluminum could be tapped directly for the bolts - May still need t-nuts or something to bolt to. I'd talk to somebody in a local club who has metal experience. Interesting. Alan
As Wood Turns Yeah looked up NOVA cole jaws and those are 3/8" thick cast aluminum. Now if I epoxied the aluminum to some 1/4" ply, it might outlast something made from ply alone.
Yes, mine in the nominal 1/2 inch, actually, just a little thinner. You can use anything you're comfortable with as long as you size the bolts and t-nuts appropriately. Go for it. Alan
I only use a Longworth in segmented work and only for centering. I have concerns about adequately cinching up the Longworth for normal turning. I cannot seem to get it as tight even with the bars. I'd rather use the screw mechanism in a standard scroll chuck to get a good firm grip. So. I use both but for totally different applications. Alan
@@AsWoodTurns Agreed. My experience was that I did not feel I could center a piece perfectly. Okay for gluing segmented rings, but not for turning -- even just to cut off a tenon. I haven't made the cole jaws yet, but I will do so because I imagine it will be both more precise and secure. Thanks for the feedback on this as well as the video.
timothy mcswain Since I'm not a metal expert, I cannot make any recommendations. But for the aluminium, I would worry about it flexing and whether there was enough to hold the bolts. So I doubt it. Alan
Les principes sont les mêmes, peu importe la taille. Make sure the distance between the rings of buttons is less than the travel of your chuck jaws. The rest depends on your lathe's size and how large you want it. But be safe. Je suis désolé que je ne peux pas répondre en français.
While I'm not familiar with the Nova chuck, from pictures it looks like the jaws are removable and screwed to movable chuck parts leaving the flat jaw bases. Just remember to purchase longer bolts to allow for the thicker jaws. Alan
I did not prepare a PDF file. I used my current jaws and laid out the rest on the plywood. May I suggest you review the video again, pause and take notes. Then ask any remaining question you have. Alan
Dear Alan, thank you so much for taking theme to make this great video. I will definitely have a go at this when i get home at the end of the month!
Mike Balmer That means you're away from your lathe now also. :(
Alan
Yes Alan, in Iraq currently. Only had 4 weeks at home since December last year. I often feel more like my hobbies is Research Woodworker rather than a real one! also noticed a typo in my earlier post which should have read, "thank you for taking the time..."
Mike
Great video on how to build Cole jaws! I used cole jaws for the first several years of turning. I recently purchased a factory made Longworth style and love it. I don't see myself going back to the cole jaws at any time.
It's a good thing that we can select our own tools. Otherwise, you'd be stuck with your cole jaws.
But others still like their Cole jaws. Is there room for personal preferences? Thanks for expressing yours Hmmm. :)
Alan
Great idea. In fact I was just thinking about making my own today, glad I tuned in to see yours. Much easier to follow your chuck layout than to spend time doing the same type of thing myself. As always you never fail to lead the way. Thank you.
Glad to save you some time.
Alan
Very useful video Alan. I made my own Longworth Chuck a while back. Whilst they are very useful, trying to hold an even amount of grip whilst tightening each of the stoppers calls for that extra pair of hands I just don't have. Homemade cole jaws are now firmly on my agenda. Many thanks.
Take Care.
Alan
I suspect that is the most significant complaint with the Longworth. But it still is an alternative that many swear by.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
I"ve seen several of these shopmade cole jaws, and these look like the best. I think I"ll give this a try
It takes longer to source the parts than to make it. Go for it.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Hello Alan,
Thanks for the interesting video.
With such a tool, the recesses of bowls can be beautiful woodturning.
You are welcome. Enjoy.
Alan
Excellent video Alan, as usual very clearly and concisely explained. I have a small set of aluminium button/cole jaws, but need some bigger ones - now I have the ideal solution - thank you.
Take care
Mike
Interesting, you'll make larger jaws, I may make smaller. Great to have alternatives..
Thanks Mike.
Alan
Pick up toilet seat bumpers to hold your bowl in place thanks for taking time to share your build
Another good possibility
Merry Christmas
Alan
Alan, thanks for this video. I've thought about Cole jaws but the expense has kept me from it. I did make a Longworth chuck and it's okay, but getting the piece centered exactly is a challenge. I think the Cole jaws will be more precise and I'll definitely make one of these. Thanks for the great detail.
These worked for me for a long time.
Alan
Thanks for the video. I have a longworth thinking it would be easier/better since all you have to do is rotate the plates but it is a hassle for me trying to get the tension the same on all 8 buttons. I have the birch plywood ready for the jaws and I like the buttons you made. Thanks again.
That is my sense as the biggest drawback for a longworth. But go ahead and make a set of these jaws. Then you can use each to their best advantage.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Great project. THANK YOU for what you do. You have inspired me to do a lot of your projects.
You're so welcome. I'm glad you're able to use the videos.
Alan Stratton
This is definitely on my list. Thanks for the complete instructions!
You're welcome. Make something really nice.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Great work Alan.
I ended up spending over £100 to buy some Cole jaws and rarely use then. Something like this would have been perfect.
Cheers,
Ben
Sorry about that. Like you, these are a specialized item, Not what I use every day.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Great project Alan. i made a small set a number of years ago and bough a large set very rarely us them lazy bone me lol maybe more chucks is what i need
The price is perfect for a tool that is critical at times for unused the rest of the time.
Thanks Robbie
Alan
Excellent project Alan: I will be making one of those, Cheers Harry
Great. it's relative easy also.
Good luck.
Alan
I have wanted to make one for awhile. I will today. thank you
+gene milstead I use mine very frequently. Very useful.
Alan
Nice Jaws Alan, I have made the Longworth Jaws and the only thing that holds me back from making the Cole Jaws is that it ties up my chuck and the Longworth does not I would think that the Cole jaws also might have a better grip.
Thank you for a great tutorial and list of materials on this video
Albert
From my experience with a commercial Longworth chuck and my cole jaws, I also believe the cole jaws can be tightened more securely. But given that the bolts are in the pointed sections of the jaws with the least wood, I could also over tighten and break the jaws.
They do tie up my chuck but I'm already constantly changing jaws so that is a minor irritant.
Your welcome. I hope all information is useful in some way.
Alan
Great tutorial, Alan. Just might have to make one of these someday.Take care, .....Gord
+Gord Rock Make it sooner rather than later. I use mine very often.
Alan.
Merci Alan pour cette explication claire et précise.
Lolo
de rien Lolo.
avec plaisir.
Alan
Nice work Alan. Been putting off making a set, now I'll do it.
Glad to get you off the blocks!
Thanks for your comment.
Alan
Merci beaucoup pour cette idée ingénieuse.
+josé Bouliez De rien Jose. C'est tres facil.
Alan
Fantastic tutorial and design!
+Xyienced Thank you
Alan
I imagine that numbering the jaw-sections would be a good idea, but your chuck may be so accurate that it does not matter .. (mine is not quite as accurate). Every one of your videos provide excellent information, and for that I thank you!
Numbering is a very good idea. Mine are numbered but I omitted mentioning that in the video. I've since added an annotation. Thanks for the comment.
Alan
Excellent video. Thanks. I need to make one of these.
Sure, It's a great addition to a tool chest.
Good luck.
Alan
I'm interested in making the Longworth chuck and see how it compares.
A home made Longworth is on my ToDo list.
Keep watching my channel.
Alan Stratton
Alan, a few ideas; to cut the plastic tubing, there is a cutter in the home centers made just for cutting Pex and tubing. It's easy, quick and best of all straight cut. To get the plastic tuning on the dowel easier mix up soapy water solution in a plastic spray bottle and give each piece of tubing a quick spray. Don't worry the soapy water dries quickly. The tubing will slide into the dowel easily. Then squeeze a drop of CA glue at the end of the tube to set it. Where did you buy the T-Nuts? Best regards, Richard....
Great tips - Now to remember when I need them.
Alan
Just saved me a couple hundred dollars. Thanks for the great video.
Where's my commission? :)
Alan
As Wood Turns you got a subscriber. Pays off in the long run ;)
I liked the video--thanks for sharing.
I am lucky enough to have a Science surplus store nearby and I purchased a whole bunch of stoppers with a center hole. They might work a little better than the dowel and the tubing.
I looked at the stoppers but they were relatively more expensive. Perhaps as a surplus the price will be reasonable. Please let me know if the stoppers leave a black mark.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
No--I'm using them on my longworth chuck now--no marks at all.
Great video Alan! I learned a great deal! Thanks for taking the time to make & share. I subbed & liked. Have A Super Blessed Week!.....Gus
TheWoodWerker Thank you Gus. I use mine constantly.
Alan Stratton
Thank you for sharing! This is going on my to do list. Good job!
Great - they are easily made.
Alan
This is a great video Alan, thanks for the upload! been meaning to make me a set, but I have just one chuck, thinking about screwing the jaws off and on makes my lazy bone hurt like hell... :) but I'll do it, sooner then later!
Well, I have one chuck body and now 4 sets of jaws for it. Yes, I change jaws but for me a T-handle hex driver makes it quicker.
Alan
Hey Alan:
I got to make me one of those one of these days!
Thanks for sharing
Larry
Not just one of these days, make it sooner rather than later. You won't regret it.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Very nice project, it turned out great and very neat :)
Thank you & also for commenting.
Alan
Alan, I've seen this video a couple of times. I've tried to make myself a Longworth chuck going be Cap. Eddie's directions, being very careful as to get my arc's right. However, it does not turn as easy as it should. Anyway, the question I have after watching your video on Cole jaws, is instead of using birch plywood, would it be ok or safe to use MDF board? I have a Lowes store near but what they call Chose grade lacks a lot.
By the way, I have learned a great deal watching your videos. great work keep it up please.
Randy in Tennessee
I would not use MDF for this chuck. IMHO it lacks structural strength.I would not use common Birch plywood either. My spec is Baltic Birch: it has more plys and no voids. There are different names but that is the spec. may not be in a Lowes or HD. May take more looking.
Actually, I'm not surprised about your experience with a Longworth chuck. I have one from plastic. It's hard to get it as tight as I'd like. Works great for positioning segment rings.
Good turning.
Alan, Great Video I have a 11" commercial cole jaw but not large enough for everything. Will make larger one for big lathe and save the other for the smaller lathe. One question, What is the row of holes for on each quadrant that you did not install T nuts? I wonder if they were necessary unless you wanted to make a 12 button holding chuck.
Thanks,
Bobby
I drilled the other set of holes just in case I every wanted to do something else - I don't know what. It's easier to drill while drilling everything else.
12 button would be overkill.
Thanks for paying close attention.
Alan Stratton
Thank you very much for this video, I'm going to make a set. This may be a very simple question, but what size T nuts and bolts did you use?
1/4-20 works for me
Alan
Hey Alan,
Thanks for making the instructional video, I just finished the set of jaws and it came out very well. Tell me, did you take into consideration the little pin on the metal jaws that prevent the jaws from opening to far? I'm still thinking about how to address that concern.
Thanks again,
Tim Boger
Tim,
I left the pin in place. I did not want to override that safety feature. :)
Alan
thanks for this,I have all the bits now to make bowl reversal jaws but how to fit the locking posts without having to thread into wood eluded me, using t nuts is the obvious solution so thanks for the smack upside the head with a common sense plank :)
Mark.
Glad to oblige.
Alan
Thank you very helpful video.
You're welcome.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan
Allen, thank you so much for your great videos. What model Powermatic lathe is that you are using?
Mine is a 3520A.
Thank you
Alan
Question please. If you were going to make this or the Longworth chuck--and had not made one before---which one would you make ? It seems to me that they perform a very similar function.
+Terry Ellis This question tends to provoke a bipolar response. There are those who swear by a longworth chuck and disparage Cole jaws. On the other side, they swear by cole jaws and disparage Longworth.
They both perform the same primary function. enable cleaning up the foot of a bowl. Both have pluses and minuses. Longworth have a wider range of grip but can be difficult to cinch up tight. Cole jaws will cinch up tight but may take some adjustment to get spacers for the right size.
For me, I use Longworth when I don't need a strong grip such as segmented work. I use Cole jaws for bowl bottoms. Others will have opposite opinions. But that's woodturning. :)
Alan Stratton
Nice one Alan. I have a large 1/8" thick aluminum sign laying around. Wonder how well that may work for making up a set of these for my HFT 10x18 mini lathe.
Not sure whether 1/8" Aluminum could be tapped directly for the bolts - May still need t-nuts or something to bolt to. I'd talk to somebody in a local club who has metal experience.
Interesting.
Alan
As Wood Turns Yeah looked up NOVA cole jaws and those are 3/8" thick cast aluminum. Now if I epoxied the aluminum to some 1/4" ply, it might outlast something made from ply alone.
Alan, Great video with a very useful subject. I'm getting the material together to make a set. One question, is the plywood you're using 1/2 inch?
Yes, mine in the nominal 1/2 inch, actually, just a little thinner. You can use anything you're comfortable with as long as you size the bolts and t-nuts appropriately.
Go for it.
Alan
Question: what thickness plywood did you use? I've been meaning to make one of these - I like the way you did it. I am inspired!
My jaws are 1/2" nominal baltic birch plywood.
They're an easy project. Enjoy.
Alan
Thank you
You are welcome. They're very useful.
Alan
Alan, did you ever do a comparison of Longworth v Cole? If not a video, do you have an opinion and a moment to share it?
I only use a Longworth in segmented work and only for centering. I have concerns about adequately cinching up the Longworth for normal turning. I cannot seem to get it as tight even with the bars. I'd rather use the screw mechanism in a standard scroll chuck to get a good firm grip.
So. I use both but for totally different applications.
Alan
@@AsWoodTurns Agreed. My experience was that I did not feel I could center a piece perfectly. Okay for gluing segmented rings, but not for turning -- even just to cut off a tenon. I haven't made the cole jaws yet, but I will do so because I imagine it will be both more precise and secure. Thanks for the feedback on this as well as the video.
can you tell me what size t-nuts you used? or maybe a link to the part on McMaster-Carr? Thanks in advance
1/4-20 I believe
Alan
great video
You're welcome - Thanks for your comment.
Alan
Could you use cheap aluminum sheets 1/16 or so thickness?
timothy mcswain Since I'm not a metal expert, I cannot make any recommendations.
But for the aluminium, I would worry about it flexing and whether there was enough to hold the bolts.
So I doubt it.
Alan
Ok thanks
I made a set out of 3/8 aluminum plate and am quite happy with it. I was able to drill and tap the holes to hold the dowels.
bonsoir j'ai une question est le même principe si je veut faire un cole jaw de 10" car mon tour ne va plus loin que 10" merci.
Les principes sont les mêmes, peu importe la taille.
Make sure the distance between the rings of buttons is less than the travel of your chuck jaws. The rest depends on your lathe's size and how large you want it. But be safe.
Je suis désolé que je ne peux pas répondre en français.
Will this work with a Nova C3 4 jaw chuck?
While I'm not familiar with the Nova chuck, from pictures it looks like the jaws are removable and screwed to movable chuck parts leaving the flat jaw bases.
Just remember to purchase longer bolts to allow for the thicker jaws.
Alan
Hello
Great idea would like you to send me a PDF so I can make an already thank you very much.
I did not prepare a PDF file. I used my current jaws and laid out the rest on the plywood. May I suggest you review the video again, pause and take notes. Then ask any remaining question you have.
Alan
I don't see the point of Longworth jaws because this accomplishes the same thing and is much more complicated to make.
I will make a set of longworth at least so I can compare them fairly. To your point, these are simpler to make.
Thanks for commenting.
Alan