The Masterchuck for woodturning

The Masterchuck

The Masterchuck is no longer manufactured but is available second hand. It provides a reliable strong chuck.

• Powerful grip
• Versatile
• Interchangeable threaded inserts for different lathes
• Make your own wooden jaws.

The chuck manual was never available in electronic form but printed copies exist. You can see or download a pdf of the scanned images here (10MB) Scan of printed Masterchuck manual

Masterchuck Features and Specification

• Four steel self centering jaws which grip both internally (expand into 70mm recess) and externally (compress onto 38mm "spigot").
• Jaw movement is 7mm change in diameter.
• Jaws provided with fixing holes for attaching steel extension jaws or home-made wooden jaws of various sizes and shapes.
• The chuck is opened and closed by rotating the outer ring with the aid of a tommy bar.
• For safety, the outer ring of the chuck is smooth with no T slots or projecting jaw sliders. The outer ring is 80mm diameter giving a very compact chuck.
• Locking ring, also 80mm diameter, is provided to lock the chuck solid and eliminate vibration in use.
• Easily changed threaded inserts enable the chuck to fit almost any lathe thread up to 1,1/2" diameter.
• Extensive 32 page instruction manual and quality tool set provided.

The Masterchuck offers a dependable versatile chuck at reasonable cost. It has just as good a grip as the more expensive scroll chucks and will do the same job. In some ways it is more versatile as it has the unique ability to freeze the jaws solid to facilitate making your own home-made wooden chuck jaws any size you like at little cost. The jaw movement is only 1/4" so you have to be careful to turn the workpiece to fit the jaws, but this process is easy with the aid of a simple gauge. The chuck is easy to use and, if you ever have to take it apart to clean it (some users never do this!) you will find that there are no fiddly springs or small parts to frustrate you and definitely no rubber bands.

Masterchuck Accessories which may be available on the second hand market

Mini Extension Jaws
	These extension jaws just screw on using the strong stainless fixing screws provided. Fitting them does not require you to dismantle the chuck They grip internally into a 1,1/2" dovetail recess or extenally onto a 7/8" spigot.

Micro Extension Jaws
	This set of extension jaws just screws on using the strong stainless fixing screws provided. Fitting them does not require you to dismantle the chuck It grips into a 1" dovetail recess or externally onto a 3/8" spigot for tiny projects.

Wood Jaw Plates
	This set of steel quadrants bolts onto the jaws of the chuck and provides secure mounting for home-made wood jaws. Just mount the roughly shaped wood pieces with wood screws, fit to the chuck, lock the jaws solid and turn the wood jaws to shape. They will run true if turned on the chuck. The bottom picture shows a typical set made to reverse-grip a bowl or platter for cleaning up the other side or the bowl base.
	Showing a set of wooden jaws mounted. One removed to see the chuck behind

Other Chuck Accessories
More Masterchuck accessories such as faceplate rings, pin chucks and screwchucks,

The Masterchuck accessories are only available on the second hand market

See our Thread list to see if the chuck can fit your lathe.

Chuck comes with internal and external jaws, locking ring, toolset and 32 page instruction manual.

The chuck manual was never available in electronic form but printed copies exist. You can see or download a pdf of the scanned images here (10MB) Scan of printed Masterchuck manual