Vicmarc Escoulen Chuck review/assesment

[Grumpy John]

I have not actually used the chuck yet so this a "first impression" assessment.

Packaging: As usual for Vicmarc products the chuck was packaged in a sturdy cardboard box. The chuck and 40mm cup chuck were well coated with antirust compound and all accessories included.

Finish: The finish quality was top class apart from some machining marks in the centre of the faceplate (optional accessory). There were no sharp edges as every corner was either chamfered or radiused, all drilled holes were chamfered also. The threads were well cut and everything screwed together smoothly. The "push in" accessories fitted perfectly, not sloppy, not tight. The engraved marks to assist with offsets were crisp and well defined.

General: Rotating the workpiece is done by releasing 3 grub screws and rotating the piece to the desired setting. There are 12 marks around the circumference of the cup chuck giving 30 deg. increments. My personal opinion it that 15 deg. increments would be better, 10 deg. would be perfect (obviously the decision for 12 increments is a financial one). To offset the chuck you loosen 2 hex head bolts and turn the capscrew on the side of the chuck there are increments at 10mm, 20mm and 30mm to guide the amount of offset.
* First negative comment. The cap screw used for the offset is not long enough and disengages from the chuck at about 28mm. A tap with a soft hammer is required to achieve the full 30mm offset. You will also need to tap the chuck back onto the screw.
I made a slight modification here. I put a centre punch mark on the screw head and on the body, I can now offset accurately in 1mm increments, and come back to the same place with reasonable accuracy. Don't forget to tighten the hex head bolts before commencing any turning.
The ballchuck allows the workpiece to be swivelled up to 15 deg. off the centre line. By making use of the engraved lines around the circumference of the ball you can offset in 5 deg. increments.
* Second negative comment. The ball chuck comes supplied with 1 pointed grub screw for location and 1 flat grub screw for clamping. The inclusion of 3 pointed grub screws would make centering the ball chuck much easier.

Conclusion: Vicmarc have done an excellent job with this chuck and I look forward to turning many interesting pieces with it.

Thoughts and comments welcome.

Well defined markings



A slight modification



An extra 2 pointed grub screws would be nice



The chuck complete with standard accessories


The extras I purchased, M30 Ball, M30 Faceplate and Ball Adaptor


Slightly rough finish on the centre of the faceplate



This review is also posted in the Woodturning Forum.

[rsser]

The pics in the other thread show a pretty crisp result GJ. Good tool work.

[hughie]

I would probably consider changing the hex bolts for Allen cap heads