VersaChuck by TOOLPOST First off a list of the chucks I own, in order of purchase:  Vicmarc 100, Axminster Precision, Axminster Clubman, Axminster (supposedly) Precision and now VERSACHUCK.  I did have one of the old Record Chucks but dont tell a sole. Okay, first off I’m impressed with the way this chuck arrives, (see pic) I know small things please me, however if you package correctly it makes a good first impression.  The chuck gives you a feeling of good honest quality engineering right from the getgo. Versatile it certainly seems to be, mine arrived with the Axminster mounting jaws already attached and a sturdy set of Dovetail Jaws, the mounting jaws for the “Teknatool” Nova and supernova and the “Oneway” for OneWay and Talon were neatly boxed as was the extra length chuck key. Using the Allen Key provided I fitted the supplied 1 ½ “ by 6 tpi back (many others are available), which has indexing holes (24), I then fitted my old Gripper Jaws, because I wanted to spin up a pretty off balance piece.  Another small thing which pleased me was the fact that the Jaw Numbers, normally so hard to find but important for balance, were clearly marked on the outside casing.

I found the fit on everything was snug, in a well engineered way, no slack feeling about the mounting or the operation of the jaws, which are smooth to operate.   I like the fact that the tommy bar on the chuck key can be slid to one end and allow for a tight fit.  The quality of this chuck is very similar to the first Axminster Precision Chuck I bought, I purchased a second one last year and found the quality to be pretty poor in comparison to the first one purchased 4 years ago.  The VersaChuck does have that quality “FEEL”

 

I spun the empty chuck up on the lathe and varied the speed from 0 to 2799, no really! 2799.  It seemed well balanced through the speeds.

 

 

Having turned the back of a gnarly piece of birch trunk and put a hefty spigot on it (see pic) I clamped the still very off balance piece into the chuck.  The meaty chuck key allowed me to really grip the spigot (it gives me a false sense of safety, always dangerous and I do have the head scars to prove it).  I always have to smile when I hear people like Jimmy Clewes say "just nip it in the jaws" YEA right Jimmy, I like to feel the thing really grip!  Its way harder to dodge out of the way when your in a chair.

 

 

                                                                                                 

 

As you can see from the finished article all went well.  The finished piece is 10 ½" Across by 5 ½" High

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great chuck and the versatility of it is a great idea, I like the quality of the engineering and the overall feel of the chuck, no longer do you HAVE to buy Axminster because those are the jaws you have.

TOOLPOST make the claim “This truly is the most versatile chuck on the market and with an affordable price tag that belies its high quality. The end of the search for the ultimate chuck?”  You know what?  I think I agree.  Follow this link to the   and then click on chucks