>This must be like the "which oil is best" thread on the motorcycle forums but I'm about ready to pull the trigger on a good chuck. I sold my first bottle stoppers and have some uncommitted cash!
I have a Nova 3000 and am leaning toward the Stronghold because well... bigger is better right? Actually I plan to turn the largest bowls and hollowforms the lathe will accommodate and for the size wood I can get my hands on.
The less bulky Talon is appealling because it seems it would be easier to work around but I don't know if it can handle 15 or 16 inch bowls, etc.?
It seems there is an Ebay seller who offers both at a good price including the spindle adapter.
>If you are going to turn to the limits of your lathe, I would strongly suggest the Oneway Stronghold. I have several and they get used/abused to no end. Never had a problem with them. The Talon is really for smaller lathes, although I regularly use the Stonghold on Jet Mini lathes.
>I have both, and use both. The OneWay tightens CW, while the Supernova2 tightens CCW. Many professional turners use the Stronghold, and it is a little bigger. It is a very good, very rugged chuck. The S-N2 is also a very well-made chuck; slightly smaller, but the Stronghold's equal in every other way. (I would not make the same claim for the older, original Supernova -- the Stronghold is clearly the better chuck in that comparison.)
There are more jaw selections in the Nova line than the Stronghold. Either will turn a 15 - 16" bowl when used with the larger jaws. Oneway's standard #2 profile jaws are better for gripping square stock, if that applies to what you do, and the ribs, or teeth, on the inside surface grip tenons very well. Oneway profile jaws are much more difficult to use for re-mounting a piece and getting it to run true, while their smooth jaws are more like the Nova dovetail jaws. Both Nova and Oneway jaws will grip well if the tenon is properly sized and shaped. People who have trouble with pieces flying off the lathe are usually not shaping and/or sizing the tenon correctly, or are prone to huge catches from poor technique.
Just to confuse you even more -- if you intend to make MOSTLY large bowls, you might want to look at the Nova Titan -- quite possibly the best of the entire bunch, and even larger than the Stronghold...
>I have two Strongholds and just bought the large Vicamarc this past weekend at a woodshow from Craft Supplies. They have a great show price. There is no comparison in the two. If I didn't have so much invested in jaws for the Stronghold, I would have some chucks for sale. And after I buy another Vic, this may happen anyway ...
