Bison or Pratt Burnerd chuck

Guerra Cues

I build one cue at a time
Silver Member
Folks,

I'm looking into upgrade the chuck on my Grizzly lathe and I'm between the 6 inch 6 jaw Pratt Burnerd setrite and the Bison set-tru 6 inch 6 jaw chuck.
I had the Bison before and could not see the dial indicator move at all with runout... Looking for the fellow cuemakers opinions on these 2 chucks...
 

96supersport

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Forget a conventional style chuck.
Buy a Pratt Burnerd spindle collet chuck.
You will never regret it.

Bill S.

I have a Pratt Burnerd KC 15 Collet Chuck for sale if anyone is interested. D1-8 mount. Also have a L00 backing plate to fit a Clausing if that helps anyone.
 

Canadian cue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have both the Pratt Burnerd collet chuck and a 5in set true Bison 6 jaw. I also have the Jacobs flex collet set up. If you are doing repetitive operations on similar sized pieces then the collet chuck rules. It is quick and very accurate and also nicer to work around because you don't have those big jaws swinging around when working close to the chuck. But for convenience and versatility the 6 jaw is better. You can go from changing a tip to replacing a butt cap in seconds. The collet chuck takes longer to change out collets. The other consideration is the Burnerd Chuck is quite long and eats up a bit of your center to center distance. If I could only have one chuck it would definitely be the 6 jaw. As far as the choice between the Bison and Pratt I would side with the Bison. A neighboring shop to ours at my day job just purchased a small set true chuck and I asked what they thought of them. The machinist told me he didn't think the fit and finish was up to snuff. The quality is not what it used to be was his opinion.
 

JC

Coos Cues
Folks,

I'm looking into upgrade the chuck on my Grizzly lathe and I'm between the 6 inch 6 jaw Pratt Burnerd setrite and the Bison set-tru 6 inch 6 jaw chuck.
I had the Bison before and could not see the dial indicator move at all with runout... Looking for the fellow cuemakers opinions on these 2 chucks...

The old 3 jaw chuck that came on my jet lathe was a mess. I reground the jaws with my router and a carbide bit with good results. Very close to zero tir now where it had over .010 before. I can chuck a hardened rod and measure it at the free end less than .001 a foot out from the chuck. That was a couple years ago and it's still running straight.

JC
 

BarenbruggeCues

Unregistered User
Silver Member
https://imgur.com/O02a6xE

Brand new from Bison and has been in use less than 6 months.
6 1/4" solid jaw mounted on a D1-4 Bison back plate.
I wiped all mating surfaces clean with thinner. Installed the back plate....installed the chuck on the back plate....took less than 2 minutes to dial in the set-tru adjustments.
Best 1300$ investment I've made to date for a chuck and back plate.
;)
 

Guerra Cues

I build one cue at a time
Silver Member
https://imgur.com/O02a6xE

Brand new from Bison and has been in use less than 6 months.
6 1/4" solid jaw mounted on a D1-4 Bison back plate.
I wiped all mating surfaces clean with thinner. Installed the back plate....installed the chuck on the back plate....took less than 2 minutes to dial in the set-tru adjustments.
Best 1300$ investment I've made to date for a chuck and back plate.
;)

No runout at all Dave on that chuck, that's awesome!
Your post reminds me the Bison I bought for my Jet 1340 almost 10 years ago. I could not get the dial indicator to move :)
I ended up going with a Pratt Burnerd Setrite chuck and my total TIR is about 0.0001" I can barelly see the dial indicator move.
With the D1-5 backplate from Travers I paid about $1400.
I might have bought the Bison but Grizzly and Travers had them on backorder...
Thanks for all your kind comments and opinions, its greatly appreciated.
 
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JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
https://imgur.com/O02a6xE

Brand new from Bison and has been in use less than 6 months.
6 1/4" solid jaw mounted on a D1-4 Bison back plate.
I wiped all mating surfaces clean with thinner. Installed the back plate....installed the chuck on the back plate....took less than 2 minutes to dial in the set-tru adjustments.
Best 1300$ investment I've made to date for a chuck and back plate.
;)

$1300 ?
Lord, I'm sure glad I got my pair when they were a lot less than that.
What happened to Polish steel ?They became gold ?

Got one my Eisen and one of my Clausing.
I did take a thin facing pass on auto-on the backplate.
 

BarenbruggeCues

Unregistered User
Silver Member
$1300 ?
Lord, I'm sure glad I got my pair when they were a lot less than that.
What happened to Polish steel ?They became gold ?

Got one my Eisen and one of my Clausing.
I did take a thin facing pass on auto-on the backplate.

Chuck and back plate = over 1/4 the cost of the new lathe. ;)

Just checked....1121$ on the bay plus the back plate (roughly 300-350$)
And I picked one up right after the "again" price increase! :cool:

After holding one of those Gator chucks in my hands you'll be glad you paid the Poland price.
 
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JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Chuck and back plate = over 1/4 the cost of the new lathe. ;)

Just checked....1121$ on the bay plus the back plate (roughly 300-350$)
And I picked one up right after the "again" price increase! :cool:

After holding one of those Gator chucks in my hands you'll be glad you paid the Poland price.

Congrats on your new lathe.

Boy, I remember when it was $685 plus the backplate.

And I thought it was expensive then.
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Genuine curiosity - does a 6 jaw give a cue maker the opportunity to forego collets/bushing/sleeves (interface between cue surface and steel jaws?)

If not, what is the advantage?

I've got Buck-Forkhardt & (US made/pre-offshore) KMC set true 3J chucks & have thought of making delrin top jaws for the Buck.

smt
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Genuine curiosity - does a 6 jaw give a cue maker the opportunity to forego collets/bushing/sleeves (interface between cue surface and steel jaws?)

If not, what is the advantage?

I've got Buck-Forkhardt & (US made/pre-offshore) KMC set true 3J chucks & have thought of making delrin top jaws for the Buck.

smt

No.
It just gives you more grip.
And more jaws to shim Home Depot receipts. :grin-square:
 

BarenbruggeCues

Unregistered User
Silver Member
Some guys don't care for the 6 jaw but I've always like them.
You can grip stuff with a less amount of pressure when your locking down the chuck and as a result not a big chance of any cue damage. Especially if it's already finished.
 

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some guys don't care for the 6 jaw but I've always like them.
You can grip stuff with a less amount of pressure when your locking down the chuck and as a result not a big chance of any cue damage. Especially if it's already finished.
It`s great for our intended use atleast :smile:
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the input, guys. That make sense (Better grip, less pressure; but will not do away with need for collars. :( ) Will try to refrain from coveting one for a while, unless it comes up at an auction cheap or something. :) I'm not in production like you all are, so still even just use a 4 j for the outboard end.

smt
 
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