I've been sorting through items I don't use any more. There is a 160mm 3 jaw obviously well made and bought from Graham Engineering of Alpine Brand fame some time ago when they were in West Bromwich. I bought it just before they started selling TOS so can't help wondering it's Polish.

Markings are unusual. There is a 0 opposite jaw slot 1 on the rim of the chuck by one of the key holes and the jaw slot numbers are stamped on the outer edge of the jaw slots at the bottom rather than on the rim. It's stamped 1511 90 and has an oiling point on it's face – unusual at the time. It's a bit of a chunky sort of chuck but not so much as some Bisons. Jaws are the normal range of width. I do have a TOS self centring 4 jaw and it too has the 0 and the jaw number markings in the same place.

Anyone any idea of who probably made it?

John

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I'm pretty sure it's a Polish chuck as the people behind the counter knew me fairly well and would suggest the better stuff – interesting, some of it was old stock imported from India. They did starts selling branded TOS shortly after I bought it – I bought a self centring 4 jaw not long after. I'd guess they had been trying them out because as well as a lot of model engineers they also supplied a number of factories. There is an Indian Super 7 on ebay at the moment. I have heard that they were very good, several people wishing they had bought one, even the right kind of cast iron. Pass – I didn't. Long gone when I started on larger machines.

I've visited Rotagrip several times. He also sells on Ebay as fordeight. He tries. I know that from talking to him. These people do have their problems from time to time. I went in once and he was in a foul mood – some one had returned half a dozen chucks with stripped scrolls. I'd guess that he would change supplier or get it sorted out on the other hand I feel that who ever bought them for industrial use should have tried one first. Why aren't the materials used and treatment of the parts in them mentioned when they are sold? I hear from other sources that this sort of thing can vary from batch to batch on imports from China. Samples and the first order are always great. From reading posts on here about lathes – machining is great where it can be seen and etc. Even signs of a banana bed – if the person was testing it correctly.

John

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No that's ok Martin. I just want some reassurance that when I sell I wont be selling junk. It's from my Raglan days and didn't see much use. It's been stored for a long time in a poor choice of places – covered in dust and my wife used a mop and bucket on the floor around it from time to time. It's rather tarnished now. The reverse jaws are probably like new – when I find them.

John

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