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Building a Homemade Eccentric Chuck with Jim Duxbury

Thursday June 12^th
Hybrid: Live at NCSU Crafts Center and by IRD Broadcast via Zoom
Zoom call opens a 6:15 for socializing
Meeting begins at 6:45 PM
Demonstration begins at 7 PM

Bet you're thinking this is a woodturner’s 35mm camera. Well, it may look a little like one but it's really a Duxbury eccentric wooden chuck. Why not? Duxbury has always been a little off center. And besides it can’t be a camera -- where wood you get a roll of wooden film?

There are many versions of eccentric chucks available for a wood lathe. Usually they are made of steel or aluminum and range in cost from under a hundred dollars to many hundreds of dollars. Each one has its advantages and the complex ones are almost a science in themselves to use. Generally they are not intuitive for most woodturners.

So, Jim created the Duxbury Wooden Chuck --- now nicknamed the Dux Chuck. It is totally intuitive to use, simple to make, stimulates creativity, and the price is right. In fact all of the material needed to make a real Duxbury Chuck could probably be resurrected from your scrap wood pile. What are we waiting for? Creativity abounds.

The material should be straight grained hardwood. Poplar was used for this chuck but maple, cherry, oak and other hardwoods would work fine also. Jim has designed this chuck to work with a Oneway Talon chuck using #2 jaws. Slight modifications may need to be made to accommodate other brands of chucks.

To find additional details and a drawing, click here.

Find the full article here.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Building the Dux Chuck "Eccentric" Chuck
Lead by Jim Duxbury

Friday, June 13^th
NCSU Crafts Center

The "Dux Chuck" version #3 sliding frame.

After the Thursday evening demonstration, you've decided you just have to have one! It looks simple enough, but you still have questions. How do you make it fit it your chuck? Why are there slots cut in the chuck? What is the little hole used for? Can you make the center hole larger? smaller? Why has Jim choosen the marked out angles on the chuck that he has? What can I make with the Dux Chuck?

Well, join Jim and other WGNC members for the Friday workshot.
At the workshop you will be able to ask all your questions and have them answered by the "Master Chuck Man" himself! You will also be provided the raw materials in which you will make your own chuck. Just bring the items you can, from the supplied tools list and get to work!

It's easy, just sign up here for the "Dux Chuck" Eccentric Chuck Workshop

For more information about the Dux Chuck, read the article located here.

To see the workshop documents, drawings and tool list, click here.. and here.

Monthly Show & Tell Session

Jun 19th, 2025
Zoom session opens about 6:30 PM
Meeting begins at 7:00 PM

June Show and Tell Session

Thanks to everyone who sat in on the May session, it was another fun and inspiring evening!

It never gets old, we truly look forward to seeing what all our members are making and there is really no better way to do so than by joining in a Show & Tell session.

It is important to be reminded that the Show & Tell sessions are intended for all levels of woodturners and designed to be a safe and respectful place to solicit supportive input and advice, regardless of a woodturners experience level. It’s an opportunity for turners to engage in an informal and beneficial exchange of ideas and to foster further growth in woodturning.

All WGNC members and their guests are welcome to spend an evening with fellow woodturners as we explore and share members projects, ideas, issues and yes, even those shop disasters.

Please also keep in mind, you do not have to have a completed project to participate. These sessions are designed for the exploration of ideas, techniques, problems, designs and any other subjects pertaining to your woodturning experience. So, whether you have a completed piece, a practice piece, simply "idea boards", or something that challenges you, all are welcome for sharing and discussing with other members. If you don't have anything mentioned above, join us anyway. We always have a lot of fun, you can meet folks and like most of us, you just might learn something or be inspired to try something new.

To read the entire article and submission guidelines click here.

And in other news:

New Videos:
The May Demonstration and Show & Tell videos are now available.
To view current and past videos click here

New Galleries:
The May Show and Tell Gallery photos are now available for viewing Click here

Breakout: CNC for Woodturners 2

On Friday June 6th Bob Taylor hosted another breakout session in his shop. This breakout was a second session where Bob discussed using a CNC to do blank prep, make jigs, and create custom joints for segmented turning that would be difficult if not impossible with traditional shop tools. Bob also demonstrated the CAD/CAM software that drives the CNC, and some custom turning-specific software he has written. Bob then used the CNC to prepare a live edge blank for mounting on the lathe. Bob closed out the Breakout by showing how he uses a laser to put his maker mark on the bottom of a finished bowl.

The original Breakout Session filled up quickly and many members asked if Bob would consider doing another session which he has agreed to do. We thank Bob for all his effort in putting a second session together. To see some of Bob's work and pictures from the breakout session click here.

Breakout: Women in Turning

The WIT breakout sessions tackled a new project on Saturday, May 10th. This breakout, hosted by Ted Ross, featured a funnel style salt shaker. The project, followed a basic plan to allow salt to move freely through the shaker, while also giving Eddie, Ellen and Maria plenty of design freedom to create their own exterior shapes and add any embellishments they found interesting.

Breakout: Comments

Below are a few comments regarding the "Let it Burn!" breakout:

Lars Nyland:

Great day yesterday watching all of you burn your pieces! The transformations were amazing!

I was shocked at the end of the day how much carbon had accumulated in the rinse water; I've never seen anything like it.

Here is a link to the slides I made. If you care to, you can take some time to look into each artist and the techniques they use.

Stephan Moll:

Thank you very much for having hosted such a wonderful breakout session. Not only was Lars” presentation great and relevant, but opening your workshop for us, the setup outside, the cookies and donuts - it all made for an educational, worthwhile, well organized, fun and peaceful day. The great weather, of course, helped, too.

David Chapin:

Today was a great day. Lars, it was wonderful to get the benefit of your experience, combined with a chance to experiment for ourselves.

Thanks so much!!

Karl Koch:

Thank you for sharing with us today Lars! I have been thinking about all the new ideas that I was exposed to today. And thank you Ted for hosting us in your shop and yard!

It was a good day! Which is never something to be taken for granted.

Much appreciated,