Axminster Discovery SK100 Chuck & Backplate

Built to Outlast the Lathe You Bought It For

The Discovery SK100 is built from solid stainless steel and machined to a tight tolerance, so the jaws and lathe spindle stay in true contact through years of regular use. The stainless construction means there's no plating to wear thin and no risk of rust when the chuck meets the moisture in green wood or the humidity swings of a garage or basement shop.

When your lathe changes, the chuck doesn't have to. The interchangeable backplate swaps to suit a different spindle thread, so your chuck body and your existing accessory jaws stay with you across the upgrade. Choose 1" x 8 tpi or 1-1/4" x 8 tpi at the top of the page.

Available Options

Choose your lathe thread at the top of the page. Two backplate options available in this catalog:

• 1" x 8 tpi (SKU 720935): Most common 100 mm-class lathe thread.
• 1-1/4" x 8 tpi (SKU 720936): Standard for larger production lathes.

Key Features

• Slim 100 mm Body: Compact 100 mm (3.94") diameter keeps the workpiece close to the headstock for less vibration and cleaner cuts.
• Stainless Steel, No Plating: Solid stainless construction resists corrosion from green wood and cold-shop condensation — no plating to wear off, no rust over time.
• Interchangeable Backplate: Upgrade your lathe and keep the chuck. The backplate swaps to suit your new spindle thread.
• Square-End Chuck Key: Positive engagement with the scroll for easy operation and extra torque under load.
• Compatible with Existing Jaws: Fits all previous Axminster accessory jaws and dovetail jaws — bring your existing kit forward.
• CNC-Machined in Axminster: Designed, manufactured, and assembled in Axminster's UK facility for tight, repeatable tolerances.
• Backed by the Axminster 5-Year Chuck Guarantee: Five years of parts-and-labor coverage when the chuck is properly maintained.
• British Made: Designed and manufactured by NuCo Tools in Axminster, Devon, UK.

Axminster Discovery Chucks

Made in Axminster, UK, the Discovery range is the latest evolution in Axminster's chuck system — precision engineered, fully enclosed, and built around an interchangeable backplate.

Versatile, accurate, and ideal whether you're upgrading from your first chuck or kitting out a serious turning shop. Keep the chuck body when you upgrade your lathe; swap the backplate to suit your new spindle.

Buy with confidence

The Axminster 5 Year Chuck Guarantee covers parts and labor on Discovery GK88, GK100, and SK100 chucks — provided the chuck is properly maintained.

Made in Axminster, Built in Stainless

Designed, machined, and assembled in Axminster's own UK manufacturing facility — stainless steel resists corrosion from cold-shop condensation and green-wood sap, with no plating to wear off. The body is machined to exact tolerances for a precise fit on both jaws and lathe spindle, chuck after chuck, year after year.

Interchangeable Backplate

Upgrade your lathe and keep the chuck. The stainless steel backplate is interchangeable — swap it for a different thread without buying a new chuck body.

Square Chuck Key & SafetyJaw©

The fully enclosed body uses a square-end key for positive scroll engagement and extra torque under load. Long accessory mounting jaws are radiused on the outer edges — if a jaw extends past the chuck body, the softened profile reduces the chance of injury if hands stray close to the rotating chuck.

Axminster 5 Year Chuck Guarantee

Five years of parts-and-labor coverage on every Discovery chuck. We're confident enough in the build to stand behind it for the long haul — one of the most comprehensive guarantees on a workholding tool you'll find.

A Brief History of Axminster Chucks

Axminster built its first woodturner's chuck in 1984. The team chose a four-jaw scroll design from the start — three-jaw chucks aren't suited to woodturning, and the four-jaw approach opened the door to a system of interchangeable accessory jaws.

Forty years on, that same accessory mounting standard still fits today's chucks. If you bought jaws decades ago, they still work with a new Discovery chuck off the shelf.

The Discovery range is the latest in that long line — refined, fully enclosed, and engineered for accuracy that woodturners can rely on for years to come.

Return to top

In Detail

The Discovery SK100 chuck is built around a super-slim 100 mm (3.94") fully enclosed stainless steel body and a CNC-machined interchangeable backplate. Stainless steel resists corrosion from condensation in a cold shop and sap from green wood — no plating tricks, no rust.

Pick your lathe thread at the top of the page. Should you upgrade your lathe to a different thread later, swap the backplate — the chuck body comes with you, and so does every accessory jaw that mates to it.

Assembly note: secure the chuck front to the backplate (threaded insert) using the four M6 x 25 mm screws torqued to 12 Nm (8.9 ft-lbs). Secure the chuck to the SK100 enclosure with four M4 x 40 mm screws torqued to 3.5 Nm (2.6 ft-lbs). Tighten the two M5 set screws to 2 Nm (1.5 ft-lbs).

What's Included

• 1 x Discovery SK100 chuck body and enclosure
• 1 x Interchangeable backplate (thread to suit your selected option)
• 1 x Square-end chuck key
• 1 x SafetyJaw© accessory mounting jaws (factory-fitted)

Compatibility

• Available Lathe Threads: 1" x 8 tpi (SKU 720935), 1-1/4" x 8 tpi (SKU 720936)
• Compatible Jaws: All previous Axminster accessory jaws and dovetail jaws

Specifications

• Package Dimensions: 30 x 21 x 10 cm (11.81" x 8.27" x 3.94")
• Package Weight: 4.19–4.3 kg (9.2–9.5 lbs) depending on selected option
• Country of Origin: United Kingdom
• Warranty: Backed by the Axminster product guarantee. Distributed in the U.S. by TSO Products.

Choose your thread size at the top of the page and start turning with a chuck built to outlast the lathe you bought it for.

Proudly British Made

Designed and manufactured by NuCo Tools in Axminster, Devon, UK. Distributed in the United States by TSO Products.