Does anyone know a website that would have a set of plans to make a vaccum chuck? Have any of you had good or bad experiences using a vaccum chuck? ............Thanks, TLC
vaccum chuck plans
Aug 09, 2006
6 Replies
Hi Icrum
I'll give you a couple of links, to vacuum pumps and vacuum chucks, this should get you going at least and also where to get some of the parts if needed.
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Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo
snipped-for-privacy@satx.rr.com wrote:
Leo, Great stuff - thanks. TomNie
BIll Noble!
I bought my pump and accessories from him and he's a wealth of info.. very helpful..
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He sells used stuff at reasonable prices.. For me, the hardest part was designing the "rotary valve"... the connection between the spinning lathe and the vacuum hose... After several experiments, I came up with a really easy system that I'd be happy to share if you're interested..
The chuck itself is So easy that I made it hard in my early attempts!
Making the assumption that your spindle is hollow, (that you use a rod to knock out the taper), then anything that will screw onto your spindle and hold water will work as a chuck... Most of mine now are just turned cylinders of different sizes with this stuff glued to the bowl end..
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My first chucks were pretty much like the picture there with PVC pipe and a round wood disk... I've found that the disk isn't needed for my use and the pipe is good for being air tight, but you set up another bunch of problems like seating it in the wood, etc... I'd rather make my chucks one piece and cheap.. *g* Once you actually get something to stay on the chuck at speed, you'll open a whole new world of turning... I needed a better way to finish bowl bottoms, I ended up with a way to re-turn old projects that had already been "finished"..
Mac
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You can also check Bill Noble's site:
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Having made my Vacuum Chuck System I have never stopped using it, my only regret was I did not make it earlier in my Woodturning Career.
Details of how I made it and some information can be found in the Hints and Tips Section of my Web Site.
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RVS
just to keep the record straight -- the article on woodturners.org and the article on my web site
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are the same article with -- you guessed it --- the same author. you will find a lengthy treatise on the subject that will tell you far more than you are likely to want to know, and a shorter powerpoint style briefing, and probably some other stuff - I have a few pumps for sale on my site, no little 110V ones right now though.
bill N
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