Some homemade vacuum chucks & glue blocks

[Mike Minto]

here's a shot of some vacuum chucks i made from PVC and scrap wood, along with a few glue blocks, all made with my Beall tap - and a 3" forstner bit to make a nice flat for the glue blocks. i've used a some, others are unused - they run pretty true. anyone else out there have shots of some they've made? mike

[Mike Stephens]

Very nice Mike.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Your vacuum chucks look pretty good Mike! I have photos of one of my chucks located in my Vac System tutorial. I have an additional chuck (looks the same) that is slightly smaller in diameter and I also have the makings for a very large chuck but so far have not needed it.

[Toney Robertson]

I need to take the time and do what you did - get my vacuum system running. I bought a vacuum pump about a year and a half ago and still have not taken the time to put it to use. I am bad about that.

By the way is that walnut that you made glue blocks out of???? :eek: You have expensive tastes!!! :D

Toney

[Mike Minto]

toney,

yes, that is some scrap walnut - i was lucky; a guy down the street from me had two nice boards he didn't need, and gave them to me. mike

[Bernie Weishapl]

Those are some good looking chucks Mike. Well done.

[David Mann]

I have been enjoying my spindle tap as well. It has probably paid for itself after the first 2 chucks I made. I've only had it a month and I had to find a new storage space in my shop for all of the custom chucks I have been making.

I attached a picture of the first vacuum chuck I made with it. I think it was Brazilian Cherry or something, it was the only reasonably dry wood I had at the time.

[Mike Minto]

thanks for all the comments. i'm looking for a better gasket material - have been using something like 'foamies', about a 1/8" thick closed cell foam, i believe - what else is everyone using? mike

[Dave Schell]

I need to get out in the shop and build me a few of these. But when I've built them in the past, I used self-adhesive weathershipping material. It worked great!

[Jim Kountz]

Looks good, should give good service. What do you guys use for a gasket? I got some of that art/foam material from Wally World and it seems to do a good job but was wondering what others are using.

[David Walser]

I'm curious. Out here in Arizona, wood doesn't grow on trees, or, er, wood's kinda scarce, and I'm wondering if there's a reason you all have been using walnut, Brazilian cheery, and other hardwoods to make your chucks out of? Couldn't you use MDF or construction grade lumber? I've been considering adding the Beal tap to my arsenal of tools. I just don't think it'd ever be used if I had to sacrifice some of my scarce hardwood to use it.

[John Fricke]

I'm in the process of getting my vacuum system put together. In my previous life as a farmer some of our larger equipment had engine oil filters that came with large flat rubber gaskets for sealing. I am in the process of trying to locate just the gaskets. If I am successful I will post the part #'s.