HoldFast Vacuum Chuck?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have a friend who's considering a HoldFast vacuum chuck system.

Anybody using one? Any pros or cons?

[David Christopher]

Ken. I got one...I really like it......just make sure he gets the tool that you put in the tailstock to center the piece ( makes life much easier )

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ken - you can also check with Burt Alcantara and Scott Hubl as they both use them - if I remember correctly!?!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Question David?

Do you have to run 2.5 CFM of air continuously to maintain the vacuum?

[Thom Sturgill]

Ken, I have one on my Jet 1220 and love it. I was going to make my own, but decided i would rather spend some money than spend shop time plumbing.:eek:

I use their adapter and vacuum generator with my own chucks made from PVC connectors and MDF drilled and tapped to fit the spindle. You have to seal the MDF pretty good, and I use epoxy to mate the PVC to the MDF so that I get a good seal. I have 1/4" neoprene on one and some self-stick foam sheets I picked up a Michaels for the others. Sizes range from 2 1/2" to 6". Once leaks were fixed I had no trouble getting enough vacuum to hold everything I've needed it for. I you check out the pictures on my post yesterday (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115797), those were all turned using the vacuum chuck.

One thing I do is that I bought a MT2 adapter that I can screw the scroll chuck to and mount in the tailstock, That lets me center the project on the vacuum chuck better, and provides some pressure to help seal until the vacuum is high enough to keep the gasket compressed. One the vacuum is up I remove the chuck and tailstock.

[Ralph Lindberg]

I have two, the small and the large. I find they work well and can say that you will not have wasted your money.

I also have a couple of PCV-Pipe based one, what I don't like with them is replacing the seal (I need to return the pipe so the corners are not as sharp)

I use a 2.5 cfm pump from Harbor Freight

[David Christopher]

Question David?

Do you have to run 2.5 CFM of air continuously to maintain the vacuum?

Ken, I dont know what CFM it takes to run it but it takes a very small amount and it dont make alot of noise like the air condition vacuum pumps

[Jonathan Harvey]

I too have a question for people that own this system. How big of a piece will this system hold? Wondering if it would hold 18"-20" salad bowls. Or is this unit only made for smaller and medium sized work?

Sorry for the slight off topic.

[David Christopher]

I too have a question for people that own this system. How big of a piece will this system hold? Wondering if it would hold 18"-20" salad bowls. Or is this unit only made for smaller and medium sized work?

Sorry for the slight off topic.

Jonathan, Ive put a 14" piece on mine and it worked fine and that was with a 3" chuck...I would bet that the 6" chuck would hold just fine

[Larry Marley]

I have the Hold fast. It only draws about 1 CFM at best.
Works fine to reverse chuck a bowl with a finished interior. It will struggle if the wood is not sealed and somewhat porous.
You can build a setup like Steve's for close to the same price.
I ended up using the spindle adapter and going with a dedicated pump to
get more vacuum. I always jumped when the compressor cycled. I also had some trouble with the hold fast chuck damaging the finish. My shop built chucks work a little better. I takes a little work to build your own, but I think it is worth the effort.

Larry

[Ralph Lindberg]

Jonathan, Ive put a 14" piece on mine and it worked fine and that was with a 3" chuck...I would bet that the 6" chuck would hold just fine

Let's do the math... 25 inchs of vacuum with a 6 inch chuck... What would that be, roughly 350 lbs of holding force?

1 inch of vacuum ~- 0.5 lbs/sq-in

6 inch chuck ~= 28 sq-inches

[Jonathan Harvey]

Let's do the math... 25 inchs of vacuum with a 6 inch chuck... What would that be, roughly 350 lbs of holding force?

1 inch of vacuum ~- 0.5 lbs/sq-in

6 inch chuck ~= 28 sq-inches

I don't have a clue what that means :D Is that a good thing?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ken I have one and use it with a Sears 26 gallon compressor. I have held a 15" bowl with it and a 4" homemade PVC chuck. I have never had one come off. I take the chuck off the headstock with the bowl still in it. I use a tailstock adaptor that fits the #2 MT and screw the chuck on it. Bring up the tailstock and it is centered. Remove the chuck and go. Dave Hout demo'd one with a ash bowl and I couldn't pull it off.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Question?

Bernie, I have a 26 gallon vertical and it sounds like it would run it.

My friend has a Porter Cable pancake. Is a pancake compressor going to have enough CFM to operate it safely?

[Thom Sturgill]

Question?

Bernie, I have a 26 gallon vertical and it sounds like it would run it.

My friend has a Porter Cable pancake. Is a pancake compressor going to have enough CFM to operate it safely?

I use a PC pancake and it works fine.

[Scott Hubl]

I have 2 of the Hold Fast systems, 1x8 & 1 1/4 x 8.

I have both sized hold fast chucks for them.

And I have a 220V Gast pump setup.

I first bought the hold fast 1x8 for my JET 1442 lathe and had to upgrade to the 1 1/4x8 when I bought my Powermatic 3520B lathe.

They work GREAT, there is a Huge Misconception that these run a air compressor balls out and you have to listen to it running constantly, That is just NOT the case. Even with a smaller mid sized compressor it runs a moment and shuts off.
And stays off for quit some time.

Yes a Pancake compressosor will run more often than a compressor with a 60 gallon tank but it will run it, I have tried it with the tiny pepboys compressor as well as my 6HP 60 gallon tank compressor.

I would recommend the next sized up compressor over the pancake type mainly because they are designed for nail gun use.

Bigger is Always Better when buying an air compressor.

I find myself using the Hold Fast system way more often than the 220Volt Gast pump and save that for only the largest of tuurnings, as 95% of what I have turned I am Totally Confident in the hold fasts holding power. I easily get 22-24 of Vacuum.

And Just like using a Gast pump IF the wood if very porus, you will need to work with it in the same manner as any vacuum system and seal the wood in one way or another, whatever your preferred method is will work with either system.

The added beauty of the hold fast system is, you open the box and in about 10 minutes you are up and running.

I will be selling the 1x8 system on CL in the near future as I sold the Jet 1442 and have no use for it, only used the 1x8 a couple times befor I upgraded to the Powermatic lathe.