Vacuum Pump for your Vacuum Chuck

[Tony De Masi]

For those of you who are using a vacuum chuck with a vacuum pump, not a compressor, what are you using and how effective is it. I know that some are using the 220V pumps but is that overkill? Could a 110V pump do well enough? Please try to be specific if you are answering any of my questions here. I am a woodturner and don't have even one mechanical brain cell. If I've left out any obvious other questions then please let me know.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[bob svoboda]

I have a Gast pump, 110v I got on the big auction site for $85. Works great and pulls 25-26" hg. Can't see why a higher voltage pump would be of any advantage. Will check out the model # when I get back to my shop.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Tony,

While I haven't set mine up yet I purchased a used Gast pump running on 110. If you read all the various posts on the subject it seems that 110 is more than enough power for the vacuum required. You should be able to find a suitable pump for less than $100.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Tony,
My Gast pump is 220 volts but I also have a Vacupress that is the exact same model Gast pump with a sheet metal cover and a few extra controls. That one is 110. I see no reason to buy a 220 volt pump unless, like me, you find one used that happens to be 220 volt. By the way, Gast pumps are available used on Ebay for a variety of prices. You are looking for 1/4HP, (The same model used to be rated 1/3HP but the rating changed not the pump) 4.5 cfm and a draw of 26" of mercury at max. There are lots of set ups on the web and several by our members. This type pump is very effective. I know a turner who cores bowls and does all his final turning with only the vacuum chuck. You need a good assortment of chucks. You can make them yourself. You stack Baltic birch ply to the diameter chuck you are building, thread one end for your lathe's Acme threads, turn the inside shape you want and glue on some open cell foam. I'll gladly take pix for you if you go that way.
faust

[David Gilbert]

My $25 vacuum pulls only 20 inches of mercury but that is more than enough (it isn't a Gast). Whether the pump uses 110 or 220 really isn't an issue, its the pump that is attached to it. The Gast vacuum pumps are wonderful and almost any of them will work wonderfully. I bought my pump in a very used condition so I don't have an estimate of the cfm it will pump but seems to work fine. It is strong enough to break a thin plate that I was turning. I really like my vacuum system.

If you can find a used pump at a reasonable price, you should go for it.

Cheers,
David

[Michael Ginsberg]

Tony.
I bought two (one as a spare) vacuum pumps off Ebay with the name Schuco. They are intended for medical aspiration.
They draw 22-23" hg which I find more than enough. I think I paid less than $100 each. They run on 110 volts as well and are very quiet. I think because they are made for the medical industry, they are made with quality workmanship.
Hope this helps.
Michael

[Tony De Masi]

Thank you all for your replies. Your info has at least cleared up the 220/110 issue I've had in my head.

[curtis rosche]

i have a vacuum pump that takes a 2hp motor to run, ill sell it to you if you want :P

[Dan Hintz]

Tony,

If you find a good deal on a nice unit, let me know... I've been considering one myself.

[Peter Lamb]

Ebay currently has several 110v 1/4 hp pumps

[curtis rosche]

try over at surplus center. i got mine there plus a few fittings for about 75$

[Tony De Masi]

Thanks again boys. And happy birthday Dan.

[Eric Holmquist]

220v is not necessary to drive a pump for vacuum chucking, but sometime you can get a good deal on a 220v vacuum pump. For example, the 220v Gast pumps sold by Surplus Center a while back were reasonable pumps but had 220v only motors on them and were a special production run. Gast often sells custom versions of their pumps to large industrial users. The basic pump is unchanged, but the motor is special for some company. If some company wants 1000 pumps with a cheaper 220v only motor, Gast will of course sell it to them.

[James Combs]

Thank you all for your replies. Your info has at least cleared up the 220/110 issue I've had in my head.

Tony, if and when you decide to pull the trigger on one try checking out a local pawnshop. I picked up a like new in the box Robinair 110volt, 5.5cfm pump for $100 at our one and only pawnshop. It typically sells for $250-280 online. At 5.5cfm it gets to max vacuum fast and pulls 29.5"hg. It is overkill for vacuum chucking but I also use it to power a vacuum chamber I use for plastic castings. One cavet, for in shop vacuum chuck use, you probably should consider only oil free pumps. Mine is an oil bath type unit, oil units will typically draw more vacuum but they also tend to exhaust oil mist into the air. If I let mine run for an hour or so the shop starts looking foggy. It is more of an odorless smoke then a mist but it does get cloudy after a long run. Others on this forum that have oil type machines have also complained of a similar problem with theirs.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mine is 110v and it pulls around 23"hg. I never let it pull that much. Most times I let it pull 17 to 18"hg.

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, and get one for me, too. Might as well get one for Peter...

Hey, Dan, there you are! Been trying to call you all day. Happy Birthday, buddy.

[curtis rosche]

the pump i have sitting around pulls 25 hg at something like 30 cfm

[Josh Bowman]

Tony,
I have a a Gast 523, it's 220, but so is my lathe, so I just put a duplex outlet in. 110 or 220 makes no power difference. I know mine was from a commercial application and I guess 220 volts is more common. Anyway the old Gasts are simple to repair, if they ever give problems. Gast still supports them and you can even get parts from Graniger for them. Good luck, hope to see you set up soon. You'll really like it.

[Tony De Masi]

James, thanks for the tip on the pawn shop route. We have two in town that I'll check out. This morning I will be heading out to the yearly yard sale here in the valley. It's 43 miles long so I may have some luck there as well. Time will tell.

[Mike Cruz]

Don't forget your minions, Tony, don't forget your minions...

Hey, what about hooking up to your dust collector?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Tony - I use a Gast 220 volt because it was what was on sale at the time and the voltage was no issue because my lathe is 220 VAC also. The Gast works very well and if you can find one - cheap - you'll love it. Also, after posting my tutorial on how to build a basic system, a number of folks asked questions on what pumps would work. Surprisingly - just about any vacuum pump can be made to work as long as you can get the fittings to hook things up. I seem to remember that Larry Marley uses a very small Harbor Freight model and is very happy with it!

Good luck!!

[Peter Elliott]

Yeah, and get one for me, too. Might as well get one for Peter...

Hey, Dan, there you are! Been trying to call you all day. Happy Birthday, buddy.

Ya Uncle Tony - what Mike said...

[Ralph Lindberg]

Your place of cheap tools is Harbor Freight, many of us are using their 2.5 CFM (model 98076) for vacuum chucking. I can draw about 25 inches (per the gage), assuming the bowl is not too thin. They are asking $99 for it now, but with a 20% off coupon (easy to find) that drops down to $80.
The down side, is it is a oil pump, not an oil-less like the GAST.

[Mike Cruz]

Sounds like an oil-less one is the way to go. Also, personally, I'd rather wait for a good price on a non China made pump. Just trying to do my part to keep the money here...something I've been a little more aware of lately. Can't do it all the time, but when I can...

[Tony De Masi]

Thanks Steve. I've had your tutorial in my favorites since you posted it. I'm not sure what all those gizmos and gadgets are or what they do, but with a bit of studying I'm sure I'll figure it out.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I bought the harbor freight oil pump. Used it five minutes and my basement shop was in an oil mist fog. Shut it off and went oiless with Gast. Works great!!

[Harry Robinette]

Tony
I have a Craftsman 3/4 hp constant run compressor hooked up BACKWARDS. The intake hooked to the vac chuck and the pressure hose I use to blow back across the unit to help keep it cool. It's NOT perfect but it works good 25 Hg.