Vacuum chucking system

[Don Nicholas]

Does anyone have any experience with the "frugal vacuum chucking system". If you have or used the system could you post your thoughts on the system.
Thank you very much
Don

[Michael Schneider]

FYI,

If you are putting a vacuum chucking system together, you might look at the vicmarc rotary union. It is nice because it mounts in your chuck.

When you need to use it, just chuck it up, and go. It is nice not to have to pull your chuck off the lathe.

http://www.woodworkersemporium.com/Vicmarc_V01216/

Mike

[Fred Belknap]

I have had the Frugal Vacuum system for a year or so and it does a great job. Mine came ready to use. I consider it an excellent buy for the money. Shipping was prompt. Very satisfied customer. I use an adapter from J. T. Turnings to attach it to my PM 3520.

[Don Nicholas]

Based on Fred's recommendations and others, I went with the frugal system. Just ordered.
I spoke with Bob the owner and found him to be a most friendly and helpful person explaining the system
and answered all my questions.

[Curtis Myers]

I purchased one at the symposium last year in Pittsburgh. Works very good. Zero issues.

[Rich Sabulsky]

I'm another fan - using it with the JT Turning adapter as well, although the kit from Bob was just fine as it was. I also went with the "Rubber Chucky" gasket rings just for sake of ease - again though, the foam sheets were working fine.

[Thomas Canfield]

I have had a Frugal Vac system for a couple of years picking up at SWAT. After doing a little looking on line, ended up making a couple of rotary adapters, one for Powermatic 3520 and one for Nova Comet II, each cost less than $5 each to make using 3/8" sealed bearings and light fixture tubing and some wood on hand. My chucks are made from PVC couplings (2" to 4") epoxied to turned wood that was tapped for lathe drive size and adhesive backed foam for seal. A variety of chuck sizes seem to be needed to handle small to large pieces.

[Mark Greenbaum]

I have had a Frugal Vac system for a couple of years picking up at SWAT. After doing a little looking on line, ended up making a couple of rotary adapters, one for Powermatic 3520 and one for Nova Comet II, each cost less than $5 each to make using 3/8" sealed bearings and light fixture tubing and some wood on hand. My chucks are made from PVC couplings (2" to 4") epoxied to turned wood that was tapped for lathe drive size and adhesive backed foam for seal. A variety of chuck sizes seem to be needed to handle small to large pieces.

Can you post instructions of how you made the adapters? I have been wanting to get into vacuum chucks but costs are prohibitive right now. Thanks.

[Bob Bouis]

Take my opinion with a grain of salt (because I haven't actually done it yet), but vacuum chuck kits seem to be a luxury. If you need one then you've almost certainly got all the skills to make it yourself.

ETA: how you make the adapter depends on your lathe. If your spindle is sealed on the inside you can just shove an adapter in the handwheel end and go with it (like the JT Turning one mentioned). If it's not you need a threaded hollow tube (a lamp tube) that basically clamps on both ends. In both cases you need a bearing (or two) at the end with a barb fitting mounted in it, so the vacuum hose doesn't spin with the lathe. I had suitable bearings left over from rebuilding some ceiling fans that cost about $1 each.

[Dane Riley]

I have been very happy with my Frugal vacuum pump. I made my own adapter for my 3520b from a 1/2" aluminum rod drilled and threaded with a 1/8" pipe thread and 3/8" lamp rod screwed into that. The aluminum was chucked and three 1/8" grooves cut for O rings. The lamp rod goes into the center of a sealed bearing. A block of wood was drilled for the outside (7/8") of the bearing and tapped for an adapter for the vacuum hose.

[Jeramie Johnson]

What Bob B says is true. You can find many who have made their own and provided instructions online or with video. Heck, some are just using a shopvac, so any flavor of DIY is possible.


With the amount of time I get in the shop (working, 3 little ones under 5 and wife's flocks/herds/packs/etc of animals), I went the Frugal vac route. Love the system, allows me to finish off projects I couldn't mount, i.e. live edge, warped edge (wife prefers these), or the various ones I didn't want to make jam chucks for so many. I also have a reverse chuck adaptor for the tail-stock to make vac mounting super fast and simple.