Lathe Vacuum Chuck

[Amber Teresa]

What kind of capacity do you need for a vacuum chuck for a lathe? Can a nice A/C service pump work.

Someone can tell me.

Thanks a lot!!

[Jon Nuckles]

Amber,
You will get more knowledgeable eyes on your question if you post it in the Turner's Forum here. Lots of info on lathe vacuum chucks there. Maybe a moderator can move the post for you. Good luck!
Jon

[Jim Becker]

Amber,
You will get more knowledgeable eyes on your question if you post it in the Turner's Forum here. Lots of info on lathe vacuum chucks there. Maybe a moderator can move the post for you. Good luck!
Jon

Moved here ...

Jim
Forum Moderator

[Thom Sturgill]

Yep that pump should work fine. If it throws oil, that needs to be considered as the oil mist will affect the wood.

[Bill Blasic]

I have one and it pulls 26 on the gauge. The outflow tube I have going into a mayonnaise bottle that is full of man made fiber like steel wool. Works very well.

[Roger Davis TN]

Question, do you need a gauge. Can the vacuum pump be hooked directly to the chuck? Roger.

[Dane Riley]

Question, do you need a gauge. Can the vacuum pump be hooked directly to the chuck? Roger.

You need a bleed valve to position the turning and a gauge to set the bleed valve. A filter is a good idea to prevent dust from being sucked into the pump.

[John K Jordan]

Question, do you need a gauge. Can the vacuum pump be hooked directly to the chuck? Roger.

I agree that you need a bleed valve, both to release and reapply the pressure to get the piece centered. Also a bleed valve can reduce the vacuum pressure so you won't collapse a thin walled piece if using a large vacuum chuck.

I've seen vacuum chucking systems without a gauge. The gauge helps to know the pressure but exactly how much vacuum to use on a given piece to hold it without destroying it is more a matter of experience than a number. The gauge will allow you to easily return to the same vacuum on the same piece or on another similar piece. Besides, they are pretty cheap and easy to install.

Another good reason to have a vacuum gauge is to periodically check the health of your vacuum pump. It would be nice to know one day that it wasn't working as well as it used to.

JKJ

[Roger Davis TN]

Thanks, I ordered the frugal system. It comes with everything. I like the vacuum pump. Roger Davis

[Pete Staehling]

Thanks, I ordered the frugal system. It comes with everything. I like the vacuum pump. Roger Davis
Yes I agree. I found that by the time I sourced the parts separately their is kit actually cheaper than I could have gathered and put things together on my own unless I had a lot of the stuff already. The pump is a really nice one and the rest of the stuff is okay too.