Vacuum Pump for Lathe

[Izzy Charo]

Hello,
I have a vacuum chuck but use it only occasionally.. when I do, I've used the vacuum pump from my vacuum press setup, but have been told by the manufacturer that it should not run continuously for more than a few minutes. For those who use vacuum chucks more regularly, can you suggest a economical pump for this purpose.. perhaps one from my local friendly Harbor Freight?
Thanks!
Izzy Charo

[Kevin Jenness]

What kind of pump do you have now?

I have a couple of Gast 1/4 hp rotary vane pumps for convenience, one for the vacuum press and general use and one set up at the lathe. Bought used on Ebay for about $150 each, fine for continuous running.

[Steve Eure]

i use a venturi type pump on my lathe, but you have to have an air compressor to run it. Preferably one with a large air tank. I also use an inexpensive Robinair (if there is such a thing), that is made to run for long periods of time. Those pumps are designed to pull air for AC evacuation. They are good, but noisy and do emit small amounts of oil into the air. Not a problem in my shop, but may be a consideration for some.

https://chefwarekits.com/EZ-Vacuum-Generator-Venturi-Pump-with-Gauge-Made-in-the-USA-Creates-27-5-hg-p238217752

Search Robinair vacuum pumps.

[Gary Pennington]

Check out Frugal Vacuum Chucks, Bob has a super deal on new pumps.

Gary

[Robert Hayward]

+ one on Frugal. Excellent product for the price.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

There are a couple type of pumps rated for continual use - the rotary vane type like the gast are pretty bullet proof - but they're typically fairly expensive. I found one new in the box sold as outdated hospital surplus on ebay for $85 (that was about 12 years ago - haven't seen one anywhere near there since) The rocking piston type often used in pond aeration applications are a good option and can be found used on ebay at decent prices. Look for Thomas Reichle pumps or similar. Both pump types have commonly available rebuild kits. I have both in my shop - the rocking piston powers a carving stand - its very quiet and will peg the vacuum gauge easily. The gast is on the lathe. There are also diaphram style pumps that are a good value and fully rebuildable. Personally, I'd stay away from the oiled pumps.

[Dueane Hicks]

Another vote for frugal vacuum pumps. I just keep mine in a old 4 drawer file cabinet right next to the lathe, with the drawer open when I need to plug it into the vacuum chuck.