Vacuum Chuck

[Mike Henderson]

I'm not much of a turner - mostly I turn for furniture - legs and things like that. But I do turn a few bowls now and again.

I have a Jet 1236 lathe and want to add a vacuum chuck to it. I already have the vacuum pump (I do veneer work) and have read Joe Woodworker's site on vacuum chucks.

My problem is how to connect thinigs to my lathe. I want to make a wooden handwheel and put the vacuum connector in the middle of the handwheel. My problem is how to connect it to the lathe shaft.

See the pictures below. The Jet 1236 shaft is internally threaed with left hand threads. I need something like a faceplate (so I can attach the handwheel) with threads to fit the shaft, and a hole down the center of it.

I realize the Jet 1236 is a beginners lathe but it does what I want and I don't want to buy a new lathe just to get a vacuum chuck.

Anyone have any ideas how I can connect to the shaft? Or does someone make things like this for the 1236? I contacted Joe Woodworker and he doesn't have anything.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, ideas, or whatever help you can give.

Mike

[Mike Vickery]

http://www.beaverpondstudio.com/Vacuum_Chuck.html

I believe the jet uses a non standard thread so you might be better off trying to do something like on the link above instead of attaching to the spindle.
You can also buy an adaptor to do this
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=packard&Product_Code=110902&Category_Code=lathes-acc-vc-holdfast
Please make sure the hole goes all the way through the spindle though. If it does not go all the way through you can still do a vacuum chuck but you would pretty much have to by a more expensive accessory like this http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/vacuumchuck.html

[Jim Becker]

Just pick up the EZ Vacuum adapter from Packard Woodworks and be done with it. You avoid any threading that way and get a good seal. It has a 1/4 NPT connection so you can easily match the setup you have for your vacuum bags. That's what I used on the small OneWay machine I had before Stubbalina came into my life...

(Edit...it looks like they changed the name of the EZ to "Hold Fast" based on the previous post...)

[Mike Vickery]

(Edit...it looks like they changed the name of the EZ to "Hold Fast" based on the previous post...)
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=packard&Product_Code=111210&Category_Code=lathes-acc-vc
The EZ adaptor is a different product then the holdfast, same concept though.

[Mike Henderson]

Thank you for your suggestions. I want to keep a handwheel - I'll make a new one as part of the vacuum chuck system - and from my first look, it seems that I'd have to give up the handwheel to use the EZ Vacuum adaptor.

Those of you who know the product - is that true or can I still have a handwheel?

Mike

[added note] on the 1236, the handwheel does not have a hole through it. The shaft itself is hollow - I can knock something out of the right side - but I have to take the handwheel off to do it.

[Gordon Seto]

Vacuum chucking adapter doesn't have to be that complicated. I think in Woodturning Design magazine. About 2 years ago, King Heiple has an article on making a home made vacuum adapter that you can keep your hand wheel, you don't even need to thread a lamp rod through the head stock.

I made mine up based on that principal. I have post the pictures here:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=698775#poststop

Gordon

[Rick Hutcheson]

I made my own. With a couple of sealed bearings and a threaded lamp rod it was easy. I show pictures of it on my web site. Go down to Woodturning Lathe and then to Vacuum Chuck for more details. Works good for me.
Http://www.scrollsaws.com

[Mike Henderson]

Thank you, all, for your suggestions. I may not be understanding something and maybe you can help me.

The handwheel on my Jet does not have a hole through it - please see the attached pictures.

I can put a hollow rod through the shaft of my lathe, but I don't see how I can implement a handwheel, except by friction mount. That is, I could make a handwheel with a hole in it, and clamp it to my shaft with the hollow rod that went all the way through my lathe shaft. But the only thing that would prevent the handwheel from slipping when I grabbed it, is the friction fit between the handwheel and the lathe shaft.

A superior approach, IMO, would be something that actually threaded into my lathe shaft, which thing would be hollow, and to which I could attach a handwheel. But I don't know what that is, unless I go to the local machinist and get something made.

But I know that the Jet 1236 is a very common lathe and people must have fitted a vacuum chuck to it. Perhaps it's not possible to keep the handwheel on that chuck when you add a vacuum chuck.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Mike, do you think that the handwheel could be drilled out to allow the rod from the adapter to pass through?

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, do you think that the handwheel could be drilled out to allow the rod from the adapter to pass through?

I doubt if I can drill it out enough for another rod to pass through but I did, just a few minutes ago, drill out the existing handwheel with a small hole (5/32" I think it was). I also drilled three holes in the handwheel itself. I'll use those holes to attach (with screws) a wooden handwheel - and I'll mount the bearing in that wooden handwheel. So I think I have a solution. I'll put rubber or something between the metal handwheel and the wooden part to seal it.

The 5/32" hole should be enough to pull the vacuum through. If I had a 5/32" hole in a vacuum bag I'd never get any vacuum.

Anybody see any "gottchas" in this plan?

Mike

[added note] Attached a picture of the drilled out handwheel.

[Gordon Seto]

Mike,

You don't really need to drill or enlarge the hole. Your hand wheel is fine.
When you are applying vacuum, the vacuum force would hold the adapter in place.
You don't need to have any rod or hollow tube to pass through the spindle.
May be someone can dig out an old issue of the Woodturning Design magazine article.

Gordon

[Rick Hutcheson]

OK there is another solution. It will cost, but the whole vacuum system is put on the end of the headstock and does not need to go through the headstock.

http://sierramold.com/Wvchuck.htm