Just curious

[Carole Valentine]

Every now and then I see some setup advertised for using a ShopVac with a vacuum chuck. Looks to me like this would burn out the motor in a ShopVac in short order. Yes or no?

[Charles Hans]

Carole, I would not try to use a shop vacuum for a lathe. you will not get the vacuum that you need. Definitely use a vacuum pump designed for the purpose.

Charles

[Chris Barton]

Hi Carole,


You can get a Gast brand vacuum pump for a very reasonable price on one of the auction websites.

[Jim Becker]

Many of the "ordinary" shop vacs would indeed have the problem you describe, Carole as they depend upon the air flow to cool the motor. The better vacs, such as Fein and Festool don't have that issue as they have other provisions for motor cooling. That said, I also agree that a real vacuum pump is the way to go and with surplus, the cost can be quite low. I bought mine that way and essentially got a brand new $400 Gast pump for $175...used ones go for a fraction of that on EBay and elsewhere.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Carole,

I just got a Gast pump from Surplus Center for $89. Check out www.surpluscenter.com. King Heiple's article in the current issue of Woodturning Design describes a very straightforward vacuum chuck set up using this vacuum pump. It is 240V (probably why it was available at surplus) but that wasn't a problem for me. It's pretty loud, but you can buy a muffler from joewoodworker's site. It makes a tremendous difference.

Good luck!!

Jack

[Richard Allen]

The key phrase for the shopvac that can be used for vacum chucking opporations is "bypass".

The use of a shopvac (bypass type) is more comonly use "down under". In fact the first Stuby lathes had vacume ports in them that had leaks. The leaks were not an issue when using a shopvac. When using a vacumn pump the leaks proved to be excessive. Stuby changed the design of the vacumn path to take into account the use of the vacumn pumps which are favorved in North America.

[Steve Rowe]

Carole,

I just got a Gast pump from Surplus Center for $89. Check out www.surpluscenter.com. King Heiple's article in the current issue of Woodturning Design describes a very straightforward vacuum chuck set up using this vacuum pump. It is 240V (probably why it was available at surplus) but that wasn't a problem for me. It's pretty loud, but you can buy a muffler from joewoodworker's site. It makes a tremendous difference.

Good luck!!

Jack

Ditto on this pump. Have had the same pump for over a year and it works great.
Steve

[Gregory Benulis]

One of the pleasantries of turning that I am finding is that it is one of the quietest forms of powered wood working. Why would anyone want to add the screaming of a shop vac to that experience? Used vacuum pumps are plentiful and relatively cheap. Save your hearing and your sanity.
Greg