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Thread: Vacuum Chuck Adapter

  1. #1
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    Jun 2011
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    Colby, Washington. Just across the Puget Sound from Seattle, near Blake Island.
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    Vacuum Chuck Adapter

    What's the best vacuum chuck adapter for a Jet 14-42? I'm about to purchase the Precision Machine version (woodturnerscatalog.com) but the size options only list the Jet 12-36.

    Russell Neyman
    .


    Writer - Woodworker - Historian
    Instructor: The Woodturning Experience
    Puget Sound, Washington State


    "Outside of a dog, there's nothing better than a good book; inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

  2. #2
    Ask ahead of time to make sure it'll work.

    But I'd just make one. It's round! And pretty straightforward turning. All you need is a bearing and a nipple.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Lummi Island, WA
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    they are pretty easy to make, but if you're going to buy one, check out JT Turning Tools. They work great - never a leak.

  4. #4
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    JT wants $160 for the 14-42 version that threads onto the end of the shaft. By "easy to make" I'm assuming you mean the type with o-rings that slips into the handwheel. I'm not sure what to use for the bearing housing.

    I'm surprised there aren't more Jet lathe owners who use vacuum chucks. I expected more responses.

  5. #5
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    Jul 2015
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    Southwest Louisiana
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    I use the threaded rod system the hold fast sells on my 1642 Jet. Works great for the past 4 years

  6. #6
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    vacuum adapters

    Quote Originally Posted by Russell Neyman View Post
    JT wants $160 for the 14-42 version that threads onto the end of the shaft. By "easy to make" I'm assuming you mean the type with o-rings that slips into the handwheel. I'm not sure what to use for the bearing housing.
    I'm surprised there aren't more Jet lathe owners who use vacuum chucks. I expected more responses.
    I don't know about the 1442 but the 1642 apparently had a problem with the handwheel design such that the type of adapter with o-ring seals didn't work. JT Turning tools offered a replacement hand wheel with a vacuum adapter for the 1642 but it was expensive. Lots of people went with the hollow threaded rod type. I planned to machine a new hand wheel for my 1642 but then got a PM5320b and two different Oneway vacuum adapters. The first one required removing the hand wheel each time I wanted to use a vacuum chuck - a significant inconvenience. The second is a rotary adapter with the o-ring seals which simply slips into the hand wheel - much better!

    I bought the bearings and parts to build a rotary adapter from scratch. I plan to machine a housing for the from aluminum but construction can be simpler than that. I can imagine turning a piece from lignum vitae that would hold the o-rings and adapt to the bearing. Also, Joe Woodworker has instructions and parts for a design that could be adapted to fit many lathes, perhaps the 1442 (depending on the hand wheel design): https://www.joewoodworker.com/veneer...umchucking.htm

    If you haven't see Joe's web site he has a lot of good info on building vacuum chucks, etc as well as a more complex vacuum system suitable for vacuum bagging and clamping as well as vacuum chucking on the lathe. He sells everything you might need at extremely good prices, including an excellent vacuum chuck gasket material.

    JKJ

  7. #7
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    John, et al. Very helpful. Thanks.

  8. #8
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    Nov 2012
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    UP of Michigan
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    You may want to check this one out just ran across this while looking for tools https://www.harrisonspecialties.com/...s-accessories/

  9. I use the Oneway Rotary Adapter on my Jet 1642 (currently sells for about $85). I don't know if it can be used on the 1442. Removing the hand wheel and placing the rotary adapter takes me less than a minute (two set screws) so it's not an issue for me.

  10. #10
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    After pondering all of this and watching a few videos, I made myself a very nice chuck that doesn't require an adaptor using a threaded lamp tube and ball bearing. Works very nicely!

    Thanks, all.

  11. #11
    search on internet and You Tube they are easy to make

  12. #12
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    Sep 2015
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    I saw that John and Russell have successfully made their own. I machined one out of 6061 aluminum on Saturday. I put in two 6200-2RS (sealed) bearings. I epoxied the bearings into the housing and the shaft into the bearings. Then I tried drawing a vacuum. It leaked so badly that I could only draw 5" Hg. I applied wheel bearing grease to the bearing and it sucked it right in. LOTS. And the vacuum would momentarily go up to 20" but long term was probably going to drop down. I did a post-mortem on one of the bearings and found that the rubber seal was about 0.014" larger in diameter than the inner race OD. So, roughly a 0.007 gap all the way around.

    I bought the bearings from VXB in Ca. off of fleabay. I contacted the seller and was told "our bearings are non contact rubber sealed bearings, so there will be that gap there. I am not familiar with a company that sells contact seals." Although I did not ask for it, they volunteered to refund my $. Very nice.

    I contacted the frugalvacuumchuck fellow and he told me that he has a bucket of unusable chinese bearings that also suffer leakage but mentioned that he switched to a US manufacturer. I would buy bearings from him, but right now I'm all set up for 6200-2RS bearings and his are a slightly different size (imperial rather than metric).

    Someone suggested buying Japanese or US mfg bearings. But some of the US mfrs (like Timken) have gone off shore and some of the Japanese make bearings in India.

    John or Russell could you share the mfr's name of the bearings that worked for you? Also, if anyone else has a purchased unit, could you check the mfr's name - - it should be written on the side of the bearing. TIA.

    IMG_0002 (1024x768).jpgIMG_0003 (1024x768).jpg

  13. #13
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    This is what I bought, not cheap but has good seals: https://www.veneersupplies.com/produ...uum-Chuck.html

    Did you see his whole article?
    https://www.joewoodworker.com/veneer...umchucking.htm

    JKJ

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    San Diego, Ca
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    Thanks John,

    Yes, I did read the whole article. Thanks.

    When I was looking at his site earlier, I missed seeing the bearing link. If I cannot find a suitable 30mm bearing, may end up buying the bearings from him. My adapter is large enough in diameter that if I had to, I could bore it out from 30mm to 1-3/8" and still have a 0.100" wall thickness. I would probably still use a pair of bearings rather than a single one.

    I think that I also need to buy a higher volume pump. I did a science experiment this afternoon and measured it's CFM. My current pump is a little low on volume and that is exacerbating the leakage problem.

    Thanks again.

  15. I agree with the JT Turning Tools system. I bought one several years ago for my Jet Mini. I had to buy their replacement hand wheel so the adapter would fit inside but it was reasonable and worked. When I got my 3520B I was surprised to find the JT adapter fit the hole in the hand wheel perfectly, so now I can use my vacuum system on either lathe. Vacuum sure makes a lot of jobs easier. Also, thanks guys for the links to materials. That really helps us tinkerers!

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