In the Tips section there is a great thread from Jeff and John Tolly on vacuum chucks. Since I knew nothing of the subject it put me on the path of quick learning.
Yesterday, a buddy of mine brought over a vac. system he had put together for some flat work. It is a bit different than I have seen on the Web so I will pass it on. He has a salvaged refrigerator vacuum pump, 1/4 HP, connected to an empty propane tank, and the tank valve connected via a 3/8 ID in hose to the rotating adapter. When I first saw it I was a bit skeptical but on the first try it is fabulous. The big difference is that when the elec. power fails (often in VA) the vacuum in the tank gives you plenty of time to carefully stop the lathe and remove the workpiece. No panic, no lost pieces and no sweat! The gauge is on the tank so it is easy to see how many inches of HG your system is holding. Having done about 3 platters in the last few hours I will say it is quite a wonderous transition! Thanks, Bob Wilkes, MIT engineer par excellence! Phil
Yesterday, a buddy of mine brought over a vac. system he had put together for some flat work. It is a bit different than I have seen on the Web so I will pass it on. He has a salvaged refrigerator vacuum pump, 1/4 HP, connected to an empty propane tank, and the tank valve connected via a 3/8 ID in hose to the rotating adapter. When I first saw it I was a bit skeptical but on the first try it is fabulous. The big difference is that when the elec. power fails (often in VA) the vacuum in the tank gives you plenty of time to carefully stop the lathe and remove the workpiece. No panic, no lost pieces and no sweat! The gauge is on the tank so it is easy to see how many inches of HG your system is holding. Having done about 3 platters in the last few hours I will say it is quite a wonderous transition! Thanks, Bob Wilkes, MIT engineer par excellence! Phil