Harvey t60 vacuum chuck adapter

[Kevin Tompsett]

Anybody have a vacuum chuck adapter that works with the harvey t60? I emailed Harvey and they said its 5/8” bore, but has two silly holes about 1.5” for cranking on the shaft. They said there are no other holes.

 

[William Rogers]

If it is just the 5/8 bore the Robust will work. I’m not understanding the silly holes. Maybe post a picture.

 

[Richard Coers]

but has two silly holes about 1.5” for cranking on the shaft? I assume that means the shaft will not hold air. There are all kinds of vacuum chucks that have a bearing in the chuck and work by running a semi rigid hose through the shaft and connect to the vacuum pump. Here’s one for example. https://www.simplewoodturningtools....urning-on-a-wood-lathe?variant=32336748642442

 

[Kevin Tompsett]

Yes you are right. I really liked the ideal of the vacuum chuck adapter because then I could make myself a whole set of homemade chucks of various sizes

 

[Chris Fairbanks]

Anybody have a vacuum chuck adapter that works with the harvey t60? I emailed Harvey and they said its 5/8” bore, but has two silly holes about 1.5” for cranking on the shaft. They said there are no other holes.

I have the grizzly version (g0800) and am thinking of tapping those two holes and putting set screws in them with some pipe dope so a normal vacuum adapter would work. Curious what others have done to make it work.

 

[Ed Weingarden]

For my Grizzly G0800, there is no need to plug any holes with the Hold Fast Vacuum Adapter. The vacuum is within the hollow threaded rod, so no place for any leaks. Then you can make any size vacuum chuck you need. In the photos below (I couldn't get them to attach right side up), the piece of blue hose and quick connect fitting do not come with the adapter.

Hold Fast V802 Vacuum Adapter Kit

The Hold Fast Vacuum Adapter kit is specifically designed to be mounted inside the outboard side of the headstock spindle, providing an improved and secure fit. The kit features aluminum connectors that are mounted on a hollow threaded rod, preventing air leaks during operation while anchoring...

woodturnerswonders.com

 

[Jim Reynolds]

If you are inclined to build, instead of buy, you could use the instructions on Doc Green's website to build a Rotary Adapter for a Vacuum System. My interpretation is that these instructions are for a spindle without holes. If so, then an adaptation using a through tube similar to the Holdfast adapter that Ed showed above might be a solution for a spindle with holes.

Disclaimer: I have not built nor used a rotary adapter using this design.

Similar instructions are contained in Doc Green's book Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning. Amazon link I own this book and it is a wealth of information.

Good luck. I am interested in the solution you choose and your opinion about the solution.

 

[Kevin Tompsett]

The holdfast does look like an option. It does allow easy diy built chucks, but looks a lot harder to remove for the occasions when I am using a drive chuck. Interesting. Thanks for the advice.

 

[John Whitley]

If it is just the 5/8 bore the Robust will work. I’m not understanding the silly holes. Maybe post a picture.

The problem is that the through bore intersects the cross bore (eg. for a rod for getting chucks off) in the solid handwheel on the T60-S. If the stem on the vacuum adapter isn't long enough, the o-rings won't create a seal. Lathes with a "bowl" style handwheel like my old Nova Galaxi don't have this problem, since the cross holes are in the sides of the handwheel while the bore is at the "bottom", as it were.

I'll try to measure things up properly on my T60 and reach out to Brent to get a prognosis.