New Harvey T 40 owner seeking advice on vacuum chuck

[Bob Wallis]

Santa bought me a new Harvey T 40 lathe. just got it in the shop, definitely a nice looking machine. Anyone have a T40 and are using a vacuum chuck system? Would appreciate any and all insights and advice.

Also, there is a vacuum system out of the UK called Airpress. https://www.airpress.co.uk/category-listing.php?id=70
If I understand it correctly, this system does not thread anything through the spindle. Anyone have any experience with that type of vacuum chuck? Pros/Cons ? Thanks in advance!

 

[Dwayne Watt]

I have a T40 and use the vacuum chuck by these guys. https://www.simplewoodturningtools.com/collections/vacuum-chucks
I use an oil-less Thomas 2660 vacuum pump. These can be had on eBay typically for a reasonable amount of money (<$150). I built the filters and shutoff/release valve system from parts purchased at Harbor Freight. Standard 3/8" air compressor hose fits perfectly onto the vacuum chuck tube indicated above. No special adapters needed. The chuck is 1-1/4"x* tpi.

 

[Bob Wallis]

I have a T40 and use the vacuum chuck by these guys. https://www.simplewoodturningtools.com/collections/vacuum-chucks
I use an oil-less Thomas 2660 vacuum pump. These can be had on eBay typically for a reasonable amount of money (<$150). I built the filters and shutoff/release valve system from parts purchased at Harbor Freight. Standard 3/8" air compressor hose fits perfectly onto the vacuum chuck tube indicated above. No special adapters needed. The chuck is 1-1/4"x* tpi.

Thanks. I've got a vacuum pump that came with a vacuum full kit off craigslist. It's a BAC BA1. Works great on the vacuum chamber. Hoping it'll do the job. So are you saying you did'nt purchase the manifold or adapter? but built your own? So essentially all you got from simple was the chuck? THere are 2 different tube lengths (18.5 and 20.75). Do i need the extra length for the tube?

If you get a chance and it isn't a pain in the neck ... I'd love to see a picture of your setup.

BTW ... lived in Bartlesville for a couple of years way back in 80's. First job out of college. Loved the place!

 

[Holmes Anderson]

Not a fan of the vac chuck with integral tube. An outboard vac adapter allows use of a variety of vac chucks, including the type that use a morse taper mount.

 

[Terry Vaughan]

Santa bought me a new Harvey T 40 lathe. just got it in the shop, definitely a nice looking machine. Anyone have a T40 and are using a vacuum chuck system? Would appreciate any and all insights and advice.

Also, there is a vacuum system out of the UK called Airpress. https://www.airpress.co.uk/category-listing.php?id=70
If I understand it correctly, this system does not thread anything through the spindle. Anyone have any experience with that type of vacuum chuck? Pros/Cons ? Thanks in advance!

I have the Airpress system with the small and medium chucks and use it often. You are right, the vacuum tube connects just behind the chuck. Nothing goes through the spindle. The connector screws onto the lathe spindle nose, the vacuum chuck screws onto that.

Pros: well made, easy to set up and use, works well. Came with a spanner to remove the connector (but not a tommy bar to remove the chuck).

Cons: Price. The connector for the flexible vacuum tube has bearings to stop it spinning when the lathe is running. But it wants to spin, so if the lathe is reversed the tube tries to wind itself round the adaptor. I use a bungee cord anchoring the connector to the headstock to prevent this.

 

[Dwayne Watt]

Here are some photos of my vac set up. The tube on the chuck is 18.75" long. I never bothered cutting it down. The second couple of pictures show the filter and valve setup I have. The vac side of the setup is a larger filter to collect any crud that might come off the vessel on the chuck. The valve side has a lesser filter to prevent dust from entering the pump when releasing the vacuum. The oil-less pump shown is rated at roughly 4.5 cfm and pulls close to 26" Hg.

The Harvey is now my secondary lathe and doesn't see much use, but I found it to be a very good lathe. Regarding comments about various chuck sizes, anything much larger diameter than what is shown has the propensity to create too much force on the vessel (caution is needed to not break the wood). Effective diameters smaller than the shown chuck will have barely enough area to create an effect hold force. That's physics, not an opinion.

There are many ways to create an effective vacuum chuck system. This one worked for me on Harvey and now on my 3520C Powermatic. No adapters or special fittings necessary at the lathe.