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Vacuum chuck seals

F

Finn Posner

Joined
Nov 1, 2008
Messages
55
Likes
6
Location
Turnwater, Washington
Has anyone had any success in making their own chuck seals out of some sort of rubber compound. I know Rubber Chucky has a line of seals but I have different size pipes and some are not Schedule 40 PVC. I'm currently using soft sticky backed thin (1/16 thick) material I got fairly cheap at WalMart, however they don't last long and do not work well on chucks larger than 4 inches in diameter which I have.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Finn Posner said:
Has anyone had any success in making their own chuck seals out of some sort of rubber compound. I know Rubber Chucky has a line of seals but I have different size pipes and some are not Schedule 40 PVC. I'm currently using soft sticky backed thin (1/16 thick) material I got fairly cheap at WalMart, however they don't last long and do not work well on chucks larger than 4 inches in diameter which I have.

Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Check out this vacuum chuck gasket tape. I bought some and although I haven't used it yet it looks pretty good. Joe Woodworker is great to deal with also.

http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Vacuum-Chuck-Gasket-Tape-34-x-116-x-3.html

JKJ
 
Finn Posner said:
Has anyone had any success in making their own chuck seals out of some sort of rubber compound. I know Rubber Chucky has a line of seals but I have different size pipes and some are not Schedule 40 PVC. I'm currently using soft sticky backed thin (1/16 thick) material I got fairly cheap at WalMart, however they don't last long and do not work well on chucks larger than 4 inches in diameter which I have. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I use a lot of the rubber Chucky gaskets.

I also use fun foam on a lot of chucks too. This may be what you have.
The foam needs to have some give to seal well. But not so mush give that the turning gets spongy.
The fun foam is adhesive backed 8.5x17" sheets comes in different thicknesses the 1/8 inch thick gives a solid seal and is stiff enough.

Fun foam lasts a long time on wide rimmed wooden chucks I have,
On PVC chucks I remove any sharp corners but the PVC edge still cuts through the fun foam after 5-6 bowls.
 
Last edited:
hockenbery said:
I use a lot of the runner Chucky gaskets.

I also use fun foam on a lot of chucks too. This may be what you have.
The foam needs to have some give to seal well. But not so mush give that the turning gets spongy.
The fun foam is adhesive backed 8.5x17" sheets comes in different thicknesses the 1/8 inch thick gives a solid seal and is stiff enough.

Fun foam lasts a long time on wide rimmed wooden chucks I have,
On PVC chucks I remove any sharp corners but the PVC edge still cuts through the fun foam after 5-6 bowls.
Click to expand...

Where do you get your fun foam in that size? The stuff I got was much smaller.
 
The arts and craft stores usually have it, some with PSA some without. Even after easing the edges on schedule 40, it still wears thru fairly quickly. Fixed that problem by fitting a wood doughnut to the PVC and then turning that so there was a wider bearing surface. The first ones, I cut a grove to glue the PVC into, the subsequent ones I cut a tenon that fits down into the pipe, they both work, I can't say one is better then the other, I just wanted to try it both ways.

cc
 
Clifton C said:
The arts and craft stores usually have it, some with PSA some without. Even after easing the edges on schedule 40, it still wears thru fairly quickly. Fixed that problem by fitting a wood doughnut to the PVC and then turning that so there was a wider bearing surface. The first ones, I cut a grove to glue the PVC into, the subsequent ones I cut a tenon that fits down into the pipe, they both work, I can't say one is better then the other, I just wanted to try it both ways.

cc
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I also use a 'donut' like Clifton on my drum type chucks. Basically a half-round shape with a groove to fit the PVC pipe, that way you can use the ID or the OD of your chuck. I've used MDF in the past, but recently switched to a PVC Foam (rigid - think fascia boards for outdoor decking) that is non-porous…..works great! I also use it for the entire chuck except for the Schedule 40 pipe…..no leakage like unsealed MDF. If you have good contact with your piece/bowl you don't even need any foam, but usually I just lay a piece of foam with a hole in it (for vacuum) between the chuck face and the wood. Besides the craft foam that has been mentioned, packaging foam (comes in different thicknesses), sill sealer, rubber, mouse pads, foam-type egg cartons (for small chucks), and even rigid styrofoam insulation works well.

One source for the PVC Foam: Freckleface.com [Pierce-Ohio Companies]
 
I bought neoprene from Amazon a few years ago and it works quite well. I used spray adhesive to fix it to the homemade chucks I use. You can get different thicknesses and durometer ratings (how squishy it is); I found the 1/8” material in this link worked the best for me:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009K7M1KQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

51YN%2Byr2hPL._SY355_.jpg
 
Another possibility is Oogoo. There was an article in American Woodturner on page 21 of the April 2013 issue about using Oogoo. It is a mixture of silicone caulk and corn starch. The article mistakenly calls it Oogloo.
 
If you use any film finished, like a lacquer, wip on, or spray on, do not use anything silicone in your process. Dealing with silicone fouling is one of the hardest things to diagnose in finishing. That and Armorall
 
If you look in the plumbing section of the big box stores they have foam gaskets that work for several sizes of PVC pipe.
They also make foam backer rod in different diameters, I have used this for several different projects over the years.
You can also purchase rubber O-ring material in rolls and make any size ring you need and glue the ends together.
 
I live near the beach in Florida and buy old neopreme wet suits that the surfers have donated to the thrift store. It does not matter if they have a few rips ot holes. They are usually priced under $10 for a full length suit. I can cut a lot of gaskets from one suit.
 
I've been using the sticky back Walmart foam sheets, and it has worked well but doesn't last long. A few weeks ago I went to a David Ellsworth demo and got to ask him about vacuum chucks. He makes the chuck itself out of wood and threads it to fit the spindle. For a seal he uses vinyl shelf paper from Lowes. He glues it to the wood chuck with contact cement. He says it also works well but best of all lasts a really long time. I think its also in his book.

Monkey see monkey do, I picked up a roll at Lowes for $6 or $7. I did dry it for vacuum clamping a pattern on a pin router but haven't tried it on the lathe yet. Worked fine on the over arm router.
 
Larry Copas said:
I've been using the sticky back Walmart foam sheets, and it has worked well but doesn't last long. A few weeks ago I went to a David Ellsworth demo and got to ask him about vacuum chucks. He makes the chuck itself out of wood and threads it to fit the spindle. For a seal he uses vinyl shelf paper from Lowes. He glues it to the wood chuck with contact cement. He says it also works well but best of all lasts a really long time. I think its also in his book.

Monkey see monkey do, I picked up a roll at Lowes for $6 or $7. I did dry it for vacuum clamping a pattern on a pin router but haven't tried it on the lathe yet. Worked fine on the over arm router.
Click to expand...

I have used the foam sheets also, but the ones that do not have a sticky back. I tape them to the exterior of the chuck and then cut an X in the middle.

I have also used the shelf liner as well as a lower cost version of this same thing ... except that it is black colored drawer liner for tool chests from Harbor Freight. It left a faint black ring. So now I have some extra liner for my tool chests. :D

I am planning to try using Oogoo. My early experiments tell me that I need to change something because it shrinks and gets too stiff after a couple weeks. Maybe I shouldn't use less corn starch. ;)
 
I buy the large fun foam sheets at walmart.also toilet flange works on a 4" pvc fitting. It's a closed cell foam gaskets for commercial toilets
 
I have the Oneway vacuum chucks which come with a neoprene seal. You can buy extra seals from Oneway but they actually recommend the thin plastic foam that some electronics come wrapped in. I have used the foam and it works quite well. Check with any store that sells electronics and you can probably get all you want for free. You want the stuff that is about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick.
 
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