Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 5:23 PM #1

Stuart Johnson
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Vacuum Chuck Seal

Stuart Johnson

>What is a good material to use for vacuum chuck seal? I've made one using a pvc coupler and mdf with a piece of rubber router pad glued to the pvc and seem to be getting a fair amount of leakage.

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 5:50 PM #2

Brad Adams - Benicia California
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

Brad Adams - Benicia California

>Michael's (large crafty chain store) sells 8x11" sheets of 1/8" thick self adhessive foam sheets. They cost less than a buck each and work great. They also come in a bunch of wild colors. I recommend you get a color that a sharpie pen will show up on. That way you can draw a series of concentic rings on the chuck to make centering easier.

Cheers,

Brad

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 6:56 PM #3

john
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

John

>I use a piece of soft leather on mine. It holds the seal extemely well. Over time, it has been splashed and soaked with walnut oil, and still holds just as well.

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:05 PM #4

Mark Mandell
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

Mark Mandell - Gone Round in New Jersey

>Stuart,

I made "drum" chucks out of Sch. 40 PVC in both 4" and 8" sizes. After turning the business ends true, I built up the rims with hot-melt which then is re-turned and shaped on the lathe. Final seals are a section of 1/8" closed-cell foam sheet (quasi-neoprene) that's sold for tool drawer liner. Runs about $15 per roll at HD or Lowes. Adhere it with double-face tape.

Good seal.

Mark Mandell

drop the 2 for mail

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:19 PM #5

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Try the fake chamois that you can get at any chain auto parts store. Do not get the "enhanced" stuff that has little holes in it.

It has enough give to form a good seal, but not so much the the work slips off center (main problem with most rubber - mouse pads and the like).

Mark

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:29 PM #6

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)
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Fun Foamies

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>I believe they are called Fun Foamies. I prefer the 2 mm thick sheets (opposed to the 6 mm sheets) on my vacuum chuck. There is less cushion with the 2 mm thick gasket but that means the vessel is more stable while turning. Even if you do not need them for your chuck, I highly recommend keeping both thicknesses in the shop for making gasket/seals for leak-proofing (air or liquid), cushions, push-pads, jigs, etc.

John

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:30 PM #7

Greg
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

Greg

>Stuart,

I just made a vacuum chuck this past weekend, and it only took me about 5 minutes, or less. I already had a piece of hard maple, tapped part of the way through to fit my shaft (1x8.) I screwed it on, trued it up, then cut out my recessed area, leaving a rim of about 1/4" or so. Then I simply used the cheapy neoprene sheets from Walmart (50 cents each), with the self sticking adhesive already on the back. Cut a ring for the front, pressed it on, and went for it. I found that by adding a small ring piece of this same neoprene to the back side of the chuck, it helped improve the vacuum significantly. I am getting about 25 pounds currently. I have a small plywood 'washer' I put on before I screw the chuck on, which forms a nice seal.

One thing I really like about this method is not only is it quick and cheap, but I can make various shapes. I don't know how large of a chuck I can make yet, but for these smaller chucks (3" - 4"), they work great!

- - -

I am always on the hunt for ephemera. It can be pictures, legal document, diplomas, manuals, personal letters and anything else that shows up. I try not to keep any of my finds. I read them, enjoy them, and then look for a permanent home. I have donated to museums, schools, fraternal organizations and even to the Weyerheauser Company. My finds are distributed here in the Pacific Northwest, but also California, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Connecticut. Helpful hint: Just about every county in the country has a museum of some sort. They are usually thrilled to receive items that reflect their history and culture. I recently had in my possession a personal letter from February,1946, that had been addressed from one APO (army post office) to another. Stamped on the face was "Return to Sender, Undeliverable Address". I had found it at an estate sale, presumably at the home of the person who originally sent the letter. I have no idea why the letter was kept all these years, but it had never been opened. I opened it and read it at home. It was written by an American woman who worked as a civilian for the U.S. government in post-war Offenhut, Germany. She had sent it to another American woman who was doing a similar job in Shanhghai, China. The letter was newsy and informative about the hardships of living in a bombed out country. No doubt the conditions in Shanghai were no better. I had no great expectations of success, but I googled the name of the intended recipient. The woman's first name is uncommon, and I came upon a woman of that name who had gotten married in California in 1947, the year after the letter was sent. Further, the letter had stated that the two women had worked together for the O.N.I. (Office of Naval Intelligence?) in San Francisco during the war, so California made sense. So I had the woman's current name, or at least it was current 64 years ago. More digging revealed that there is a couple living in the same California town as where the marriage took place. He is 97 and she is 91. (It's amazing what the internet can divulge.) I got the phone number and called. The husband answered. I introduced myself and told him I was looking for a woman and mentioned her maiden name. He said yes, that was his wife's maiden name. Then I said the woman I was looking for had worked in Shanghai after the war. He said, yes, his wife had worked in China. WOW, I had hit paydirt. We didn't talk for long, but he was enthused about receiving the letter, and I mailed it the next day. He promised to write back after the letter arrived. It has been just over a week, so I am eagerly waiting for his return letter. Hopefully it will take less than 65 years to get here. Greg

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:32 PM #8

john lucas
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Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

John Lucas

>First check for leaks everywhere. MDF doesn't usually leak but seal it with lacquer or some other good finish to stop the leaks there. Plug up the holes with your finger to try to narrow the leaky area. You'll need a gauge on you vacuum system to do this, if you don't already have one.

You can get Neoprene material from Enco. They have it in flat sheets and round tubing. I don't remember there URL but if you'll e-mail me I'll look it up and get back with you. Hobby shops often have thin sheets of closed cell foam which also works good.

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 7:47 PM #9

Ron Sardo in PA
Guest

Wow What are you using for a rotating air fitting?

Ron Sardo in PA

>

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 8:51 PM #10

Greg
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83 posts

Registered: 1/2/04

Re: Wow What are you using for a rotating air fitt

Greg

>Ron,

I bought the vacuum adapter from Oneway, when I bought my Oneway lathe. I felt like that was a crucial element of vacuum chucking, and I'm glad I got it.

- - -

I am always on the hunt for ephemera. It can be pictures, legal document, diplomas, manuals, personal letters and anything else that shows up. I try not to keep any of my finds. I read them, enjoy them, and then look for a permanent home. I have donated to museums, schools, fraternal organizations and even to the Weyerheauser Company. My finds are distributed here in the Pacific Northwest, but also California, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Connecticut. Helpful hint: Just about every county in the country has a museum of some sort. They are usually thrilled to receive items that reflect their history and culture. I recently had in my possession a personal letter from February,1946, that had been addressed from one APO (army post office) to another. Stamped on the face was "Return to Sender, Undeliverable Address". I had found it at an estate sale, presumably at the home of the person who originally sent the letter. I have no idea why the letter was kept all these years, but it had never been opened. I opened it and read it at home. It was written by an American woman who worked as a civilian for the U.S. government in post-war Offenhut, Germany. She had sent it to another American woman who was doing a similar job in Shanhghai, China. The letter was newsy and informative about the hardships of living in a bombed out country. No doubt the conditions in Shanghai were no better. I had no great expectations of success, but I googled the name of the intended recipient. The woman's first name is uncommon, and I came upon a woman of that name who had gotten married in California in 1947, the year after the letter was sent. Further, the letter had stated that the two women had worked together for the O.N.I. (Office of Naval Intelligence?) in San Francisco during the war, so California made sense. So I had the woman's current name, or at least it was current 64 years ago. More digging revealed that there is a couple living in the same California town as where the marriage took place. He is 97 and she is 91. (It's amazing what the internet can divulge.) I got the phone number and called. The husband answered. I introduced myself and told him I was looking for a woman and mentioned her maiden name. He said yes, that was his wife's maiden name. Then I said the woman I was looking for had worked in Shanghai after the war. He said, yes, his wife had worked in China. WOW, I had hit paydirt. We didn't talk for long, but he was enthused about receiving the letter, and I mailed it the next day. He promised to write back after the letter arrived. It has been just over a week, so I am eagerly waiting for his return letter. Hopefully it will take less than 65 years to get here. Greg

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/6/04, 9:30 PM #11

Ron Sardo in PA
Guest

Re: Wow What are you using for a rotating air fitt

Ron Sardo in PA

>Thanks

I misunderstood you - I thought you made the whole assembly.

Re: Vacuum Chuck Seal

1/7/04, 1:36 AM #12

Dominic Greco in Richboro, PA
Guest

Shop built rotary Union

Dominic Greco in Richboro, PA

>Ron,

I made my own Rotary Union (as shown below) by following Al Crandal's plans. The only difference is that I used quick disconnect fittings and air hose, versus compression fittings and plastic hose. The entire set up must have cost me under $40.00. At $11.00, I think the hose was the most expensive item.

See ya,

Dominic

Vacuum Chuck Seal

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