Vacuum pump

Re: Vacuum pump

Darryl Hansen

check Amazon they have several at 3.5cfm

Re: Vacuum pump

Paul Grenier

Check out FrugalVacuum.com for great vacuum pumps and full kits at very reasonable pricing. I'm quite happy with the one that I bought.

Re: Vacuum pump

Ralph Lindberg

I've been using an HVAC evacuation pump from HF for years.

One point with all the oil based (cheap) pumps. They put a small amount of oil in the air, via a port at the top of the pump.

Long term breathing of this oil is not healthy

I have friends who have rigged up a capture system for this oil. Me I have paper towels tied over it to catch the oil. I know neither method gets it all, but it gets enough.

I know it doesn't get it all because the smoke detector in the shop misidentifies it as smoke and gives a warning (our detectors have two levels, "warning" and "fire")

Re: Vacuum pump

Dick Coers

If your pump puts out enough oil vapor to set off a smoke detector, your not catching much of it. I'd call that a definite health hazard, the detector is telling you something! Time to buy a new one. You must be getting a film on most everything. They just had them on sale in early March for $69.95, but that expired.

Re: Vacuum pump

David Walser

The oil lubricated pumps aren’t necessarily ‘cheap’. They’re designed for a different purpose than are the oilless pumps many of us use for vacuum chucking. Oil lubricated pumps are used to evacuate refrigerant from HVAC systems. In general, such pumps pull a deeper vacuum and can maintain it for longer than oilless pumps. A USA made, professional grade, pump will set you back several hundred dollars, if not more.

What does any of this mean for woodturners? Probably very little. Pumps with and without oil will work for vacuum chucking. (Note: An oil lubricated pump will cost more in the long run. You should change the oil VERY frequently and the oil is not cheap.)

For stabilizing wood, you’ll want an oil lubricated pump. Stabilizing, like evacuating an HVAC system, requires maintaining maximum vacuum for a long time. Many stabilizers have had good results with the HF pump.