John Giem's long-running interest poll on vacuum chucks indicates that the item of most interest is what the vacuum chuck can be used for other than to turn off bases.. I built my system about 6 months ago and I continue to find new uses for it. Here are a couple of uses. I expect others can provide additional examples.
Applying finish. I like to apply spray finishes and some wipe-on finishes on the lathe in many cases. To protect the vacuum chuck, I pull a plastic grocery bag over the chuck, tape it down and poke a hole in the middle of the bag to let air flow through.
Lathe power sanding. Some green-turned pieces need to be re-sanded after drying. Generally, the gasket material of the chuck will deform enough to accommodate any warping. If not, I usually can get a satisfactory seal by slipping a ring of more pliant gasket material between the chuck and the turning. The turning does not have to be perfectly centered if the lathe speed is kept low.
In addition, I would like to offer the following tip.
If wood porosity or cracks/holes cause too much air leakage to get a safe grip, wrap a sheet of saran wrap around the parts of the turning that you are not going to cut/spray/sand.
Dennis
Applying finish. I like to apply spray finishes and some wipe-on finishes on the lathe in many cases. To protect the vacuum chuck, I pull a plastic grocery bag over the chuck, tape it down and poke a hole in the middle of the bag to let air flow through.
Lathe power sanding. Some green-turned pieces need to be re-sanded after drying. Generally, the gasket material of the chuck will deform enough to accommodate any warping. If not, I usually can get a satisfactory seal by slipping a ring of more pliant gasket material between the chuck and the turning. The turning does not have to be perfectly centered if the lathe speed is kept low.
In addition, I would like to offer the following tip.
If wood porosity or cracks/holes cause too much air leakage to get a safe grip, wrap a sheet of saran wrap around the parts of the turning that you are not going to cut/spray/sand.
Dennis
