I needed -- OK, I wanted -- a vacuum chuck for improving my bowl-bottom work. Picked up a small HF pump for $75 (list $139, sale $99 less coupon my wife found). Ordered a kit from Harrison Specialties that included the chuck, an 18-inch pipe to pass through the headstock and a gauge and connectors for the pump. Naturally, the plumbing fittings needed some connectors, but it was only one trip to Ace as I brought everything along. Fired it up and it worked great! Now the test bowl was only about 8-inches in diameter so it will be interesting to see how the pump holds up to larger projects. All told it was a $225 investment.

Larry