well it's time for my occasional reminder that I have a stock of vacuum
pumps and inexpensive faceplates to offer the hobby. I have welded
faceplates starting at 5 for $25, and I have 1/3 hp dual wobble piston
vacuum pumps for $75 or $85. Photos and information about both of these
items are on my web site, www.home.labridge.com/~wnoble. When you get to
the site, click on faceplates, or click on FORSALE and then vacuum pumps to
look at vacuum pumps.

For those who want to read up on vacuum chucking, I have posted a reasonably
definitive article on the subject in the tips section of
www.woodturners.org, along with a shorter "briefing" on the subject. these
should pretty much tell you what you need to know. I use a vacuum chuck
pretty freqnently for holding things - both to clean up a foot, and to
retouch or sand the item - I've even used a vac chuck to hold some mid sized
(10 or 12 inches) while hollowing.

--
Bill - reply to wiilliam_b_noble at msn dot com
also check out www.home.labridge.com/~wnoble