vacuum system for woodturning

This is the header for my vacuum system. The parts are all available at any hardware store.
The line to the left (on the blue filter) goes to the pump input. The clear line straight up goes to the lathe spindle. The blue line right of center goes to the vacuum gauge. The old filter in the center of the picture connects to the pump exhaust.
I use this old filter as a muffler and as a filter to protect me from carbon.
The valve (blue handle) to the right is to control the amount of vacuum to the spindle.

This is the control center for my lathe. The switch to the top left turns the vacuum pump on and off . The switch to the right kills power to the Leeson speed controller. The gauge in the middle displays the amount of vacuum on the spindle.
This gauge is very important. When mounting thin walled turnings to the lathe using vacuum you need to know how much vacuum your drawing. Too much vacuum on a thin wall bowl WILL break the bowl.
Opening the valve (seen in the pictures above) reduces the amount of vacuum to the spindle.

This is the vacuum chuck I use for finishing bowl bottoms . It's a circle cut out of a piece of countertop with a hole drilled in the center. The hole is to supply vacuum from the lathe spindle.
There is a dedicated faceplate connected to the other side.
The material on the face is a thick (1/4") foam type shelving material.
The concentric circles were put on with a marker while it was spinning.
To use center the rim of your bowl with one of the rings and turn on the vacuum. It's that easy.