Materials Required:

1. 3" Outboard faceplate LH Thread to fit your lathe. A 3" Inboard
   faceplate to mount your wooden blank to while turning the
   various recesses.
2. 5" Square x 1"thick piece of close grained hardwood eg: Maple,
   Cherry, Birch or a glued up Lamination of MDF. Planed flat on
   both sides(This will form a handwheel/carrier for the bearing).
3. A double sealed bearing (I purchased mine at Ideal Supply)
   ID 3/8". The outside diameter doesn't really matter.
4. A 2.1/2"x 1/2" threaded steel nipple (Both ends threaded-Plumbing section at Home Hardware).
5. A 90 degree 3/8"cast iron elbow (Female thread is actually 1/2"- Plumbing section at Home Hardware.
6. A Brass Reducer ½" Male to 3/8" Female.
7. A 3/8"x ¼" Hose connection nipple.
8. Obtain a 2.1/2" Diameter x 1/8" Thick washer (This will secure the bearing in place in the wooden handwheeel).
9. Teflon Tape for taping threads.
10. A tube of liquid gasket.

Construction:

Step# 1. Take bearing and 2.1/2"x ½" threaded nipple to Machine shop. Request machinist remove one end of the threaded nipple and then machine the diameter down to make a tight press fit in the ID of the bearing.(This cost me all of $5.00)

Step# 2. Mark the centre of wooden blank and scribe the largest diameter circle the blank will allow. Bandsaw to this diameter. Using the same centre point scribe a 3" circle (The diameter of a 3" inboard faceplate). Using double sided tape, centre the 3" inboard faceplate on the wooden blank and clamp tightly for a few minutes then remove clamps.

Step# 3. Mount faceplate and blank on the lathe and true up the outside edge to a perfect circle. True up the face of the disc, sand and with a pencil mark a 3" circle, which is the diameter of your outboard faceplate. Turn a 1/8"recess in the face of your disc being careful to make sure your outboard faceplate is a snug fit. Round over the sharp edges of the disc and sand.

Step # 4. Remove your wood disc from the double- sided tape and the 3" faceplate and then attach your inboard faceplate with screws in the recess you have just created and remount on the lathe. Measure accurately the outside diameter of the bearing and it's thickness. Turn a recess in the face of the blank (better to turn it a little small than too big. Remember it's easier to remove a shaving to get it to fit than it is to put it back!) Keep checking to see if the bearing will fit snuggly in the recess. Cut the recess so that the face with the nipple sticking out, is about 1/8" below the face of the wood. Once the recess is a snug fit for the bearing, remove the bearing and nipple. Install a Jacobs Chuck in your tailstock and using a 1/4" drill bit, drill a hole through the centre of the handwheel (This enables the vacuum pump to pull a vacuum).

Step # 5. Cut a 2.1/2"diam. x 1/8" recess to accept the 2.1/2" diameter washer. You want a snug fit with the diameter. This will secure the bearing in place in the hand wheel. I used some double sided tape to hold the washer temporalily in place and with the lathe turned on, I scratched a circle approx 5/16"in from the outside rim of the washer. I then removed the washer from the handwheel and then centre punched 4 positions equally spaced on the scratched circle. At the drill press I drilled a 1/8" hole at each of these four locations ready to secure with 5/8" sheet metal screws.

Assembly:

Run a bead of liquid gasket around the face and outside lip of the bearing recess. Install the bearing and nipple. Run a bead of liquid gasket around the washer recess and install the washer over the top of nipple and bearing making sure it seats snugly. Drive a screw through each of the four holes drilled in the washer using 5/8" sheet metal screws
Now holding the ½" nipple in a vice grips, wrap the threads of the nipple with teflon tape. Thread the 90 degree elbow on to the nipple, making sure it's a snug fit on the nipple. Wrap teflon tape on the male threads of the brass reducer and thread it into the bottom end of the elbow. Wrap teflon tape on the ¼" brass hose connection and thread it into the reducer. Finally, remove your 3" inboard faceplate and apply a bead of liquid gasket around the outside edge of the 1/8" deep recess. Install your 3" outboard left- hand threaded faceplate using the same screws and hole locations. Clean off any liquid gasket which might squeeze out.
Congratulations! You have just made a Rotary Vacuum Connection for the outboard side of your headstock spindle.