Vacuum chucks are used mainly by woodturners to hold blanks and part finished bowls and other items with large flat surfaces. The chuck comprises a semi-permeable membrane connected to a high vacuum pump. A flat face of the work piece is offered up to the chuck and the pump turned on. A vacuum forms between the piece and the chuck face and holds the piece firm.

There are two big advantages of a vacuum chuck for woodturners: speed and simplicity. Vacuum chucks are generally used to turn items such as bowls and platters but any item that is wider than it is tall would work. This restriction is necessary to ensure that there is a large section where the vacuum can act to hold the piece in place. Turning a bowl or platter traditionally requires two or three reverse chuckings to remove all traces of how the piece was held. With a traditional chuck the last chucking, which is used to tidy up the foot of the bowl, can be quite difficult as there is nowhere to hold the piece that hasn't already had a finish applied. The piece is therefore either clamped between a custom turned chuck and the tail stock or held gently in bowl jaws. With a vacuum chuck it is a simple matter to push the open end of the bowl against the chuck which then holds the bowl firmly in place without damaging the rim.

The attaching force of a vacuum chuck is quite surprising and generally enough to hold a piece in place but is dependent on a number of factors such as the efficiency of the vacuum pump and the porosity of the wood being worked. Vacuum chucks are quite expensive compared to other chucks and not as versatile. If the majority of work being carried out is simple bowl production then a vacuum chuck would easily pay for itself.