Re: Holding work down on Router

A friend has a very large industrial router (I can't remember the
brand at the moment) with a vacuum table that uses basically a shop
vac for vacuum. It's not an overly large vacuum motor, and no doubt
it is noisey, but it will pull vacuum through 3/4" MDF. Yes, through.
I didn't believe it till I saw it myself. The design of the vacuum
table is the most interesting thing, it's so simple in design but
extreamly effective. I'll do my best to descibe it.

The table is 6'x10' measured by my eye. The surface is some kind of
composite or plastic of some sort. It has grooves routed in it
running cross pattern lenth and width wise, about .75" wide by .5"
deep with about an inch between them leaving 1" sq blocks for the
surface and a complete edge around the work surface, i.e. the grooves
don't go off the edge. There are six evenly spaced 2-3" holes through
the table. The bottom of the table has pipe flanges beneath these
holes and pipes all coming out of one end of the table each with a
valve, so vacuum can be directed to or shut off from specific areas of
the table. They are all tied together after the valves and pvc pipe
is run to the vacuum motor. To get vacuum in the exact area needed
they use the valves and then place black foam rubber door insulation
strips in the routed groves. It's a good snug fit and the insulation
is slightly thicker than the groove is deep. The MDF is the spoil
board and the foam is placed in the grooves under the perimeter of the
board. The work piece is placed on top of the mdf and when the vacuum
is turned on everthing is just sucked down tight. It really is
amazing to see.

Hope this info may be of use to you.

Regards,
Mike

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "turbulatordude"
<davemucha@j...> wrote:

> Thare are a few guys who do use shop vac's for the table, but they
> are noisy and large.
>
> The neat thing about starting with one, is that latter, when you move
> up to a higher power vac pump, you still have the shop vac.
>
> The real key is making the table so it does not leak. then a small
> vac pump will work. all you need to do is figure out how to plug the
> holes near where your thru holes will be.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "forumtvm" <forumtvm@y...>
> wrote:
> > CL <datac@l...> wrote:
> >
> > > If you have not played with vacuum yet, what are you waiting
> > for ?? If
> > > your doing "small" work, Look for a Gast type Carbon Vane pump.
> You
> > > don't need lots of Horsepower, a 1/4 -1/3 hp will do, AS LONG AS
> > you
> > > control your leaks. No leaks ? No need for much CFM ! It can be a
> > 50 or
> > > 60 hz unit.
> >
> > I'll like to make a vacuum tooling plate for the desktop mill.
> Anyone
> > ever used a domestic/shop vacuum cleaner for that purpose?
> >
> > Peter