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Message |
    
Greg Russel
Unregistered
| | Posted on Thursday, December 08, 2005 - 11:11 am: | 
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Bud Olsen
Registered
Username: Bud_olsen
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 12:50 am: |
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Greg
How well dose this work ? How much did it coast you to build? I like this.
Thanks
Bud |
Jim Thelen
Unregistered
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 05:48 am: |
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Ron Brown
Unregistered
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 05:50 am: |
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Greg Russell
Registered
Username: Greg_russell
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 06:12 pm: |
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Bud,
I am very happy with how it works. What is not shown is the MDF spoil board that is glued on top of the vacuum channels. I needed to hold full sheets of baltic birch and cut clear through, without having to use tabs or skins. There is a limit to how small a part can get and still not move. I routinely cut parts that are 8 by 8 and still get hold down.
I am just using a Home Depot shop vac that I already had. Thus the cost was just the plastic valves and pipe. About 100 bucks I think.
There are times when the vacuum does not have enough power to pull down a particularly warped piece of plywood. In those cases I have to add a clamp. In some cases the vacuum will hold it flat when I take the clamp off. I am going to by a Fein in hopes of getting better performance. I am also considering reworking my piping a bit and using two Feins in separate zones.
Greg |
Joe Crumley
Registered
Username: Joe_crumley
Post Number: 11
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 01:42 am: |
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I'm on a new quest for a vacuum pump. One that has enough power to hold down small object or letters during the routing process. While a shop vac or Fein will hold down sheet goods, I'm convinced they don't have much stregnth when it comes to small objects. At least that's been my experience. When I'm talking with Gerber Saber friends they swear they wouldn't try routing without their vacuum.
Looking through the posts on Shopbot for Vacuum Pumps there isn't very much. That's probably due to cost. Shopbot's units cost about 6K. MultiCam is are also rather costly and have about the same holding capacity as SB. The mercury at 15hg has a CFM between 200 & 400.
I've seen these units in action and they will hold smaller pieces. Since we have a 30HP electric compressor for sandblasting, running at 185 CFM I'm allways amazed at the power.
Sure would like to hear from router folks using this equipment. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 212
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 08:23 am: |
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Joe, there is a small chance that your 30HP compressor can be used to suck (the supplier/manufacturer of the compressor can tell you that.)
However, the first issue is to decide what you have between the small parts and pump....
Using gasketing can halve (or much more) the size of pump you need. If you don't want to fiddle with gaskets and masks, then you must look for horsepower instead - 30HP would not be unrealistic. |
Joe Crumley
Registered
Username: Joe_crumley
Post Number: 13
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 01:13 pm: |
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Gerald,
I was also wondering if I could use the compressor pickup as a vacuum.
Perhaps I should contact my compressor dealer for advice. He keeps telling me I need to run the unit more. With it's size, sandblasting is very fast, so it's not used as much as it should be.
Sure would save space and money if it's possible to use it going both ways.
Would appreciate advice. |
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