To cheap and easy to be true vacuum table?

[Rob Gunn]

OK, I just came across a posting on the Vectric Forum dated 11/24/10 from a guy in Kansas that shows how to make a home-made vacuum table out of 2 pieces of 1/2" Corian sandwiched together and using a cheap "shopvac". Claims that it holds great and looks like it could be built for VERY cheap. Anyone see this and try it? Does it actually work? I don't want to sound skeptical but it looks to easy to be true...

[billp]

Rob,
Many vacuum systems aren't complicated at all.Have you looked at some of the options for building your own on the Shopbot Wiki?
http://shopbotwiki.com/index.php?search=vacuum&go=Go
This is a collection of previous Forum articles regarding the construction, and use of vacuum hold down systems.
Some people have made a vacuum hold down using ONE piece of Corian...http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif

[paul_z]

I completely agree with Bill. It doesn't have to be fancy or $$$$. Also think about vacuum jigs for specific jobs.

[Brady Watson]

Doesn't get much cheaper or easier than this. (http://www.shopbotblog.com/index.php/2006/11/a-removable-vacuum-plenum-that-maximizes-hold-down-potential/)

The middle 2 pics illustrate just how easy vacuum hold down can be. Disregard the bottom illustrations, as the BradyVac II is a more efficient way to hold these types of parts.

-B

[beacon14]

I have set up a couple of machines where we used a single shop vac from the big box store to power a 4x8 table using a 3/4" MDF plenum. You obviously won't have the vacuum power that you would with more powerful motors but if you are aware of what you can and can't do you can accomplish quite a lot with that setup.

[dan_nelson]

I to use 2 cheap shopvacs on an 8 zone 120x60 it does work and I dont dim the lights and watch the meter spin. it wont pull a 1" warp out of a sheet of 3/4 but any thing less than that it workd really good