Funny, I was looking to purchase the Festool vac system but after watching your video I've realized I have everything in my shop needed to build my own customized vacuum clamp. It won't cost us a single penny! Thanks. from Canada
I have the vac Sys. Different use case. I’m now fully on the vac clamp train… building out more accessories like this and a large bed for the cnc. So convenient!
I experienced the same thing Gavin. And its tea handy. only bought the vacuum pump and a hose with some connectors. set me back less than 100 euro! thanks to Geoff, all working very well. just need a foot pedal that's all
i have another question, I checked out the pump on Amazon but and seeing 1/4hp (3.5cfm) , 1/3hp (4.5cfm), and 1/2hp (5cfm) what is the difference, what type do you have and what size do you recommend for my 4ftx3ft work bench for strong hold down. I mostly do straight through cut on my cnc so i would like the little peices that are cut out during my jobs to be hold down on the waste board as i usually have another vacuum sucking the down because i use MDF for my jobs and these as you know are very dusty. At times when the vacuum is sucking the dust the small pieces get sucked up but falls in the track on the bit and sometimes break(when am using 1/8 upcut bits) and messes up the entire job. so i would need a strong hold down for to keep the little pieces on the waste board to avoid these problems.
great simple project! i wonder once you create the vacuum and turn off the pump (and of course an optional air valve) how long in your opinion could keep the vacuum force without electricity? did you tried it?
It doesn't seem to last very long and I think that's to do with the PVC material I have used. The hole that has been drilled for the air suction is the most venerable to leaking air and the best solution would be to coat that hole with a sealer of some sort, which can easily be done if you have the patients. That being done and a good rubber seal may help keeping your material held down without the pump a little longer. Good luck 👍
I wonder if it would be more beneficial to route a grid in the center instead of the entire middle. It may be less surface area but possibly less distortion on the piece when at full vacuum. Plus a few additional deeper grooves for the gasket could allow you to reconfigure the gasket for a smaller piece.
How big of a work bench can this vacuum hold down. I have a 4ftx 3ft table size. But most of my material i would be holding down is 4ft x 2ft. Could this pump work?
Looks great, but one question : You lowered the centre part a wee bit, so doesn;t the vacuum pull a litle dent in the material that it is sucking? I ask this, cause I'm thinking of using it for cnc engraving with a V-bit and for a perfect engraving I need it to bee 100% flat, or else the tekst would look bad especially with thin brass plate or thin plywood? kind regards Hans
I have never noticed my material bowing in the centre due to this design as I have only ever used these with 16-18mm board however, to address your concern, you could router 6mm/1/4” slots in a grid configuration instead of hollowing out the middle which would retain a flat surface within the centre section for your thinner materials. Good luck 👍
Hi Dave I couldn’t find the exact brand pump that I previously purchased but I left a link in the description of another pump almost identical which should do the job (eBay)👌 Cheers
Hi Chris I don’t think it’s a two stage pump, it was nothing special just from eBay around $100. The foot pedal has another outlet which dumps the air or diverts it which works well for releasing your material off the vac pad.
You may have the line in from the pump in the wrong port on the foot pedal. It should have 3 x ports on it, 1 x is the line in and the other 2 x ports will dump/divert the air
Question, how how long do you wanna leave the item clamped with the vacuum on? Because it gets pretty warm. I just don't wanna damage it or create a fire.
Sometimes I have had the pump running continuesly for about half an hour then I might give it a rest, I don't think it will catch on fire just keep an eye out on the oil level...
@@geoffsjoinery4990 mine is oil less so I guess I just keep an eye on it then. Thanks for your videos. They really guide me and saved me from buying an expensive set up.
can you discuss the fitting that you have to the pump. im having issues finding ways to make this al work and that fitting is a pain in my neck because i cant find anything that works to that or the hose my pump came with. same pump as yours
I actually did a custom made joint, with a small piece of copper pipe and the brass fitting I needed the soft soldered the whole lot together. It was all because of the junction and the pressure gauge that I wanted to add, otherwise you can run the original pipe work they comes with the pump straight out.
@@geoffsjoinery4990 would it be possible to talk another place so i can ask some questions because im so lost on how to make that connection. its the only thing stopping me. is there a way to send a link of the bottom piece you used that attaches to the pump?
@@eladsinay6914 The pump comes with what you call a "compression Joint" which when tightened seals itself (it's a tapered fitting) with a male barb to slip a hose on. Well, what you do is cut a piece of 1/2" (13mm) copper pipe and slip it over the male barb. Then on the other end you want to find a male fitting so you can screw in a tee junction or this is what i have done. You then need to soft solder it all together or you could try some really good epoxy glue which might work if you don't know how to solder. by the way I am sure there is a detailed photo of the fitting complete in the actual video (12:39min mark) Its just a matter of modifying to suit your needs. I am also sure you could find all the particular fittings you need from a plumbing outlet. Good luck and let me know how you went!
@@geoffsjoinery4990 yah i freezed it on that frame. only thing for me is i plan on using that pump for its original intended purpose as well and its to connect it to my vacuum pot to remove bubbles from my epoxy so i would need a way to remove it when not in use to suction something to a table. im gonna take the pump to an electrical supply store and see if i get lucky and find something that will perfectly twist onto it and have a good fitting on the other end to allow the hose to just grip to it tight.
The only thing I would do different is to cut slots in the center area for the air to escape through instead of removing the entire middle area. This way your clamped piece will remain flat.
Thanks for your feedback, yes I have seen a few designs with that idea on RUclips. One thing I had to be careful of with that suggestion is the two dovetail slots running underneath that no top router slot would interfere or become a weak spot on the surface. On this design there is over 3/8" of flat surface for material either side of the rubber seal. Also on my MKII version video of these - ruclips.net/video/2_KRjKb_bJs/видео.html I wanted to show that this concept still works without removing any material from the center. In that MKII video I have not removed any material from the center (on the same remade sized pads) and it still works fine. Thanks for watching, good luck with yours...
@@geoffsjoinery4990 You wouldn't need to make the grooves any deeper than what you already removed easily missing the slots. Don't worry, air will travel without an issue.
![Lil Uzi Vert - Chill Bae [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7F42F_JM3U/mqdefault.jpg)
Mate! Thank you so much for sharing your table, that is just what I needed!
Funny, I was looking to purchase the Festool vac system but after watching your video I've realized I have everything in my shop needed to build my own customized vacuum clamp. It won't cost us a single penny! Thanks. from Canada
Yes I was contemplating the same idea, then decided to make my own, good on you 👍
I have the vac Sys. Different use case. I’m now fully on the vac clamp train… building out more accessories like this and a large bed for the cnc. So convenient!
I experienced the same thing Gavin. And its tea handy. only bought the vacuum pump and a hose with some connectors. set me back less than 100 euro! thanks to Geoff, all working very well. just need a foot pedal that's all
HI Geoff, Thank you for this video. Out of all the videos making a Vacuum table your video is the best, very inexpensive to make> Take care!
@@Horizon-m5o glad you enjoyed it thanks for your kind comment much appreciated 👍
Absolutely great! Thanks from North Carolina, USA
Your welcome, thanks 😁👍
Well presented video. Very helpful…THANKYOU.
Thanks for watching 👍
What an incredible idea. So simple. I have both a CNC and a vacuum pump for a/c work. I am thinking I may make one.
Good on you, give it a go.
Thanks for watching 👍😁
Thank you from Germany.
Wow, what a great job you did so neatly done. Thanks for sharing you are amazing
Thank you this is going to be a great addition to my workshop :)
i have another question, I checked out the pump on Amazon but and seeing 1/4hp (3.5cfm) , 1/3hp (4.5cfm), and 1/2hp (5cfm) what is the difference, what type do you have and what size do you recommend for my 4ftx3ft work bench for strong hold down. I mostly do straight through cut on my cnc so i would like the little peices that are cut out during my jobs to be hold down on the waste board as i usually have another vacuum sucking the down because i use MDF for my jobs and these as you know are very dusty. At times when the vacuum is sucking the dust the small pieces get sucked up but falls in the track on the bit and sometimes break(when am using 1/8 upcut bits) and messes up the entire job. so i would need a strong hold down for to keep the little pieces on the waste board to avoid these problems.
great simple project! i wonder once you create the vacuum and turn off the pump (and of course an optional air valve) how long in your opinion could keep the vacuum force without electricity? did you tried it?
It doesn't seem to last very long and I think that's to do with the PVC material I have used. The hole that has been drilled for the air suction is the most venerable to leaking air and the best solution would be to coat that hole with a sealer of some sort, which can easily be done if you have the patients. That being done and a good rubber seal may help keeping your material held down without the pump a little longer. Good luck 👍
I wonder if it would be more beneficial to route a grid in the center instead of the entire middle. It may be less surface area but possibly less distortion on the piece when at full vacuum. Plus a few additional deeper grooves for the gasket could allow you to reconfigure the gasket for a smaller piece.
How big of a work bench can this vacuum hold down. I have a 4ftx 3ft table size. But most of my material i would be holding down is 4ft x 2ft. Could this pump work?
I don't see why not, make sure you have a good seal and surface area. One way to find out...
Let me know how it goes 👍
You're using the foot pedal as an activation switch?
The foot pedal diverts the air out through a vent which means the suction pad has a loss of suction allowing you to release your material
Looks great, but one question : You lowered the centre part a wee bit, so doesn;t the vacuum pull a litle dent in the material that it is sucking?
I ask this, cause I'm thinking of using it for cnc engraving with a V-bit and for a perfect engraving I need it to bee 100% flat, or else the tekst would look bad especially with thin brass plate or thin plywood?
kind regards Hans
I have never noticed my material bowing in the centre due to this design as I have only ever used these with 16-18mm board however, to address your concern, you could router 6mm/1/4” slots in a grid configuration instead of hollowing out the middle which would retain a flat surface within the centre section for your thinner materials. Good luck 👍
thanks, that is a good option kind regards hans@@geoffsjoinery4990
Great job buddy what was the CFM on the small pump please
Hi Dave
I couldn’t find the exact brand pump that I previously purchased but I left a link in the description of another pump almost identical which should do the job (eBay)👌
Cheers
Hi, can you tell me what power plug does this use? I live in NZ and don’t want to buy a US 110v model with a step down as we and aus are on 230v.
@@runforrestrun1965 I think from memory it had a US plug and I put an Australian one on it and extended lead.
very nice. thank you!
Does the motor have to be two stage to use the pedal?
Hi Chris
I don’t think it’s a two stage pump, it was nothing special just from eBay around $100. The foot pedal has another outlet which dumps the air or diverts it which works well for releasing your material off the vac pad.
@@geoffsjoinery4990
Just what I needed to know! Thanks for the quick response
my foot pump works the other way. it works when pressed. do I have the right pneumatic foot pump?
You may have the line in from the pump in the wrong port on the foot pedal. It should have 3 x ports on it, 1 x is the line in and the other 2 x ports will dump/divert the air
Question, how how long do you wanna leave the item clamped with the vacuum on? Because it gets pretty warm. I just don't wanna damage it or create a fire.
Sometimes I have had the pump running continuesly for about half an hour then I might give it a rest, I don't think it will catch on fire just keep an eye out on the oil level...
@@geoffsjoinery4990 mine is oil less so I guess I just keep an eye on it then. Thanks for your videos. They really guide me and saved me from buying an expensive set up.
Great video
can you discuss the fitting that you have to the pump. im having issues finding ways to make this al work and that fitting is a pain in my neck because i cant find anything that works to that or the hose my pump came with. same pump as yours
I actually did a custom made joint, with a small piece of copper pipe and the brass fitting I needed the soft soldered the whole lot together. It was all because of the junction and the pressure gauge that I wanted to add, otherwise you can run the original pipe work they comes with the pump straight out.
@@geoffsjoinery4990 would it be possible to talk another place so i can ask some questions because im so lost on how to make that connection. its the only thing stopping me. is there a way to send a link of the bottom piece you used that attaches to the pump?
@@eladsinay6914 The pump comes with what you call a "compression Joint" which when tightened seals itself (it's a tapered fitting) with a male barb to slip a hose on. Well, what you do is cut a piece of 1/2" (13mm) copper pipe and slip it over the male barb. Then on the other end you want to find a male fitting so you can screw in a tee junction or this is what i have done. You then need to soft solder it all together or you could try some really good epoxy glue which might work if you don't know how to solder. by the way I am sure there is a detailed photo of the fitting complete in the actual video (12:39min mark) Its just a matter of modifying to suit your needs. I am also sure you could find all the particular fittings you need from a plumbing outlet. Good luck and let me know how you went!
@@geoffsjoinery4990 yah i freezed it on that frame. only thing for me is i plan on using that pump for its original intended purpose as well and its to connect it to my vacuum pot to remove bubbles from my epoxy so i would need a way to remove it when not in use to suction something to a table. im gonna take the pump to an electrical supply store and see if i get lucky and find something that will perfectly twist onto it and have a good fitting on the other end to allow the hose to just grip to it tight.
The only thing I would do different is to cut slots in the center area for the air to escape through instead of removing the entire middle area. This way your clamped piece will remain flat.
Thanks for your feedback, yes I have seen a few designs with that idea on RUclips. One thing I had to be careful of with that suggestion is the two dovetail slots running underneath that no top router slot would interfere or become a weak spot on the surface. On this design there is over 3/8" of flat surface for material either side of the rubber seal. Also on my MKII version video of these -
ruclips.net/video/2_KRjKb_bJs/видео.html
I wanted to show that this concept still works without removing any material from the center. In that MKII video I have not removed any material from the center (on the same remade sized pads) and it still works fine.
Thanks for watching, good luck with yours...
@@geoffsjoinery4990 You wouldn't need to make the grooves any deeper than what you already removed easily missing the slots. Don't worry, air will travel without an issue.
makes sense
Brilliant.
👍😁
That's amazing
Thank you 😁
@@geoffsjoinery4990 yours is the simplest vac table I've seen yet.
where did you get the inline air filter
Hi Scott
Just at a local automotive spares- Repco for around $10
Cheers
yea i was able to get a screen shot and saw it was a fuel filter, thanks for the reply, just ordered my pump today can't wait to get one made
If you made it double sided you wouldn't need to clamp it to the bench ;)
Yes that would work but not for me as I have a sacrificial particle board on top of my bench full of holes and saw scribe marks 😂