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View Full Version : What to use for table on vacum table



Joe Hillmann
02-04-2013, 5:30 PM
I built a vacuum table for holding down warped materiel to cut or engrave. So far it pulls the warp out of everything I have put on it. Right now I am using peg board for the bed/ table top that I put the material on. The problem is where the peg board touches the material smoke gets trapped in between and stains everything it touches.

So my question is, What can I use for the table that won't cause smoke staining or at least limit it.

Mark Sipes
02-04-2013, 5:39 PM
What size. is aluminum or stainless out of the question. match holes in pegboard. drill smaller for stronger vacuum..

Mohammed Issa
02-04-2013, 5:49 PM
i would definitely suggest aluminum. stainless steel is too hard to work with, especially that you will be drilling a million holes in it. any other 'non-metal' material you use will be cut/engraved by the laser and will cause smoke/staining.

it would be nice if you can post some pictures after you are done.

thanks!

Joe Hillmann
02-04-2013, 5:52 PM
It's 18x 32. I don't think I know what you mean about using stainless or aluminum, a sheet of either of them would still cause the tar/smoke to stick to the material I am cutting.

Joe Hillmann
02-04-2013, 6:01 PM
I think I need to explain a bit more. I am pretty sure the smoke is coming from the material I am cutting as well as from the pegboard. If I replace the peg board with metal I will still have to deal with the smoke form the material staining the back. I am looking for some type of metal grid or something that touches the material in as few places as possible yet still supports it and supports the small pieces that I cut out of the larger work piece.

Mohammed Issa
02-04-2013, 6:20 PM
I think I need to explain a bit more. I am pretty sure the smoke is coming from the material I am cutting as well as from the pegboard. If I replace the peg board with metal I will still have to deal with the smoke form the material staining the back. I am looking for some type of metal grid or something that touches the material in as few places as possible yet still supports it and supports the small pieces that I cut out of the larger work piece.

i know what you mean now.

do you have a honeycomb table? if so, maybe you can use that to make it into a vacuum table.
if you dont have one, or you dont have a spare one, you can get one from a chinese supplier, its not that expensive.

but other than that, i just cant think of any other material that is perforated enough to exhaust your smoke, and support the material at the same time!

hope that helps and good luck!

Mark Sipes
02-04-2013, 6:45 PM
I find that just using a sheet of paper in between the table and the material ( plastics ) is enough to absorb the smoke/resin residue. Of course I am not trying to cook the material when I vector cut, so much that the back of the material is baked.
Are there specific materials that are worse than others for you? Wood, Acrylics, Plastics, MDF......etc

Joe Hillmann
02-04-2013, 6:50 PM
1/8 inch plywood is the worst for me. In some areas I just barely cut through it and in other areas I was cutting into the pegboard maybe 1/64" so I am not really over powering it. I am thinking laying some screen between the peg board and workpiece and see what happens.

Paul Phillips
02-04-2013, 7:25 PM
Joe, have you seen this thread yet, it was from a few weeks ago but there are some good ideas including Kieth's corian vector table idea, I just built one but haven't had a chance to really try it yet but seems like a good idea, I drilled .125" holes in the valleys on mine so it would have more vacuum, I can post the file I used if you want to try it.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?194480-Vector-table-works-suprisingly-well&highlight=cutting+table

Joe Hillmann
02-04-2013, 7:48 PM
Paul,

Does the corian allow you to pull a vacuum through it? I just did a test using plastic grid that is meant for florescent light deflectors. It reduced the smoke on the back by over 90 percent. I think I could reduce the smoke just a bit more by reducing the power a tiny bit. I think it works pretty good but last week I was using the same gird (no vacuum) and it was the plastic that caught on fire so I don't know if I want to keep playing with it. If I need to get rid of ALL the smoke damage I will use masking along with the vacuum bed.

Michael Hunter
02-04-2013, 7:48 PM
The top of my vacuum bed is aluminium sheet (with lots of holes) which has been sanded with an orbital sander to give a "matte" finish for reduced reflections.

I haven't cut wood on it, but Romark LaserLights and Flexicolour cut without marking on the back.
There is no room for any smoke to spread under the material.

Paul Phillips
02-04-2013, 8:17 PM
Joe, yes it pulls a vacuum through because I modified the design and added holes, look at Kieth's pictures in post #14 in the previous link, he shows pictures of how he machined it on the CNC, I would think that the Corian would do a good job of removing the smoke problem your'e having.

Rodne Gold
02-05-2013, 12:51 AM
Anodised aluminium with lots and lots of small diameter holes , the anodising acts to absorb the beam and stop backflash and the tons of tiny holes spread close together will serve to pull out any fumes and smoke.