Vacuum Clamping

[Mark Hockenberg]

Everyone who does vacuum clamping seems to love it.

But it can be pretty pricey. I'd like an alternative to the Festool VAC SYS at $1,000 or a Barth vakuuLIFT at $10,000.

I met a guy today who used a venturi vacuum with a shop compressor and some vacuum pads. He said it worked great.

Here's what I've pieced together as a $200 solution that may have potential:

Venturi Vacuum System from Infinity for $89 https://www.infinitytools.com/venturi-vacuum-system along with a set of PodZ for $83 https://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Podz-Vacuum-Clamping-Jigs.html

I'll use my existing shop air to generate suction using the venturi. This way I don't have to buy a pump.

Has anyone tried a version of this solution, or either of these components?

[Steve Jenkins]

You can make your own pods using melamine covered particle board and closed cell foam weatherstripping. Seal the edges of the board with glue and make them any shape and size.

[John Sincerbeaux]

I will be starting a new thread on this subject later today specifically for use on a tall fence for sliders.
I just made a system using commercially available parts from companies that specialize in CNC clamping.
Your idea of using a Venturi will work but.... like most things, the cheap way will cost you in other ways. I don’t know from first hand experience but the venturi pumps are LOUD according to articles and YouTube videos. For me, the sound of the venturi pump in itself would more than offset the the convenience factor.
Another factor is the venturi pumps require conditioned (dry) air.

I use a vacuum pump from Vacuum pressing Systems which I also use for veneer bagging.

I am definitely a fan of vacuum clamping. I think it is a game changer for many woodworking functions.

[Brice Rogers]

You can buy a rebuilt Thomas (oil-less) vacuum pump for around $150. At sea level I think that they draw around 27 inch Hg. Sometimes you'll see them on Craigslist. Also Harbor Fright ;) sells some A/C vacuum pumps for about the same as your venturi source (but these are oil-type and there are issues and things that you need to do regarding oil mist).

If you find an old oxygen concentrator (a medical device), I think that they have a vacuum pump buried inside.

Thomas and Gast are good pumps and you can buy a rebuild kit fairly reasonably. Take a look on ebay. I see a few vacuum pumps in your price range.

BTW, I have a Thomas Vacuum pump that I paid $150 for and use with a vacuum chuck on a wood lathe. I love it for final working on the "foot" of an otherwise finished turning.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Check out Air-Vac Engineering's web site for venturi. They furnish a lot of the venturis for commercial systems. Their model AVR093H is what I use. It consumes 1.9 cu ft of air to generate 1.0 cu ft of vacuum. Venturi is the size of a SMALL candy bar. Steer clear of the HF vacuum pumps, instead find a HVAC guy who has an old pump that no longer pulls in the micron range. HVAC vacuum pumps can run for DAYS.

[Joe Hendershott]

I have one of the Joe Woodworker setups from Veneer Supplies that I use for veneering panels. There are a couple people that have used it with the Festool system thus cutting the cost on a Festool pump. I haven't done it myself yet but am planning to do it. That way I have a single venturi and pump for both chores.

[Charles Lent]

I've been making my own vacuum pods from Baltic Birch plywood and closed cell foam Weatherstripping that I buy from Lowes. I also have some of the ready made pods available from Rockler. https://www.rockler.com/rockler-vacuum-clamp-pod-kit. I use a 3 cfm vacuum pump from Harbor Freight https://www.harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump-61176.html to which I have added a 3 way valve for switching the vacuum on and off, and a vacuum gauge to be able to see how well the pods are holding. I also added a small air filter to prevent sawdust and debris from entering the vacuum pump.

This system works great for holding work on my bench while sanding or routing. It's fast, easy to use, and holds the work in place very well, as long as there are no leaks or voids in the work pieces. With the vacuum turned on, all I need to do is position the work over the pods and press down for a few seconds, and it's held tightly in place. I can pry the work up by hand to break it free of the Rockler pods, but if I use a larger shop made pod that more closely matches the size of my work, turning off the vacuum and letting air fill the pod is the only way to easily release the work from the pod. Remember from school days, the atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, so when you remove the air from the pod there is a force of 14.7 psi of the pod size pressing the work against the pod. The larger the vacuum area of the pod, the greater the holding force will be.

Charley

[Kevin Jenness]

Venturi vacuum generators are cheap, but running a compressor to power one is not, compared to a small rotary vane or diaphragm pump (noisier as well). If you get into veneering, running a venturi for the length of time needed to cure the adhesive will be tedious.

Used 1/4 hp range vacuum pumps are easy to find and shop-made fixtures are easy to make from scrap with a bit of tubing and sealtape. Valves, tape and such are available from Vacupress, Joe Woodworker, McMaster Carr, etc.

[Doug Dawson]

Check out Air-Vac Engineering's web site for venturi. They furnish a lot of the venturis for commercial systems. Their model AVR093H is what I use. It consumes 1.9 cu ft of air to generate 1.0 cu ft of vacuum. Venturi is the size of a SMALL candy bar. Steer clear of the HF vacuum pumps, instead find a HVAC guy who has an old pump that no longer pulls in the micron range. HVAC vacuum pumps can run for DAYS.

I would be kind of freaked out at the idea of using my MVAC pump to suck the air away from a dusty piece of wood, wood dust is abrasive, and you'd be dedicating it to this use.

OTOH, has anyone used a vacuum pump to get rid of beetle infestations? Their little bodies and eggs might explode, or desiccate, or something like that. 30 microns is powerful mojo, if you can keep it.

[Charles Lent]

I would be kind of freaked out at the idea of using my MVAC pump to suck the air away from a dusty piece of wood, wood dust is abrasive, and you'd be dedicating it to this use.

OTOH, has anyone used a vacuum pump to get rid of beetle infestations? Their little bodies and eggs might explode, or desiccate, or something like that. 30 microns is powerful mojo, if you can keep it.

A spray painter's air filter installed so that the arrow on it points toward your vacuum pump will keep any saw dust or other debris out of the pump.

I'm using a vacuum pump designed for refrigeration service with an air filter in the line. I usually make my own vacuum pods as described earlier in this post, but received a set of Rockler vacuum pods for my birthday last year, and they work quite well for holding work in place when screw attached to my work bench. Irregular edged work that doesn't clamp in the vise or dogs can very easily be clamped with vacuum, as long as the attaching side is smooth and has no holes in it yet. The 14.7 psi holding pressure of the atmosphere on one side and the vacuum on the other, holds parts in place very well. It is ideal for carving and routing chores.

With the Rockler clamps, I can pull hard on the work piece and break it free of the vacuum. Using one of my larger Baltic Birch vacuum chucks I have to turn off the vacuum pump or open the valve in the vacuum line to allow air into the chuck before I can remove the work piece. A large vacuum chuck, or multiple smaller vacuum chucks could be ideal for holding work on a cnc machine.

Charley

[Ben Rivel]

Another option that doesnt seem to get mentioned as much is Lee Valley's offering: LINK (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/clamps/59743-vacuum-clamp-systems). Or Rocklers: LINK (https://www.rockler.com/rockler-vacuum-clamp-pod-kit)