Keep or Dump The Pump

[Fred Voorhees]

I notice that there is a fair share of posts regarding veneering on this board. I have a question for those woodworkers who may do quite a bit and use a vacuum pump and the bag to do the work.

I may have access to a used vacuum pump where I am currently working and I am wondering if it will be strong enough to use for veneering. I e-mailed the company that manufactures the unit and they e-mailed me back the info. They tell me that the unit is capable of continuous operation at its maximum vacuum level of 22"Hg. I'm not that well versed in vacuum pressure or anything like that, so I don't know what that term means, but I'm sure that there are those on this board who do. Could you guys tell me if this vacuum pump is feasible for use as a veneering pump with a vacuum bag?

Thanks
Fred Voorhees

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, 22" of mercury will do just fine for vacuum veneering.

Another useful spec is how much air it can move. Generally it is spec'd in cubic feet per minute (CFM). If you can't find that info, the size of the motor is a good hint. If you're doing modest projects, 1 CFM or 1/5 horse will do. Bigger home-shop units run 5 cfm and 1/2 horse or so.

[Lee Schierer]

22 inches of mercury is equivalent to 10.8 pounds per square inch. Pretty good pressure for vennering.

[Roger Barga]

The pump you have access to should work fine for veneering. If you don't want to sink a lot of money into this to start out, you may wish to consider making your own bag(s). Check out the link below and there
are veneering books that discuss how to make a bag for the veneer press as well (PM me if you have questions)
http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm


I notice that there is a fair share of posts regarding veneering on this board. I have a question for those woodworkers who may do quite a bit and use a vacuum pump and the bag to do the work.

I may have access to a used vacuum pump where I am currently working and I am wondering if it will be strong enough to use for veneering. I e-mailed the company that manufactures the unit and they e-mailed me back the info. They tell me that the unit is capable of continuous operation at its maximum vacuum level of 22"Hg. I'm not that well versed in vacuum pressure or anything like that, so I don't know what that term means, but I'm sure that there are those on this board who do. Could you guys tell me if this vacuum pump is feasible for use as a veneering pump with a vacuum bag?

Thanks
Fred Voorhees