Veneer press questions?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I wanted to start doing some veneering mainly for table tops. Is it worth trying to build your own mechanical press or should I just buy a vacuum set up? I've checked the archives and I couldn't find any pics of a mechanical press. I'd like to save the cost of a vacuum press but would like your opinions on these two methods. Any pics or plans would be most appreciated. Thanks Alan in Md.

[Jamie Buxton]

Alan --

Get a vacuum press.

I've tried all sorts of veneering methods -- hammer, mechanical presses of various designs, iron-down, and others. Particularly for large surfaces like tables, a vacuum press is much much better than the other methods. (And, for things as big as a table top, it will cost you less than a mechanical press, and it will be easier to store.)

You can save money on a vacuum press in three ways. First, make your own bag. You can spend $30 and an hour to make something a manufacturer will ask $200 for. Second, find a used pump to be the heart of your press. Used pumps often have lots of life left, and cost a fraction of the price of a new one. Third, build a system without a pressure controller. That is, the pump just runs all the time. For almost all pumps, this is just fine -- particularly for the limited use it will see in a small shop.

Jamie

[Dave Avery]

Alan,

I went with Vacupress' Compact 100 system..... $300 well spent. I tend not to be very mechanically inclined and my time is worth more than my money, so the "out-of-the-box" solution was the best choice for me. www.vacupress.com is the source. The videos they sell are an excellent source of information if you're new to veneering. Good luck. Dave.

[Thomas Prondzinski]

Alan
I have a vacupress compac 100 , it works just great I have no complaints.

Tom

[Wes Bischel]

Alan,
For further reading: http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm

He has some good info on making your own vacuum press though I am speaking as a novice so throw a pound or two of salt over your shoulder. :p

Let us know how you make out.
Wes

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I wanted to start doing some veneering mainly for table tops. Is it worth trying to build your own mechanical press or should I just buy a vacuum set up? I've checked the archives and I couldn't find any pics of a mechanical press. I'd like to save the cost of a vacuum press but would like your opinions on these two methods. Any pics or plans would be most appreciated. Thanks Alan in Md.


Thanks all for the great ideas. I bought a pump on Ebay and I'm looking at ALL the info. on Joewoodworker.com. Boy tha't a lot of info. to take in. Does anybody know if you can just hook up the pump directly to the bag or do you need a vacuum reservoir and "special valve" sold on the site? Do you guys with the Compact 100 have these? Thanks Alan in Md.

[Jamie Buxton]

Alan ---

Yes, you can just hook a vacuum pump to a bag without a controller.

The controller works like the thermostat in your house. It watches the pressure in the press, and turns the pump on or off to regulate the pressure. If you don't have a controller in your system, the pump runs all the time. The drawbacks to this are small. First, the constant pump noise might bother you a little. Second, the pump will wear out faster. However, for the limited use seen by a pump in a small shop, you will reach the end of your life before the pump does.

Jamie

[Billy Bussey]

Alan--I use a check valve; an on/off control and a reseviour. By building these into the system, I can leave the press on overnight and the correct vacuum will be maintained. Less wear on vac. pump and far less noise when I am in the shop working. A control valve will cost about $20, or even less. The check valve you can buy at a pet store for very little. The reseviour can be made of 6" PVC and end caps. This will probably cost more than the other two combined. :)

I have less than $100 in my whole system. I am using a compressor from a dehumidifier which had run out of freon. It is quieter than the Gath vac. pump I also purchased from a salvage business for $20. I use it occasionally for vacuum clamping. :o

BILLY B.

[jerry cousins]

i use a continuous duty vacuum pump to pull down bags up to 4' x 6'. the pump is really a pretty quiet hummm - and it is rated for up to 12,000 hours of use - since i keep the piece in the bag for about an hour & half - i figure that's a whole lot of pressings.
having said that i would be interested in some fotos from billy b to see how you have your system set up.

many thanks

jerry

[Alan Tolchinsky]

i use a continuous duty vacuum pump to pull down bags up to 4' x 6'. the pump is really a pretty quiet hummm - and it is rated for up to 12,000 hours of use - since i keep the piece in the bag for about an hour & half - i figure that's a whole lot of pressings.
having said that i would be interested in some fotos from billy b to see how you have your system set up.

many thanks

jerry


info. from the joewoodworker site. He builds his vacuum presses with a shut of mechanism and a vacuum reservoir. It looks like a good idea but I think I'll try it without the "extras" for now. Thanks to all. Alan