Vacuum bag

[Tom Andersen]

Hi guys,

Harbor Freight has a vacuum bag kit at $7.99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95613
Do you think that it would work for woodworking (veneering etc)?

Tom

[Tom Inghram]

I doubt your shopvac could pull enough vacuum to effectively press veneer. Also, it appears that the vynil is quite thin. I have made some vacuum bags out of 4 mil vynil and they are only good for one or two clampings. Then they start to rip and aren't worth the effort.

[Eric Gustafson]

That is a good price. I buy Space Bags a Target, which are the same thing. They work fine. The challenge is to rig an adaptor between the hose and the fitting on the bag The bag needs a vacuum cleaner fitting. I took one half of a pvc slip-joint. That provided a flat surface. I glued some gasket to the surface, drilled and inserted a compressed air nipple fitting. Push some hose on the fitting and away you go.

Tom makes a good point. I am using a real vacuum designed for A/C use, but the bags do work.

[Travis Gauger]

Nope, Nope, And Nope. I bought that a while back as my wife was looking at something similar for comforters at walmart once for 5 times the price. I seen these at the local HF store and thought "What the heck". We tried to use them for blankets and they wouldn't hold the vacuum pressure for more than a few minutes. So I thought, I could perhaps use them with my vacuum press. Nope. they wouldn't even come close to holding that type of vacuum. They are also real stiff and a cheap plasic feel. Not like the real vinyl bags you can get. The valve on these are a joke too. A little flap of plastic over the hole. Save your money.