You can make a vac table cheaply - use a piece of aluminium , 1.6mm is fine thats drilled with 1mm holes spaced about 10mm (just less than 1/2") apart.
Anodised ally is even better - it absorbs the laser beam.
You can use 5-8mm perspex too but it will have to be replaced soon as the laser cuts into it. But you can prolly make the whole thing on your laser if you use perspex - including frame,
Make a wooden frame high enough to fit a vacuum cleaners pipe or use a reducer if you want to go thinner with the whole assembly.
Make a solid bottom and use silicon to glue top and bottom to the frame - seal edges
Find a way to get the pipe into the machine , buy a cheap vaccum cleaner, hook it up and hey presto.
Block off areas you arent covering with your material with card or photo paper for inceased vacuum on your workpiece
We also use a steel sheet and badge backing magnets if something is bowed. I only use the vaccum table for very thin stock like papers , some veneers and engravable self ahesive stuff.
If you make it too big or too thin in terms of top materials , the whole table bows in the centre
Use something under the table to make it level
Use your focus probe or tool to "clock" it up - run the laser head wth the probe or tool just skimming the table and you will soon spot where to lift it.
Last edited by Rodne Gold; 03-16-2010 at 9:34 AM.
Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher