OT-vacuum question

Re: OT-vacuum question

Jack Guzman from Maine

>That's an idea I've never heard before. "Vacuum Clamp".I think other people are going to try that after reading your post. I'd say it's ok to post something useful.You don't hear complaints about Tormek posts and that's definitely not a hand tool. of course,just my opinion---Jack

thin strips hold down

bill tindall

>You just solved the age old problem of holding thin strips for planing.

Re: thin strips hold down

DaveK

>I been doing some searching and I think if you want to hold thin strips you might want to use a gasket from a bicycle inner tube or something thin like that. It would be best to use small holes and narrow channels so you had good support. Hopefully somebody else will chime in. I'm just a learnin this :)

Re: OT-vacuum question

Michael R

>I saw my first commercially made vacuum hold down for woodworking about 1972. A lot of CNC machinery uses them, but they never seemed to catch on with small shops. Of course, vacuum veneer clamps are very popular and work very well.

You might wnat to get a amall air tank or "watermelon" to act as a vacuum reservoir, and a ball valve to speed actuation. The rigs I saw used a block of plastic with grooves cut into it to hold closed cell foam that defined the clamping area.

Michael R

Look on the turning board

Bob Hackett

>Turners have been using vac chucks for awhile now and you can probably pick up afew tips there as to backyard engineering and creative uses for this application.

Mainely,Bob

PS-The foam trays that meat is packed in at the supermarket make excellent gasket material.Just one tip I picked up from another turner.

Need a bigger piece?Craftfoam available at most craft stores works too.