Vacuum Veneering

[Herb Blair]

Anyone had any experience in building their own vacuum veneering press?
I've recently had an interest in doing some veneering and would like to try a vacuum press.
www.joewoodworker.com has plans and instructions to build, but there are a wide range of vacuum pumps available. I think buy using that website's instructions I can build the bag and control system, but in investigating the pumps, other the it needs to pull 20" hg, I'm not sure what other questions to ask.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Anyone had any experience in building their own vacuum veneering press?
I've recently had an interest in doing some veneering and would like to try a vacuum press.
www.joewoodworker.com has plans and instructions to build, but there are a wide range of vacuum pumps available. I think buy using that website's instructions I can build the bag and control system, but in investigating the pumps, other the it needs to pull 20" hg, I'm not sure what other questions to ask.
Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Herb,

I recently used the Joewoodworker site for my bags and info. I got a pump on Ebay but there are many sources. Mine pulls down to 25Hg. You don't need all the valves his site shows; I just connected my pump directly to the bag and it just runs all the time. I understand this is not a problem as the pumps are made for that.

I got my tires valves at Pep Boys. These valves are chrome plated and have a nut to attach them to the bag.

The whole thing was pretty easy and I'm getting great results. Please post if you have any more questions. I'm fairly new at this but it's a lot of fun and straight forward.

Alan in Md.

[Herb Blair]

Thanks Alan. I kinda thought that he overcomplicated it a bit.

[Jamie Buxton]

Joe --
My first vacuum press was a home-brew some 20 years ago, and it worked fine. It is really pretty straightforward, and you can't hurt yourself. If something doesn't work quite right, you can figure it out and fix it.
For your press, you might consider doing without the controller.
The controller is kinda like the thermostat in your house. It senses the pressure inside the bag and turns the press on and off to regulate the pressure. If you don't have a controller, the pump just runs all the time, and the pressure inside the bag is whatever the maximum vacuum the pump can produce. It is a very rare veneering situation which is damaged by too much pressure. There's a small argument that you're reducing the lifetime of the pump by running it 100%, but at the rate that a hobbiest uses a vacuum press, it will outlast you by a long shot.
Jamie

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks Alan. I kinda thought that he overcomplicated it a bit.

Sure Herb, Good luck with your veneering. Alan

[Roger Kirkpatrick]

I built my bag about a year ago. I bought a roll of 30mil vinyl, glue, hose and a fitting for the bag. I had a vacuum pump from my HVAC days. Pretty straight forward building the bag. I too just connect the pump to the bag and let her run. One thing about the pump. Oil bath pumps should be used for 100% duty. They are made to run forever. The cheaper pumps, the ones requiring a controller, are not made to run continous duty and just wear out. This will affect the amount of vacuum they pull. The oil bath pumps can pull down to 29.9" and run all day with no problems.

Anybody need any 30mil vinyl? I have a piece 52" x 15'. $60 shipped anywhere in the US 49 states.

[Steve Roxberg]

Herb,

I picked up a Gast 1/3 horse rotary vane pump from Suplus center for only $100. The only downside is that it only runs on 220, but for me that wasn't a problem.

[Wes Bischel]

Herb,
I recently picked up a Thomas vacuum pump (similar to the one JWW sells) at our local Habitat Restore. They weren't sure if it ran or pulled a vacuum so I got it for $6. I did my homework on the model number before hooking it up and plugging it in - it works - 27"hg! (little gloat) I've been trolling for a pump for some time - got one from a friend recently, but it was marginal for the vacuum it would pull. Since the pump is usually the most expensive part of the system, I focused on it first - the other materials can be collected later.
I ordered the materials for the bag from JoeWW. I figure I learned a bunch from his site, I should at least support it - naturally I saw Roger's post after I placed my order. I agree with what others have said - I'll start without the controller/mac valve etc. The nice thing here is you can always upgrade later.

I'm excited about trying some vacuum veneering - something I've been looking to do for quite some time.
Good luck,
Wes

[Jamie Buxton]

One more thought...

I buy 30 mil vinyl from a local plastics shop (Tap Plastics in northern California) for $6 per running yard in a 54" width. I also get vinyl cement there. A run through your Yellow Pages might find a similar place near you.

[nic obie]

Here is a link to where I bought mine. The 30 mil is a bargain when buying 19+ running yards. Next time I think I'll try the 20 mil stuff as that is what a lot of the bag manufactures sell. This outfit also has the best price on glue (HH-66) that I could find. Buy a pint as it goes quick, specially if you plan to make different size bags.

http://www.rochfordsupply.com/produc..._ProdID_E_3520

[Herb Blair]

Thanks guys,
I've bought a new Thomas Pump on EBAY for $45, and just order material as above for a bag. I appreciate all of the info.

[Herb Blair]

I thought I would give everyone an update on where I stand with my Vacuum Press project.
Thanks to Nic, I bought 3 yards of 30 mil vinyl from Rochford Supply, along with some H66 Vinyl adhesive.
I bought the Bag to Hose fitting from Joe Woodworker.
My first try at doing a bag was a total success. I followed the general steps at the Joe Woodworker site to seal leaks, Along with the plans for constructing the bag end seal.
My bag is about 18" wide and 50" long. Big enoough for most panels that I will be doing.
I hooked up the pump and pulled -25Hg the first try.
I then made some cauls and tried making a Birds-eye maple panel. It came out great!
With the commercial units out there at $300+, I spent less that $75 on my setup and have material left over to build a really large bag.
Sorry I don't have pics right now as work has taken me up here to Detroit for the week.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi Herb, Isn't veneering fun? I've had a great time making all kinds of panels. I'm glad it's all worked out well for you. What are you using for a substrate? Alan in Md.