Vacuum Table for fabric cutting?

[Carol Mancuso]

Greetings -- I'm new here -- getting ready to buy my first laser that I intend to use primarily for cutting fabric for machine embroidered applique. I"m sure we'll find a million other creative things to do with this gadget, but the fabric cutting is the initial primary effort. I've already had a bad experience trying to do this with a Silver Bullet (blade cutter that uses sticky mats) so I want to make sure I'm getting the right pieces to be successful with the laser. A friend has an Epilog Helix that includes a vacuum table that she engages when cutting fabric. I can't afford an Epilog, so I'm looking at either the Rabbit RL-60-9060 or the BOSS LS 1630. The Boss machine's exhaust is a down-draft, but not really a vacuum table. It's not clear if the Rabbit machine has a vacuum table option or not (I'll be talking to Ray today or tomorrow and will find out for sure.) So, given that the air assist is going to be blowing on my lightweight flimsy fabric, do I need the vacuum table to hold the fabric in place?

[Jerome Stanek]

Will you really need air assist to cut also you could use magnets to hold the fabric in place

[David Somers]

I had the same thoughts as Jerome. You may not need air assist for the fabric. Ask Ray at Rabbit. Also, I use magnets all the time, but I have a steel honeycomb take with the air blower drawing down through it. Not exactly a vacuum table, but the downdraft from it is fairly strong. If you had steel honeycomb then magnets would easily hold anything that was ornery. And I would think the downdraft would hold down fabric easily enough.

If you had to make a downdraft one way to do it with with MDF board and a good vacuum. (not a vacuum pump, a vacuum like a shop vac) check legacy CNC products. They used to have the design for a vacuum table made of MDF and a shop vac. If you cant find it let me know and I can piece together directions from my build of it. The key thing is that you want a shop vac like a Fein or a Festool. They have two motors in them. Most shop vacs have one. If a vac has one motor then that motor is pulling both the vacuum and the flow of air developed by the vac is cooling the unit. If you pretty much stop the flow of air through it the vac will quickly overheat and burn up. With two motors one is providing air cooling for the unit regardless of what the vacuum is doing. Plug the vacuum completely and cooling air will still flow through it. So using the dual motor on a shop vac will actually keep the unit cool and running even when the vacuum function is completely blocked.

light or medium density MDF is porous enough to allow air to flow through it and mades a decent surface for a vac table. Let me know if you cant find the design on Legacy's web site. But I have a feeling you will find the honeycomb table with air pulling through it is enough to keep your fabric in place. Remember, the laser isnt dragging on the material you are cutting at all like a physical cutter blade is.

Dave

[Carol Mancuso]

Thanks Jerome
I read somewhere here on the forum that fabric has a tendency to flame up. Then somewhere else I read that the air assist helps keep the flames at bay.... Having never done it for real, I'm counting on the expertise of the group ---

I did think about magnets, but once you cut a leaf out of the fabric and typically the fabric has lots of little pieces (like 50 - 1" x 2" leaves) -- it'll be free to be blown about. Cutting order is probably an important part of the process as well.

[Carol Mancuso]

Thanks Dave
I found the Fein dust extractors and some black box vacuum motors --- also viewed a few YouTube videos on how to make one -- hmmmm.... does look like a bit of overkill for a little fabric. I'm anxious to get a reading from Ray at Rabbit.
Carol

[Bill George]

I did some just seeing if it will work with some denim just experimenting. Laser did a beautiful job but getting the settings right could be a chore. Another thing, since your down drafting to create a vacuum to hold the fabric, fire is a real danger. The fabric at least what I used tended to flare up, but the air assist, held it down. Vacuum table???

[Bert Kemp]

I've cut a lot of fleece , not intricate patterns tho, I cut fast and low power like 60-70 mmps 10% pwr never had any problems , I did have the air on tho.

[John Lifer]

Rabbit laser does have a design for a vacuum table on their sample page. I'd be testing without as I'd not want a fire underneath and hidden.

[Scott Marquez]

I mainly cut 1,000 d nylon, with some coated duck cloth. The laser also does a wonderful job cutting Velcro.
You can see in my signature what laser and "most" of my sewing machines.The table on my machine is perfect for this kind of work.
I'm sure Ray will get you squared away.
Scott

[Carol Mancuso]

Thanks all for the info. Quick update.... I talked to Carole from Rabbit this morning (she called me while they are on vacation, so here's another plug for their exemplary customer service). Their machine includes a vacuum table. Also I visited a friend with an Epilog that also has a vacuum table incorporated into the machine. We cut patches from Twilly and canvas. The vaccum keeps the fabric absolutely flat -- a definite must when it comes off of a roll and has a bit of curve to it.

I'm waiting for quotes, but it's likely I'm going to pull the trigger on a QX 60 9060 in the next couple of weeks. I'll provide feedback on that experience as it happens.
Carol