Hobbyist vacuum hold down table

[Ben Grefe]

I'm looking to revisit my wish of building some sort of vacuum hold down table for my 4x4 AVID CNC machine. I remember looking into this in the past, but none of the options were great. I'd like something that gives me the flexibility to run it on a 4x8 table (if I ever increase the size of my AVID) and as much as I'd love to build something, a pre-made option is probably up my alley now (2 young kids limit my shop time).

[Kevin Jenness]

Here's a commercial single phase solution. They have less powerful models as well. You have to do the plumbing and plenum. https://blackboxvac.com/hurricane/

I made a similar setup with three 7.5A 220V Lighthouse central vac motors and three zones on my 4x8 table. I probably have $5-600 cash in it plus my labor.

[Jim Becker]

Blackbox that Kevin mentions is the "defacto standard" for single phase vacuum solutions. If you go with the larger Hurricane unit, you can easily service a 4x8 machine in the future while only turning on part of the system for your smaller machine now. Do note that vacuum tables are best suited to cutting sheet goods. They are not good for small parts and small workpieces.

[Ben Grefe]

Thanks - I wasn't sure if there was a dispute about the blackbox vs some other design (it's been a while since I've looked into this).

Kevin - do you have any pictures or details about your custom made setup?

[Michael Burnside]

As Jim notes, small parts need some special handling or don’t use the vac. Things like leaving a skin to be removed later, or using tiles from https://allstarcnc.com/ work very good. Either way you need to turn off the vac to unused zones and cover large areas of the active zone with other tiles or plexiglass glass. It does work though. I cut out 6 of my own designed “push sticks” which are 5-1/4 x 10” (not very big). I have a 5HP Becker.

Also you need to surface both sides if the spoil board and line the edges with paraffin wax.

[Jerome Stanek]

Thanks - I wasn't sure if there was a dispute about the blackbox vs some other design (it's been a while since I've looked into this).

Kevin - do you have any pictures or details about your custom made setup?

I have used 2 Fein vacuums on my 4X8 table. The Fiens are not to loud and have air flow to keep them from over heating. This was the setup that Shopbot was selling. They also had a link to lighthouse vacuums also A lot cheaper then the Blackbox.

[Brian Tymchak]

I just saw this AirWeights turn key solution featured in a Hamilton Dilbeck YT video. He does say it is extendible, though not sure it can be pushed out to a 4x8. For $750 I'm thinking of going the buy route vs build.

[Kevin Jenness]

Kevin - do you have any pictures or details about your custom made setup?

I followed Gary Campbell's recipe https://www.camheads.org/forum/new-c...e-stable-table - hard to go wrong with his suggestions. Started with the stock table board on my Stinger, laminated a 3/4" mdf layer to that and routed 3 separate plenum zones into it, and glued down a layer of 3/4" Trupan ultralite mdf as a spoilboard. Each zone is connected through 3" pvc pipe to the 3 vac motors via a pvc manifold and ball valves on two of the zones. All the plumbing parts were sourced from a local hardware supplier. My gauge registers about 6-7" hg vacuum, not much but sufficient for most cabinet panel work. I also use screws, low profile wedges and screwed-down blocks, high vacuum fixtures powered by a Gast pump, and blue tape/CA glue depending on the situation, but the universal vac table is my most convenient and most used hold-down method.

[Ben Grefe]

Here's a commercial single phase solution. They have less powerful models as well. You have to do the plumbing and plenum. https://blackboxvac.com/hurricane/

I made a similar setup with three 7.5A 220V Lighthouse central vac motors and three zones on my 4x8 table. I probably have $5-600 cash in it plus my labor.

Can you link me to the motors you’re using?

[Carl Beckett]

Can you link me to the motors you’re using?

I have not built a vacuum table,but have replaced my central vac motor

Ametek makes them. Can be purchsed individually. Mine was three stage. Performance curves are documented

Google can find them easily.

[Ben Grefe]

There are an amazing number of options. Just looking through this site for lighthouse motors (https://www.centralvacuummotor.com/lighthouse.htm) I'm thinking about model LH7123-32. It's a 3 stage motor, 148" total pressure, 230v / 7.0 or 7.1amp depending on spec sheet. Am I on the right track here?

[Kevin Jenness]

There are an amazing number of options. Just looking through this site for lighthouse motors (https://www.centralvacuummotor.com/lighthouse.htm) I'm thinking about model LH7123-32. It's a 3 stage motor, 148" total pressure, 230v / 7.0 or 7.1amp depending on spec sheet. Am I on the right track here?

Yes, the motors I have are similar.

[Jerome Stanek]

They do have a link to the Shopbot vac system on their home page