Inexpensive Small-Scale Vacuum Press
flairwoodworks
| Posted in General Discussion on
I thought that this article by David Reed Smith is very interesting an clever. http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/Spatula/Ziploc/Ziploc.htm
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
– Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Replies
Looks pretty slick and inexpensive for small work. I think I'll buy a box of the gallon size and see if I can make an adapter for my vacuum pump. Thanks for posting that!
................................................
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
Jack London
For small projects I have used those plastic bags you put clothes in for storage. Vacuum cleaner sucks the air out. I posted once and somebody said it will not work?
Worked for me!
Will - A vacuum cleaner generally won't work too well as a vacuum press. The reason is that a vacuum cleaner is designed to move a lot of air at a fairly low pressure differential.
Air at sea level is about 14.7 pounds per square inch - in other words, the pressure of the air exerts 14.7 pounds on a square inch of surface. An absolute vacuum would be described as "14.7 psi vacuum". A vacuum cleaner typically develops about 2 - 8 psi (depending on the motor and impeller design and how clogged the filter is), so you get only 2-8 pounds per square inch of clamping force.
That actually might be enough, but the pump pictured in david's article is capable of developing far more vacuum - close to 14 psi, and a two-stage vacuum pump is capable of about the same, which means that you get 14 pounds per square inch on your veneer stack.
Vacuum pumps are actually pretty cheap - Grainger sells some in the $100 range. My take on the veneer bag kits is that most of the expense is in the re-inforced bag, valves, and the auto cut off switch for the vacuum pump.
I agree with you!
I had a excellent vacuum pump from a huge camera used to expose printing plates on a vacuum bed for a custom made 100X100 inch letter press.. I know about vacuum! All camers in printing have them in one form or another! I gave my pump to a friend that did large panel veneers.
All I am saying is, I have used the vacume bags on smaller objects with good results.. ;>)
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled