Eight zone table experience

[tkovacs]

I though I would pass along my experience with the eight zone table I've been using for some months now. The table is described here:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/28/31364.html

So far I've been satisfied with this design.

The biggest downside is that the individual spoilboards can develop a "potato chip" curl. While the spoilboards easily get pulled flat by the vacuum, if I were moving many sheets of large material every day this would be a real nuisance, but that is not the way I have been using the machine.

The ability to reconfigure easily has been the big upside. Much of my recent work has been confined to one zone so I get maximum hold by capping off all the unused zones and configuring the dual motor "open source" vacuum in series.

Today I needed to V-carve some 1x8x8' solid pine so I opened up four zones. The hold was good but not great with the vacuum in series but after changing the vac to the parallel configuration the hold was excellent.

In less than 10 minutes the plenum/vac was reconfigured for optimum performance.

Thanks again to everyone who has posted their work here. I have benefited from your efforts and willingness to share your results here.

Terry

[wmcghee]

Do you have pics of your plumbing? Which vac motors did you go with? Thanks for sharing.

[tkovacs]

Wayne,
There is nothing special about the plumbing. All 1 1/2" pvc tees and elbows. The vac motors are:

Item Name: Imperial Electric Motor w/gasket
Item Number: VBTST6460VM

from lighthouse as described here:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/show.cgi?tpc=28&post=69798#POST69798