Hold down tables

[ronbarnes]

I have a new 48x96 machine on order and no vacuum system to hold down. what is a easy or effective way to hold down cabinet and sign parts? Is there anyone with design or pictures as well as info on how to build something for the hold down. I do have 20 3 foot sticks of t-slot or would buying a vacuum and trying it another way be best? Thanks in advance for your help.
Ron

[ed_lang]

Ron,
If you are going to cut full 4'X8' sheets most of the time, a full table vacuum system is hard to beat. With that said, screws have worked for a lot of folks. Kreg screws seem to be what I like best. Back to vacuum.... I have had my Fein Turbo III's for a while now and love them. I have two. Right now I am experimenting with a different setup. I have only one connected to a hold in the table, which is now only two sheets of 3/4" ply and have been using purpose build vacuum jigs for holding. I also put foam gasketing on the back side of one off type of parts and just place them over the vacuum port. I have found that while the vacuum table held parts tight, this new system for me holds parts really tight. Do a search for "Brady Vac" and you should find more information. The BradyVac is a cross between a full table vacuum system and a puck if you will pardon the comparison. I am working on a story about my experiences with this system and will post soon.

Hope some of this helps.

[knight_toolworks]

you can also use a brad nailer and for thin parts you can use a pin nailer. these don't hold with heavy cutting but for sign work are fine.

[ed_lang]

Here is a vacuum jig I just made to cut some round parts for a display rack. Easy to make the jig and it holds great! I used one Fein Turbo III vacuum to hold parts.


21688.jpg

The X in the middle is so I know where to put the jig since I used the center of my file as 0,0. the gasket is Allstar but most anything will get your feet wet and started cutting. The black hole in the lower left is where my vacuum hose is pushed into the machine table from the bottom. My table is just 2 pcs. 3/4" plywood.

This part is 23" in diameter.

[ronbarnes]

I plan on cutting 4x8 sheets most of the time but also may do cabinet door work for local cabinet makers as well. I was looking over the setup (table) that is in Dave Buchsbaum sandbox write up from October 06'. I have some t-track and thought that may be the ticket. I am asuming the MDF you guys refer to is the regular 3/4" Home Depot grade? And as far as a spoil board, what is it and what thickness and material is it? Is it a tempered hard board? Does it go between the mdf table and work pc? How thick should a vac table be? What are all the vacuums you'd recommend for this setup? It looks like the turbo III is thee way to go. Thanks again and be blessed

[ed_lang]

Ronald,
When I was testing and using a full 4'X8' vacuum table it was a four zone sytem. Starting at the ShopBot table I bolded a 3/4" sheet of ply. Lightly surfaced the top and glued another sheet of 3/4" ply on top. I then cut the ShopBot provided 4 zone grid . I then put a sheet of 3/4" MDF on top and started the two Fein Turbo III's to hold the MDF down. I surfaced the sheet to cut the glossy hard surface away. I them removed the sheet, put glue on the plywood grid around the outside and on top of every square in the grid. Then with the help of others, I put the surfaced side of the MDF down on the grid and pulled a vacuum on it again. This time I put plastic over the top to help pull the sheet of MDF tight to the ply grid work. After a couple of hours I removed the vacuum be waited until the next day to surface the top of the MDF. There was my 4'X8' vacuum table ready to go with four zones. I did work great!

Remember I am cutting more smaller parts now so that is why I am trying out the above purpose build jigs and I find I can hold parts tighter with this system than I could by laying the same jig on my vacuum table before.

I go overboard trying no to put screws into my table I guess.

Take care,