Vacuum table kit for ShopBot Machines

[gbradley]

I am testing the waters here with a complete kit for ShopBot cnc routers and machines that are similar. We are currently doing a vacuum table conversion with a retro fitted Gast pump set up for a non-profit organization in Providence RI called AS220 that has a 4X8 ShopBot. We will be documenting from the tear down of the existing table to the install of the grid gasket. The vacuum conversion kit is something that we are looking to produce as one of our products. This kit will be complete table, pump, pvc pipe, and all necessary hardware to install on your ShopBot. Let me know if this is something that sound of interest to the ShopBot community.

Thanks for looking

[Brady Watson]

George,
You will need to post specs of your system in order for there to be any interest.

Voltage/hp of pump?

CFM?

Hg" max?

Ballpark price of system?

-B

[gbradley]

Ok will do

[gbradley]

This is a picture of a 24 X 32 table for an older ShopBot


The Gast pump for this table is 1/4 HP 110VAC-60hz-single phase, silencer, street tee, vacuum gauge female hex, long nipple, inline plastic vacuum filter with clear plastic bowl, hose barb x ½”

[Brady Watson]

George,
This might be OK for non-porous parts with minimal kerf width, but it lacks the CFM to be a buffer for leakage when you cut all the way through, or for porous materials like MDF and some woods.

You want something with at least 200 CFM and say 9 or 10 Hg" to be suitable for a universal type system that uses an ultralight MDF bleeder board. This type of setup is great for sheet goods, but no so great for smaller parts.

-B

[gbradley]

All Star Adhesives is aware of vacuum vs CFM. Like the picture I posted yesterday, a customer that buy's a small router 24 X 32 table is not going to be cutting cabinet parts. He will not need a high cfm pump. All Star has been in the gasket business and trying to teach the ways of fixturing and how to cut small parts for a long time. We are trying to branch out to make our own table kits this is why I said "I want to test the waters" because everybody has their own opinion on how it should work. All Star has consulted with several of our close customers that have worked in the industry and we have consulted with Gast for our vacuum table application

"We are here to SAVE vacuum not create it"

[Brady Watson]

Hey George - I had no idea you were with AllStar - tell John I said hello.

-B

[gbradley]

Ok I will tell him. I am just putting this out their to see if this is worth doing. I will be posting our video on the vacuum conversion with the non profit organization. We are waiting for the materials to come in and we are going to install at the AS220 shop in Providence RI

[dana_swift]

The Allstar products make high vacuum work trivial! But not only that I have found other uses for the gasket tape, such as making "o" rings for tunable marimba resonators. I have also used it for small cushions to prevent non-musical parts from "talking".

Those uses dont use it up very fast so I have rolls of it around. Anyone trying to make high vacuum hold downs for small or production runs, this stuff is highly recommended!

D

[gbradley]

Dana what size o rings are you making we have tons of different sizes on the shelf.