Looking at various setups for vacuum tables, I see there are a couple of different valves being put into use.
1. Ball valve
2. Knife/guillotine (rv drain valves)
3. Some form or other of automated values
Between the knife and ball values, what seems to be the better choice. I expect the ball valves to be difficult to operate, especially with a bit of grit accumulation. Do the knife valves hold up and seal well? I was hoping to setup a system like Gary's K.I.S.S where valves are opened and closed from the end of the table. This basic idea is the handles for the knife valve is extended to edge of table using long rods.
thanks