I'm a little reluctant to post about yet another vacuum hold down solution, but perhaps someone else can benefit from seeing how I've setup my Desktop MAX. I'm certainly thankful for information from Gary Campbell, Brady Watson, Andrew J. Coholic and all the others who have shared their experiences.

I've created a removable vacuum plenum with two asymmetrical zones based upon the sizes of the aluminum plate I normally cut. The plenum is cut from 3/4" King StarBoard marine-grade polymer sheet (thanks Andrew). PVC nipples connect the plenum to two shower drains from Home Depot which sit below the level of the Desktop aluminum deck. The drains are connected via 2" PVC pipe to a Black Box Storm vacuum. The circuitous routing you see in the photos is because I was using an existing table. It would have been simpler to cut holes in the table top and drop the PVC pipe straight down to the vacuum.

I use two pieces of 1-1/2" aluminum angle to locate the 1/2" MDF spoil board. They project just slightly above the spoil board, so they also locate the work pieces. Once the vacuum is running, the angle guides can be easily moved back of the way if needed to clear any deep cuts.

The last photo shows why I created a separate post asking if anyone has found a source for Desktop MAX dust skirt extensions. I'll make some if I need to, and will post info if I do.

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