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Vacuum plate for under a tenner

TK woodman

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May 12, 2014
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halifax
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Tony
I was tired of clamps getting in the way when routing so made this vac plate from a tyre inflator - It pulls 21inhg and creates a solid clampWP_20140809_003.jpg
 

paulm

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That looks a very handy piece of equipment how did you make it?
 

Buckeye

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Very smart, I am going to have a closer look at that for a different purpose, I am annoyed that before I took up woodturning I threw away 2 vacuum pumps that I no longer had use for. I new deep down that one day they would come in handy, but listened to my wife and got rid:rant:

Peter
 

Grump

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Very smart, I am going to have a closer look at that for a different purpose, I am annoyed that before I took up woodturning I threw away 2 vacuum pumps that I no longer had use for. I new deep down that one day they would come in handy, but listened to my wife and got rid:rant:

Peter

Likewise Peter I could kick myself for what I let go, bloody expensive too, couldn't afford or justify the expense now init?
 

TK woodman

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halifax
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Tony
That looks a very handy piece of equipment how did you make it?

You get yourself a tyre inflator, one like the one I used are for sale on E-bay for £5 with free postage. Remove the casing and the top of the air cylinder. There is a hole in the top with a reed valve underneath. Place a piece of shiny paper under the reed valve which creates a tight seal for the valve. On the top you need to glue an input pipe over the hole making sure the hole isn't covered. Fit the top back to the body and you have a vac pump.

WP_20140805_001.jpg

The image shows the hole in the top where you have to create an input.

WP_20140805_002.jpg

The 2nd photo shows the type of thing I made from 10mm acrylic glued with epoxy. Please note, the paper in the reed switch is important to pull full potential vacuum.

WP_20140809_001.jpg

I've put the compressor on some rubber mountings and an anti slip mat beneath the base to stop it walking off the bench! The vac plate is made of 10mm acrylic with a hole drilled in the centre, down the width and a hole drilled from the top to meet this and sponge rubber placed in the size you require to create the vac plate.
 

TK woodman

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halifax
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Tony
I forgot to say - remove the inflator pipe, cut off the valve attachment and use this pipe to connect the vac unit to the plate - I used a 7mm pen tube glued into the plate hole to attache the pipe.
 

silver

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Eamonn.
What a cracking idea and a simple cost effective method, never thought of that init..:love_it:

But it's logged now and if I need one I will certainly look at this option.:thumbs:
 

kjmc1957

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Jul 29, 2013
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I'm going to be a complete 'last bit on the end of ding dong' but how is it used in practice?

Like my other half......Very Clever but mystifying:winking:
 

TK woodman

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Tony
I'm going to be a complete 'last bit on the end of ding dong' but how is it used in practice?

Like my other half......Very Clever but mystifying:winking:

I use it for holding box lids or cabinet doors when i'm routing for inlay, it can also be used for holding sheet material while using a jigsaw or anything else where a clamp would be hard to use or would foul your tool. I've screwed it to one end of my bench. Hope this has give you some idea of how useful it can be.
 

Philly

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Jul 14, 2014
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I will be making one of these for my CNC, cheers! Do you turn it off when Vacuum is reached or leave it running? Is there a risk of it burning out?
 

TK woodman

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May 12, 2014
Posts
500
Location
halifax
First Name
Tony
I will be making one of these for my CNC, cheers! Do you turn it off when Vacuum is reached or leave it running? Is there a risk of it burning out?

You would need to put a non-return valve in the pipe and as long as you have a good rubber seal it holds vacuum - I am able to turn mine off. I then pull the pipe off the plate to release the vac. They are a great little jig but obviously they are a small motor.
 
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