Looking forward to this super OX build!

 

Thoughts and Suggestions.
Vacuum Base.

It's not so much, the area that you want to (excuse the phrase) "suck on", it's more the area, that you don't want to suck on. i.e. If you put a work piece of only 12" x 12" in the middle of the 48"x48" bed, think how much suction you will be losing in the surrounding area.

As a suggestion, and I haven't really thought it through, I might add:-

Sliding slats. What about making it up out of 2 or 3 sheets of 6mm ply, or thinner, sitting on top of a slim vacuum base.
The idea being that each of the 12"x12", or smaller zones, be an independent, sliding, slatted, area. So if not covered by the work piece, it can be slid shut, (I don't know how, I'm just the "ideas man" here), allowing for maximum suction in the required areas. It would also allow for, a reduced rate of suction required, as not so much would be wasted in the surrounding area.
I know this is fraught with potential problems, but it's an idea to knock around I think.

Thought: If the bed is sucking all the time, where does the swarf and cutting dust go? Need one of those cyclone thingies there I think.

Opportunity: In fact, if someone could come up with a cheap and easy'ish solution to this problem they would have it made. He, or she, could produce, cheap, suction beds, complete with a suitable pump, of varying size, for the likes of us to just drop onto our work-beds.

Other Thought: What you really need, is a method of moving a, "smaller area of high suction, but, all the suction", around and beneath the bed to selected areas. Now that would really utilise the vacuum to it's full potential.

Counter Thought:
You could always just have a selection of 6mm squares of various sizes, on one side, and use them to cover the unused areas. "Occam's Razor".

So maybe this thread was a waste of time after all.

Then again: "Constructive thoughts are never a waste of time."
I wonder who said that? Oh yeah. It was me.

Cheers
Gray

 

Just noticed the date on the above threads. Should have started a new thread.

Gray

 

Did you buy it or make it? Knowing you, I can guess. I get the idea, what sort of pump do you use?

Gray

 

I was thinking today, as I drove to Westbury in the sun with the top down. If my baseboard was marked off into 6" squares, and full of holes, I could glue a half inch wide metal framework on the underside, in the 6" square pattern. Then, using a 6" square fitment, made by my fair hand, or a square tumble dryer vent connector reducing down to a vac pipe size, which had a magnetic strip along its top edge and then connected to my shop vac. So, after placing the workpiece on the table, I slide the amazing suction bit under the table, and beneath the workpiece, where it magnetically adheres to the metal strip square. Voila, the suction is allocated to the area required.

I really don't know where I get these marvelous ideas! Sometimes I amaze myself.

I still like Tweakie's though.

Gray

 

Shop vacs and vacuum pumps are not exactly interchangeable. You'll burn up a shop vac trying to hold suction like this unless you allow a fair amount of bypass which in turn will greatly reduce suction.

Tweakie: That acrylic suction jig is pretty ingenious.

 

I see Ebay have got a couple of Roc-R vac pumps for around £50. Not bad if that is the type you're talking about. Would they be able to suck away without burning themselves out? I guess they would have settings and by-passes.

Gray