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vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:12 pm
by NL7U
I bought a set of Rockler vacuum table components. Now I just need advice as to which vacuum pump will be reliable. I am leaning towards ROBINAIR single stage due to it's name brand and price.

Any advice? Thanks.

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:50 pm
by Rando
NL7U

Looks like it must be too new to have any takers so far here....let us know what you find out, as I'm sure others will jump onboard eventually. I thought I saw them being used, and there was a pump that came in one of the kits?

Cheers!

Thom

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:19 pm
by tonydude
I got my vacuum pump from harbor freight, works great.

Tony

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:59 pm
by tpulley
Tony what components did you get to make the vacuum table? I have thought about putting one on my hd4.

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:14 pm
by tonydude
You can buy the vacuum pods from rockler or make your own. Make one 6 x 9 and put gasket material around the edges and drill a hole in the center and put a clear 3/8 hose in there and hooked up to the pump. I'm not at home so no pics to show you, on my computer at home.

Tony

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:46 pm
by acebetter
I have of few questions if you don't mind? Which Harbor Freight pump did you buy? Did it work seamlessly with the Rockler pods? What is the noise level like?
thanx in advance for your help.

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:44 pm
by esslinger
This is my first post so I hope you fellas can get this. I have a homemade vacuum table that is 4'X4' and I use a robinair compressor from one of my old A/C testing machines at my auto repair business. The one from Harbor freight will work to but if you want one that lasts go to any of your local Auto repair shops and ask them if they happen to have an old A/C machine setting around that was meant for the old Freon R-12. I still own my own shop in Manchester Missouri and had 3 of them at one time. The compressor is small and quiet and as long as it will pump down to about 29hg that's all you need. I also have the pods from Rockler and they work fine as long as your material is perfectly flat. That small compressor will hold things down so tight that you have to use a pry bar to get the material off if the pump is running. I tried that just to see how good the system worked. You might try looking on E-bay to they usually got quite a few of them. Hope this helps. Roy

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:52 pm
by bill z
I have a question about vacuum tables.

I have been watching you tubes on how to make some, but, they don't explain how to use them. Seems to me with all of those holes, if what you are cutting do not cover all of the holes, then there isn't a vacuum to hold stuff down.

When you use a vacuum table, do you have to find scraps of stuff to be sure all of the holes are covered? Seems like extra work.

Also, the dust that may get into the vacuum table, if you are using a A/C pump, won't any dust clog it up. I can understand using a shop vacuum but then they are very loud.

Some help here please.

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 6:21 am
by sk8nmike
Another source for a good vacuum pump is and old refrigerator. The pumps are quiet. I would also suggest that no matter what pump you wind up using make a vacuum storage tank.

Re: vacuum pump recommendations?

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 7:35 pm
by markjonesranger
This thread is getting kind of old. Do any of you have any new suggestions for vacuum pump table setup?

I have seen the pods Rockler sells.

Do you recommend a vacuum jig setup for each thing your batching out?

Not sure if a Vacuum pump and table will be of much help to the hobby guy.

Any one have any videos of them using a vacuum table in action?