Before you glue the bleeder board to the plenum, you’ll need to shave off the denser top and bottom layers as they can restrict airflow, reducing the vacuum. The recommended material is Ultralite MDF it’s 40% lighter and more porous than regular MDF due to less epoxy binder. It must be solid enough to support your workpiece but porous enough to allow the air to flow through it relatively unrestricted. ![]() Extra coats of sealer should be applied to the cut edges of the MDF, as they are prone to leaking more than the top and bottom surfaces. You can use any off-the-shelf wood sealer, such as water- or oil-based polyurethane, epoxy-based sealers, or even wood glue thinned with water. (You can also make them out of high-density plastics like ABS or PVC.) These MDF layers are porous and need to be sealed to ensure a strong vacuum. The base board and plenum are typically made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF), as it’s cheap and plentiful. Applying extra coats of sealer to the cut MDF edges Sealing the MDF with wood sealer The final layer is the bleeder board, a porous spoiler board that allows the air to flow through it. It contains a grid of airflow channels that distribute the vacuum across the entire table. First is the base board, which bolts to your CNC’s frame and attaches to the vacuum-system plumbing. The universal vacuum table surface consists of 3 layers glued together. The Table Surface: Base, Plenum, and Bleeder Plenum board Small parts and layouts with many cuts may not have enough surface area to maintain a strong vacuum, making a universal vacuum table great for most applications - but not all. However, there are some limitations to universal setups. They need more airflow, as they’re comparatively leaky, but they’re a lot easier to use. Universal vacuum tables let you slap your workpiece down anywhere. You simply lay your workpiece on the worktable, turn on the vacuum motor - and voilà! You now have several pounds per square inch of hold-down force securing your workpiece.Ĭonventional vacuum hold-down systems require you cut a special vacuum template to hold your workpiece tight. A universal vacuum hold-down system can eliminate many of these issues. Those of you with cnc routers are familiar with the frustration of working with clamps or screws to secure your workpiece and the post-processing required to cut and sand down tabs. This article first appeared in Make: Volume 41. Showcasing amazing maker projects of 2022 Gift the gift of Make: Magazine this holiday season! Subscribe to the premier DIY magazine todayĬommunity access, print, and digital Magazine, and more Share a cool tool or product with the community.įind a special something for the makers in your life. Skill builder, project tutorials, and more Get hands-on with kits, books, and more from the Maker Shed
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