Vacuum Clamping for CNC Woodworking w/ Rockler's Vacuum Pods
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Rockler sent me their vacuum clamping system to try out, so I spent a week playing around with it and learning how best to use them.
Rockler Vacuum Clamp Pod Kit - www.rockler.com/rockler-vacuum...
Rockler Vacuum Pump Kit - www.rockler.com/rockler-vacuum...
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This is a tip for anyone that doesn't know. The process in making MDF leaved a skin on both sides of the MDF so MDF should be fly cut on both side to improve vacuums holding force. As he did mention the sides of the MDF should be sealed or taped to prevent loosing vacuum. The thickness of MDF may be the same but the weights per sq/ft can be different from different manufactures. The lighter the weight the MDF the better air flow. I myself always us 3/4 inch MDF from HomeDepot and fly cut 1/8 inch off each side.
How powerful is your vacuum pump?
I am the person that don't know it.Thank you so much.
I love how you show any and all problems. Very real. Very helpful.
Nice video. Have looked at vac-clamping for a while now. Your video answered some questions I was still struggling with. Thanks.
Fantastic video! Loved watching it!!
Great overview Winston! Thanks for sharing! Instead of sealed MDF, plastic like ABS or acrylic may also work in conjunction with the double sided tape as a wasteboard. I've had success with this on bigger CNC machines, but have never tried this on my Shapeoko. If I ever get my hands on the Rockler pods, I will have to give it a shot!
Hi Winston. Thank you for all your awesome videos! Especially CNC related. Was wondering if you could dive a little deeper in vacuum tables and see what you can come up with. You know how much time is spent in setup and clamping of a piece. Vacuum tables save so much time. I have built several myself. I use 3/4 mdf (so much dust) and create the form on the top side and then the vacuum channels (paths) on the back or second side. Use paint on the mdf when finished as it is porous. I use EVA Foam for gaskets. You can get the foam locally. It's used as mats to stand on. I use the quarter inch that comes in a roll and it's so inexpensive and easily cut into custom shapes on the cnc. I use a shop vac to create suction. I have not tried a vacuum pump yet. Thanks again!!
Thanks for sharing....great video!
Very interesting and informative video. I learned a lot about this technology just now. Thank you for taking the time to share this experience.
Well said
This was an awesome video! It's rare to come across someone who is articulate, and does not use earrape/dubstep backing music - well done.
Regenerative pumps/ blowers often work well. Continuous duty, quiet, maintenance free and extremely reliable. They pump insanely fast. Make any size holding jig with common thin adhesive foam stuck to a plywood jig on your CNC router etc. They work better on larger areas. For example a 20" x 20" panel will be held down with about 500+ lbs of force. On large panels add a few extra thin foam center strips to avoid bowing your panels on vacuum. Plus regenerative pumps vacuum large amounts of CFM air so imperfect seals are not a big issue. Open your valve and you have vacuum in 1 second.
Nice video, thanks!
Also there are vacuum pads that have seal in groove, where it compresses, thus having no issue with leveling
I'm opting for a venturi based vacuum system powered from compressed air with a secondary vacuum vessel and some valves.
From my understanding as long as the vacuum vessel is large enough once it also reaches vacuum along with vacuum pods or fixture plate(and a couple valves are turned to seal everything including from vacuum pump) you'll have ample "reserve" vacuum force to keep everything clamped without having the venturi or diaphragm vacuum pump running the entire time.
Watched a TH-cam vid where a guy tested how long it holds(good seals), there was still a lot of clamping force after days of just having a closed loop system between vacuum vessel and vacuum plate.
I don't plan on using mdf, going with proper top plates that are either aluminum, robust polymer like maybe delrin, or even composites that sit on a custom aluminum vacuum fixture plate.
Wow, I never would have thought MDF was porous enough to hold the brass like that!
The wood piece is lifted above the spoilboard , giving clear view of the edge of the wood. If you use an edge profiling router bit, can you do edge profiling?
Hmmm I wonder if the MDF trick would work for PCBs as well. It pulled the sheet flat!
The ball thingy valve is genius.
Nice video. I nomrally keep up to date on your videos, but some how I missed this one. I love my shapeoko 3 and you have helped me figure out many things about it. What bit are you usinging for your facing operation? I got a super cheapo off of Amazon, but Im not really happy with it.
Whiteside 1" has worked great for me so far. Just make sure your machine is trammed.
Be sure to face both sides of the MDF to remove that sealed layer from both sides.
How much are you shaving off the top of your work piece to clear the paint?
was there any issues with the ball plunger bleeding air or leaking? I dont think they have anytype of o-ring so Im concerned the metal to metal contact might leak.
What facing tool are you using?
8:56 "...like using packing tape. Now...I wanna be perfectly clear..."
Nice. lol
So weird as my country packing tape is brown lol
Any Idea how does the Festool Vacuum pump compare to the Rockler pump?
Nice video, can you share the link of the tool you used to cut the brass and the tool to engrave it as well, what speed an d feed did you used
I have an entire video about the engraving process. th-cam.com/video/bIp1zSIck9M/w-d-xo.html
Tool is a generic 1/32" endmill, you can get them from Carbide3D, or eBay in packs of 10. Nothing special about them.
The tool you use for engraving 120º in bronze. Where did you buy it?
and the cutting speed and advance you use, what is it?
Fantastic jobs
regards
It's brass, softer metal. Video about it here: th-cam.com/video/bIp1zSIck9M/w-d-xo.html
Love your videos (envy you bad). How much power does the vacuum and cnc require? I got a CNC3018 from China, 24V4A power brick so 100W max, but my shopvac is rated at 1200W! At $0.30/kWh this is not very interesting here. I assume your pump takes way less than that...
The Shapeoko is about the same. 100-120 ish watts max. Makita router is another 780 (maximum). Pump is another 100. But practically speaking, you'll probably never see 1kW of draw except at the instant you turn on the router.
When you created the pocket to hold your dog tags for engraving. Could you have turned the center of the pocket into, in essence, a downdraft area. Drilled holes all the way thru to give better suction.
Yes, but then the MDF itself would not have stayed put without the dogtag on top. If you used some clamps to lightly hold it in place it might work. Otherwise you'd lose your origin.
really enjoyed your 'science whiteboard' explanation, except now I also want pizza
Interesting video, but it looks to me like it's introducing more uncertainty into the workflow than it is adding value. I'm more and more leaning towards just screwing things to the wasteboard. I can't tell you how many projects got f'ed up because of insufficient workholding.
cool logo
Que luta pra prender a peça em?
Se tiver mais sapatas espalhadas de vácuo prende melhor...
I enjoyed this video even before the unexpected twist of being included in it. 😆
What kind of bit do you use for facing?
1" surfacing bit made by Whiteside
does the pump works all the time? or when it reaches the desired vacuum it stops?
It runs continuously.
@@WinstonMakes Have you thought about adding a reservoir tank between the pump on the pods? Depending on the holding force needed and the leakage, you'd be able to have the pump off (ie. quiet) for some portion of the job.
I can create the pods but I wish someone could help me in selecting my own vaccum pump. I wonder if it's fine to choose the ones for Airconditioning maintenance?
Pick a pump that doesn't require oil and is rated for continuous operation. Most cheap pumps will overheat, you want a diaphragm type pump.
@@WinstonMakes thank you! What kind of specifications would you recommend for the pods? I have the old XCarve (SO2) build.
I use a normal household vacuum for a vacuum Workholding table right now..
I'm new to vacuum pumps and i don't have much knowledge about their specs, mbar? pumping speed? ultimate vacuum?
Was hoping to see the specs of the Rockeler pump itself, but couldn't find much info.
@@ravenmooore I don't think the product number of Rocker's pump exactly matches, but it's made by Gast. If you look on their site for similar units, you can use that as a baseline when shopping for cheaper alternatives.
Why not create a pocket with integrated vacuum pods where the pods pull the stock against the pocket.
Rather than those pods with your CNC router..... look at the vinyl gasket material and other hardware Rockler provides with the pump.
You would be better served with a larger platen than those pods. Here is an example to give you an idea:
th-cam.com/video/DI8wiOqgVH4/w-d-xo.html
Use a touch probe.
Don't use MDF, always use closed grain wood or something comparable
You should build yourself a vacuum table, it'll work much better than these clamps that're meant for hand work like sanding or hand routing.
I was thinking in the shower about making like an ABS or Delrin version of the Pierson system. But that's a fair bit down the road for me.
It does seem like the hard part is the pump, not the little squares. Building those yourself seems much more likely to work well; you can size them to be exactly what you want, and you can remake the tops so they can be sacrificed whenever you want.
Now I want pizza...
Thank you for showing me every reason why vacuum clamps are a completely stupid idea lol.
I think I'll do it myself this week. I just got instructions from woodprix and I'm ready for it: D
These are the wrong type of vacuum clamps for CNC.
What is BEST..?
This time I will use Stodoys to make it.
Not worth the cost. Unless you get them for free, like you did.... Sponsor stroking...
Alot of imperical measurements. Some of them unnecessary.
Becomes annoying after awhile for metric countries.