How to DIY Vacuum Table for CNC // Woodworking

[@shoestringlean7163]

If you made the base layer out of a non-permeable material, the vacuum forces would be directed soley to the work surface. It would dramatically increase the functionable hold down pressure.

[@jont2578]

You can paint MDF with a 50/50 woodglue + water mix. You need 2 coats and it will be very close to impermeable (I tested a small 6"x6" piece and it held 24.5 inHg of vacuum when our pump can do 25 inHg. Took 20+ seconds to leak down from 24.5 inHg to 0.

[@robbie6625]

I was thinking the same thing and that he should have used Plywood for the internal ribbing.

[@juniorman101]

How was that second board holding down? I would think the first board would hold from the vac but it covered up all the vacuum channels I don't get it

[@acesplit]

@@juniorman101MDF is permeable, so think of it as having a zillion tiny holes that you can't see. Suction force is able to pass through. 🙂

[@sobreviviendoalau8499]

"that's a win, that's innusual for me". some people laugh but i feel that bro. Amazing work!

[@mrbill121059]

My head is in heavy thought. I love your design. Fantastic job for sure. I own a Bob's CNC and thinking about incorporating it into the base of my machine. I think it can be done if I use 1.25 strips like you did for height clearance of the PVC piping. Either way with or without I absolutely admire your build. I am a fan.

[@auronotcs5440]

I couldn't tell from the vid, but if you plane off the smooth finished faces of the mdf spoilboard, you get better air transfer through it. You'll also lose suction through the bottom of the mdf you cut the grooves through, either using a non permeable substrate is preferred, but a good coat of paint helps a lot too.

[@dwaynejohnson7499]

Cool I didn't even know vacuum tables were possible

[@TheWoodPastor]

Looks good bro. I’ve never watched a video on making you’re own suction table. Great idea man. It’s got me thinking for my own cnc.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thanks man it’s amazing and it works well! Im so glad that I did it.

[@phillchristian261]

the top board doesn't have to be permeable, if anything it would be better if it wasn't. that way all the suction would suck through the waste board. looks great though, works and has given me a bit of motivation to make something similar.

[@BrettLamb3388]

You should seal your grid board. You are losing suction due to the mdf being permeable, therefore, half of your suction is being lost. If you seal your grid board and leave your top (waste board) unsealed, all of your suction will be directed from top down. Few coats of shellac or poly should do the trick.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thanks man…. You’re so right, I’m on it…. Doing it today for sure. This thing is working so well that I can’t believe it and if I got more suction…I can’t imagine. Thank you brother

[@BrettLamb3388]

@@DesignsbyDonnie no problem man. Love the content! Keep it coming!

[@rgruberski]

@@DesignsbyDonnie Could you share more information about the changes that you have made? Some photos or video maybe? I`m going to build my own vacuum table and I would like to add as many improvements as possible before I start. Thank you! Great job and awesome project!

[@mlarsen77]

@@DesignsbyDonnie what vacuum are you using and will the restricted air flow eventually burn out the vacuum motor?

[@eenkjet]

I recommend soaking the plenum in some kind of water seal (Thompson's). It will stabilize that part from humidity or a spilled beer.

[@dennismeijer6532]

Hi Donnie, Would you please share the document you are using in this video? :)

[@iwanawithyou]

6:10 with 2 board? vacuum through the first one or how? I dont get it.

[@jaibhavani7744]

Great job man !!!! You earned a subscription 🎉🎉 one question on what kind of vacuum shall be used ? Bosch GAS 15ps eill do ?

[@Zsasz2]

excellent work, how much power does the vacuum you are using have?

[@ifiwooddesigns]

Whatever happened to you? Miss your videos and ingenuity. I’m about to finally purchase a CNC and was looking at ways to clamp boards down. That’s great for full sheets, wondering if you can adjust holes with plugs to only do small boards. Hope all is well and hope to see you back on YT soon.

[@eross21]

what is the gasket material ? maybe i missed it? where do you buy it, and how deep are your grooves cut to?

[@JohnDoe-u3b]

How does the vacuum pull on the second MDF board?

[@gihadmurad]

I had the same thought, doesn't make sense at all

[@keithc9146]

a month later, how's it holding up? I'd worry about dust filling the pores of the MDF and lowering the permeability

[@caribguy2007]

Is it a regular vacuum? Is the constant pressure not an issue?

[@HarveyShankar]

Regarding the spoilboard, I'm so confused, how does it work with two boards if there are no holes in the first? Please help me figure out what is going on here?

[@timmanda]

I guess enough air can pass through the mdf because it's porous so it pulls the second board down, too?

[@bryanc6889]

and here's the trick. if it can pass through both boards, all the grooves and plumbing he did was not needed. just build a tiney flat box with hardwood on bottom and mdf on top, then put your spoil borad on that and it should be a done deal. consider using an evacuation pump for the vaccum as well.

[@BandasPalette]

Good job Donnie. I'm about to do the same thing to my new Infinity cnc when it arrives.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Yes!!! Do it! You will be so happy that you did

[@equalaudio]

Can you tell me how the suction is for a little piece of wood?

[@matthewwachno6249]

Hey man! I just went through all the comments and it looks like you never got around to answering the questions about the vacuum specs. Any chance you can follow up?

[@Burdxnboy]

appears to be a festool ct26 which has a cfm of 137 CFM (3900 l/min)

[@nextsolution3509]

Nice job! Impressed with the performance. It appears that you are running a rather small, vacuum hose. By chance, would you give some feedback on the specs of that vacuum/shop vac? Would you do anything different now that you’ve been using it for a while?

[@Burdxnboy]

appears to be a festool ct26 which has a cfm of 137 CFM (3900 l/min)

[@unclemilford]

What a great vid. How far apart are the groves and how deep? I am going to make this tomorrow.

[@archilife2555]

Awesome build, thanks for sharing!

[@stacy5281]

Hey Donnie, I'm curious as to what size pvc pipe you used and what is the CFM rating of the vacuum you are using. I am looking to build one to a 36" x 48" size with wither 4 or 6 zones.

[@buffalojones341]

Is there any update to this build? How is it holding up? Anything you would change?

[@TheRepoMan32]

I'm considering making one of these myself, but I would love to hear how well it works with smaller pieces. It makes sense that it would hold down a large sheet of plywood due to the surface area, but I'm concerned about it's effectiveness with smaller pieces.

[@auronotcs5440]

By using valves you can make quadrants to direct vacuum to certain parts of the table. You can also use the gasket to make a more condensed and focused area as well. Tiny metal parts or non flat materials, tape is still your friend

[@nikolaosdamianidis5604]

how it is imbosible to work with two board??

[@Bretpemberton-e9h]

Very good video Do you have the file for the cutting of the table

[@juanmanuelgarciaortega2591]

What power is that vacuum cleaner you use? He didn't think he could get through both woods 👌👌

[@bradleyschroeder1882]

i might of missed it in the video, but what did you use as a vacuum? shop vac or something more industrial? also, where can i find and stl file to cut out the slots for the vac board?

[@bradleyschroeder1882]

ok i see you have some kind of big shop vac, possible other vacs? regular shop vac?

[@Burdxnboy]

appears to be a festool ct26 which has a cfm of 137 CFM (3900 l/min)

[@customwalldisplay]

Do you have a cnc file for this ? I want to make one. Great video

[@iwannaapple7190]

How in the world did it hold down the second board? Thats crazy and doesn't even add up in my head.

[@stever5150]

This is great. However, if you make the vacuum plate with the channels in it out of something that is non-permeable, you will get much better suction, which is why they are usually metal. The spoil board / waste board on top of this, must be permeable which will give you greater suction of the material to be cut on top of that.

[@jeanpierrefranca137]

Hello, Can you tell me ,what is the measure of each square, and the measure of channel Thanks

[@KingsCampanion]

That is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Now I want to go make one

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thank you! I couldn’t believe it worked… it’s a game changer… I’m using at we speak to cut out some files 👍 make one… you will be glad that you did! 👍

[@randyvandeusen5600]

Now if only I had a CNC. Thanks for sharing Donnie.

[@kaeshur92]

What vacuum pump did you use ? I mean the rating, flow rate etc.

[@alessiog.3601]

HI, may I ask what is the festools vacuum cleaner model?

[@bybecker]

Hi. Would it also work if I cut a plastic plate?

[@flecto141]

great work. but maybe I am too stupid... how does it work with two boards?

[@bfreebabi5398]

Thank you for your great work man..!

[@Mexpat1]

I was wondering how to build a custom vacuum system. Unfortunately, my CNC machine does not have as much clearance in the Z axis as yours. Mine is just about 2.5" so, making the vacuum bed as tall as yours is not an option since I need to carve materials that are 2" tall.

[@WackeyWorxWorkshop]

I am the 1000th like. Good job.💪😲👍

[@Uscwaller]

That Bourbon Moth entry 😂😂😂

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Jason is known for some wild intros crawling around and stuff but I would hardly call me jumping into frame a bourbon moth entry lol 😂 but i can’t think of a better person to be compared too though… Jason rocks!

[@dsottimano]

intro was great. well done 😅

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Lol 😂 thanks dude. I try have fun with my videos as woodworking can be serious 🧐 so I try my best to lighten it up a bit.

[@CJICantLie]

How well does it do for smaller footprint pieces? How about thicker pieces?

[@Golfexpertbelieveme]

How does it work when you put something a little smaller on it that the size of your grid?

[@ravenmooore]

Can anyone recommend a vacuum pump good for this purpose? My household vacuum thermally shuts off after prolonged use..

[@bryanc6889]

if the second board is held down by the first board, it's unclear if any of the plumbing pipes, grooves for air or seals in the grooves were needed. that suggests just a small wooden box with a piece of midf on top is all that's needed. Anybody tried that before?

[@dwaynejohnson7499]

great video, what kinda vaccum did you use to hold this down, could you send a link for the vacuum from amazon?

[@dwaynejohnson7499]

@@fsp- thanks could you recommend one, am mew to this never tried it and don't wanna get it wrong when I decide to

[@dwaynejohnson7499]

@@fsp- well I don't want to spend alot don't wanna pass $450. If I don't have to. If that can't get me something decent how much am I looking at to get what you are recommending?

[@muhammadshah7349]

Can u tell us about the vocuume motor

[@OriginalJetForMe]

You should wear a respirator when cutting MDF (really, when cutting anything)!

[@papado72]

Would you by chance have any plans for your build??

[@lancelothunter6815]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO!! Just what I was looking for...really appreciate the content. I will be doing this for my CNC for sure...question: What spec shop vac are you using for the table and any issue with the vacuum with longer runs?

[@jimrollins1501]

How do you like the Grizzly CNC? Is it a 2x4?

[@markroles7304]

How does placing the second board on top of the first board get its suction from? Doesn't the first board cover up all access to the vacuum chamber?

[@QuebecoisSti]

The MDF is permeable material, the suction goes up to 2nd board by passing through but I am pretty sure the suction won't be as strong on 2nd layer than first one

[@bryanschooling4366]

That's what I was wondering too! I would never have thought MDF was that permeable!

[@QuebecoisSti]

@@bryanschooling4366 some said we must remove a little bit (0.050" or so) from each sides first it became much better at permeability. Theres some glue surface thingy I've read

[@ryanturner9958]

Great video! I enjoyed that. Thanks

[@johncarr123]

Do you have the DXF files you used make this table available for download?

[@Liquid_Haze]

Great video Donnie! Were you using 3/4 mdf? Getting ready to make something simular for my onefinity

[@acerjuglans383]

What was your gasket material?

[@themaker7125]

You might want to buy some down spiral router bits.

[@iancockrell5920]

How can you hold TWO boards down? That does not compute.

[@magicman9486]

What was the CFM of your vacumn?

[@Burdxnboy]

appears to be a festool ct26 which has a cfm of 137 CFM (3900 l/min)

[@trungdung4381]

could you share the specification of the vacuum machine

[@jasonbowlin9168]

He was using a festool extractor

[@winsonwoodcraft5023]

another wicked informative video,well done and thanks

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thank you so much 🙏🏻

[@PhoKingLitMedia]

What CNC machine do you have?

[@motulifelikefigures1987]

amazing. Im really struggeling to find someone who can produce some blisterforms for me. Companies dont do small amounts. I would need someone like you who can produce them for me. i have the mold. would be great if you could take commission?

[@mstrivelli]

I have a general question. Does it still work of you don't put a whole sheet down? Would you need to cover the "empty" areas with plastic or something?

[@bignicksdesigns]

That's what I've seen most do, cover or move the rubber strip. I've also seen individual suction sections some have made with valves. So if you only need certain areas you can activate what you need. I am going to incorporate separate areas and valves when I cope this design.

[@m.mendez9211]

Good Job!!

[@leeknight9063]

awesome video

[@djameldeneche3020]

Thanks a lot sir ,

[@JRADMAKES]

IS THAT JUST BACKER ROD FOR WHAT YOU USED IN THE GROOVES? SORRY ABOUT THE BULLSHIT CAPS LOL

[@TheBenjaminshultz]

DONNIE!! Dude! That is awesome! I love your videos!!! This might be my new favorite!! “Check out some of this other shit I made”🤣 Keep killing it!!!

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Lol 😂 you ROCK brother! Thank you so much man! 👊👊

[@charleselkins4546]

Nice.

[@alterstassfurter5743]

I am a Ding-Dong.....ROFL.....Regards from good old germany !

[@zzzzzzzzzzzzzza]

Why is this dude the blue collar linus sebastian

[@venko3211]

Nice Please update DXF file link

[@numbasixx]

Amazing job. And thank you for using some swear words. How to videos have forgotten their roots.

[@pierrepierrot2325]

Le MDF n’est pas etanche à l’air , il faut absolument mettre du bouche pore

[@Abdoubrain]

😁😁😁😍

[@munchkincatsnz]

Never build one with mdf worst product to make it out of it needs to not be porous other wise you loose vacuum it’s also needs to be stable under heat and humidity again mdf is terrible for this it should be made from Bakelite or phenolic or rigid pvc

[@pedrohenriqueboscofi]

If think your scripting/reading is sometimes a little michael rosen-ish, feels like you're making the tutorial as a children book :/ just sometimes tho, the rest os good

[@ajbishop890]

Lots people asking questions and no answers. Not a helpful channel

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

I’m only one person, and I do the best I can. The video itself answers all questions for this build. And while I try my best to answer all other questions, it’s just not a reality being a one man show. #SICKofNEGATIVEpeople

[@TheUofastudent]

Lol that’s unusual for me lol too funny !! Shop looks nice gonna duplicate your design is it available online ?

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thanks 😊 I haven’t uploaded the SVG file for this design to my site yet. I have it on my list of SVG files to upload asap though. Here is the link and keep checking as it will be soon 👍SVG FILES for cnc ⬇️ designsbydonnie.com/cnc-files/

[@TheUofastudent]

@@DesignsbyDonnie thanks !!

[@martincantu6017]

Thanks for the great content. Curious if you will upload this project cnc file to your site. Thanks.