Well I bought one also. With the Festool sanders you really need to secure
smaller pieces down to keep them from moving. Clamping from the sides was
desirable as the clamps would not have to be moved to sand the entire
surface. Festool sells a pair of side clamping clamps for about $90. I was
reluctant to take the plunge and kept putting that purchase off. I have
been using rubber router pads but they were not quite enough any more.

I bought the Vacuum Clamp from Woodcraft this afternoon and to add to what
Robatoy has mentioned, the clamps do work well on porous Oak. To check the
holding power I set the vacuum clamp, which is about 5.5" square, on my TS
top and turned the clamp on. Then I placed a 2' x 4' piece of 1/2" Baltic
Birch up on the clamp except I sat the panel on the clamp on the corner of
the plywood panel. All but the corner of the panel was hanging ff the edge
of the TS top. Pretty impressive.

Next I set the clamp on a steel top work bench, turned it on, sat a 5' long
piece of 1x6 Mesquite on the clamp and again at the very end of the board.
I grabbed the opposite end of the board and moved it up and down. The steel
top of the work bench flexed but the clamp held fast.

Pictures of the last test.

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=ahd...bk4xtjttsy.jpg

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=c92...sg428s1n8a.jpg

On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:29:09 -0500, "Leon" wrote:

Holy crap!!!
I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece of 1x6", BFD...
Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2 FEET of board hanging over..
Pretty damn impressive..

Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed or re-worked
to use a vacuum pump?

I bought the Vacuum Clamp from Woodcraft this afternoon and to add to what
Robatoy has mentioned, the clamps do work well on porous Oak. To check the
holding power I set the vacuum clamp, which is about 5.5" square, on my TS
top and turned the clamp on. Then I placed a 2' x 4' piece of 1/2" Baltic
Birch up on the clamp except I sat the panel on the clamp on the corner of
the plywood panel. All but the corner of the panel was hanging ff the edge
of the TS top. Pretty impressive.

Next I set the clamp on a steel top work bench, turned it on, sat a 5' long
piece of 1x6 Mesquite on the clamp and again at the very end of the board.
I grabbed the opposite end of the board and moved it up and down. The steel
top of the work bench flexed but the clamp held fast.

Pictures of the last test.

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=ahd...bk4xtjttsy.jpg

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=c92...sg428s1n8a.jpg



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I finally got the one photo of the mesquite board open. That is very
impressive.

SteveP.

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:29:09 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Holy crap!!!
I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece of 1x6", BFD...
Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2 FEET of board hanging
over..
Pretty damn impressive..

Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed or
re-worked
to use a vacuum pump?

I bought the Vacuum Clamp from Woodcraft this afternoon and to add to
what
Robatoy has mentioned, the clamps do work well on porous Oak. To check
the
holding power I set the vacuum clamp, which is about 5.5" square, on my TS
top and turned the clamp on. Then I placed a 2' x 4' piece of 1/2" Baltic
Birch up on the clamp except I sat the panel on the clamp on the corner of
the plywood panel. All but the corner of the panel was hanging ff the
edge
of the TS top. Pretty impressive.

Next I set the clamp on a steel top work bench, turned it on, sat a 5'
long
piece of 1x6 Mesquite on the clamp and again at the very end of the board.
I grabbed the opposite end of the board and moved it up and down. The
steel
top of the work bench flexed but the clamp held fast.

Pictures of the last test.

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=ahd...bk4xtjttsy.jpg

http://fumpr.com/viewer.php?file=c92...sg428s1n8a.jpg



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

mac davis wrote:
On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:29:09 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Holy crap!!! I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece
of 1x6", BFD... Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2
FEET of board hanging over.. Pretty damn impressive..

Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed
or re-worked to use a vacuum pump?

Mac...

A part of what you're paying for with the LV clamp is the built-in
venturi vacuum pump. If you buy the clamp and rework it to use with a
vacuum pump, you're wasting about half of what you've spent...

BTW, the clamp effectiveness is a function of area to which the vacuum
is applied. I use smaller 4" square pucks, but daisy chain them
(typically five at a time when routing 6'-8' boards) for about 80 sq in
of clamp area before I hit 'em with my 5 hp spindle.

Something to think about: the clamps will stop working rather suddenly
if you rout all the way through the board (or if the board splits) over
the clamp to break the vacuum.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:29:09 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Holy crap!!!
I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece of 1x6", BFD...
Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2 FEET of board hanging
over..
Pretty damn impressive..

Yeah type-o. Should have been 5'.

That piece of Baltic Birch you seen in the back ground was hanging from the
clamp also, from the corner of the panel similar to the board.


Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed or
re-worked
to use a vacuum pump?


I don't know for certain as I have not yet read all of the instructions, I
use a compressor and IIRC it was intended to be used with a compressor. The
exhause comes out on opposite sides and if you mount the exhaust to point
towards you it privides a pleasant breeze. ;~)

"Morris Dovey" wrote in message
...
mac davis wrote:
On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:29:09 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Holy crap!!! I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece
of 1x6", BFD... Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2
FEET of board hanging over.. Pretty damn impressive..

Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed
or re-worked to use a vacuum pump?

Mac...

A part of what you're paying for with the LV clamp is the built-in venturi
vacuum pump. If you buy the clamp and rework it to use with a vacuum pump,
you're wasting about half of what you've spent...

I wonder if you could make a manifold to place on the top of the clamp with
multiple vacuum hoses coming out of it to provide vacuum to other simpler
vacuum clamps?






BTW, the clamp effectiveness is a function of area to which the vacuum is
applied. I use smaller 4" square pucks, but daisy chain them (typically
five at a time when routing 6'-8' boards) for about 80 sq in of clamp area
before I hit 'em with my 5 hp spindle.

Because this clamp holds particularly well I will probably make some
jacks/pucks to place away from the clamp to help support longer pieces.


Something to think about: the clamps will stop working rather suddenly if
you rout all the way through the board (or if the board splits) over the
clamp to break the vacuum.

Very True.

Leon wrote:

I wonder if you could make a manifold to place on the top of the clamp with
multiple vacuum hoses coming out of it to provide vacuum to other simpler
vacuum clamps?

It wouldn't be difficult to make, but you might not be able to handle
much/any leakage though the workpiece. I'm fairly sure that you wouldn't
want to depend on that kind of a setup for holding, say, MDF or red oak.
Even white oak might become pretty iffy...

The catalog description implies that these are low-cfm devices. The
venturi vacuum pumps are available separately (elsewhere) and might be a
better way to go - but at that point, you might as well use a dedicated
vacuum pump and daisy-chain simple pucks (I've drilled a couple of mine
to work as T's).

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"Morris Dovey" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:

I wonder if you could make a manifold to place on the top of the clamp
with multiple vacuum hoses coming out of it to provide vacuum to other
simpler vacuum clamps?

It wouldn't be difficult to make, but you might not be able to handle
much/any leakage though the workpiece. I'm fairly sure that you wouldn't
want to depend on that kind of a setup for holding, say, MDF or red oak.
Even white oak might become pretty iffy...

The catalog description implies that these are low-cfm devices. The
venturi vacuum pumps are available separately (elsewhere) and might be a
better way to go - but at that point, you might as well use a dedicated
vacuum pump and daisy-chain simple pucks (I've drilled a couple of mine to
work as T's).


I'll keep that all in mind, thanks for the information Morris. So far the
single clamp is working very well for holding Baltic Birch drawer sides
steady while sanding.




--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:29:40 -0500, Morris Dovey wrote:

Question.. Do you have to use a compressor, or could it be reversed
or re-worked to use a vacuum pump?

Mac...

A part of what you're paying for with the LV clamp is the built-in
venturi vacuum pump. If you buy the clamp and rework it to use with a
vacuum pump, you're wasting about half of what you've spent...

I thought so, Morris.. thanks..

I guess if I need one, I'll have to build it.. lol

I have a nice 2 piston Gast vac pump on the lathe, which I'd rather use..

It's a LOT quieter than the compressor and it's in the shop.. the compressor is
on the carport..

BTW, the clamp effectiveness is a function of area to which the vacuum
is applied. I use smaller 4" square pucks, but daisy chain them
(typically five at a time when routing 6'-8' boards) for about 80 sq in
of clamp area before I hit 'em with my 5 hp spindle.

Yep.. same theory involved with different size vac chucks on the lathe..

Something to think about: the clamps will stop working rather suddenly
if you rout all the way through the board (or if the board splits) over
the clamp to break the vacuum.

Been there, done that... Just one more pass on that bowl bottom with the gouge
before sanding and you see the vac gauge drop.... lol

OTOH, it's an instant warning that you're about to create a funnel..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:40:32 -0500, "Leon" wrote:

I guess I skimmed over the board dimensions.. 5" piece of 1x6", BFD...
Then, I looked at the picture and saw about 4 1/2 FEET of board hanging
over..
Pretty damn impressive..

Yeah type-o. Should have been 5'.


I'm pretty sure that you did say 5', Leon..
Most likely, my brain interpreted it as a more reasonable measurement, before I
saw the picture..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing