I really like that idea. Getting the slope and pocket dimensions just
right would take some experimentation but if it works it would save a
lot of hassle. I dunno if MDF would work as a top plate though. That
stuff leaks like a sieve, especially if you cut through the outer skin.
I use 6mm MDF over the whole table as a spoil board and it offers little
resistance to air flow. I guess you could seal it afterwards with paint.
PVC foam board would probably work well though it is quite a lot more
expensive than MDF.
Les
On 23/04/2019 22:04, Gregg Eshelman via Emc-users wrote:
Les
Somewhere I saw a very clever design for a vacuum bed for a router. The top was
in two layers instead of simply having a bunch of holes drilled through to the
plenum each hole had a pocket off to one side. The bottoms of the pockets
sloped slightly downward so that a 6mm Airsoft pellet would fit and roll away
from the hole when the vacuum was off. Lay something flat on the bed and vacuum
would pull on it through every hole it covered but the uncovered holes would
suck the Airsoft pellets out of their pockets to seal them. Shut the vacuum off
and all the pellets roll off the holes.
Would be easy to retrofit atop any vacuum bed. Remove the original top plate and replace
with 1/2" MDF. Use a 5mm drill in the router to make the hole pattern then a
slightly larger than 6mm ball end mill to carve the side pockets. Drop in the Airsoft
pellets then apply a sheet of 1/8" MDF and redo the 5mm drill pattern.
Then the router can do any size work without needing to have pieces of MDF,
plywood, sheet metal etc. to cover the unused area.
ers
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