squareman
Grumbler
Anyone have any experience with either the tapeease or joewoodworker vacuum bag systems?
Home made vacuum press
- Thread starter squareman
- Start date
Baer Charlton
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Have watched many veneerers bag a project. Works like a charm for wierd shapes like curved drawer fronts.
If you are thinking about getting one of those cheapos instead of a vac press....
We threw a sheet of 30x30 gaterboard and some cherry veneer into a bag. It came out 6x8x4x5x7x2x9....answer your question?
If you are thinking about getting one of those cheapos instead of a vac press....
We threw a sheet of 30x30 gaterboard and some cherry veneer into a bag. It came out 6x8x4x5x7x2x9....answer your question?
These bags are made for rigid materials (wood) and not paper art (flimsy). Please reread Baer's comment.
If however you make a rigid frame with a glass top it will work as did the old (out of business) Corona press.
If however you make a rigid frame with a glass top it will work as did the old (out of business) Corona press.
I had a 40x60 Corona press (from the makers of the Mat Maestro CMC
)
It was essentially a kit, with a vacuum pump (GE, if I recall,) the tubing and gages, the flexible bladder, a pair of gas lift cylinders and good directions. (Some assembly required.)
I built a wood base, bought the 1/4" plate glass top locally and made a frame for the glass out of the heaviest-available Nielsen metal moulding - the profile we used to use for framing Volkswagens.
It was, of course, a cold mount press and it worked like a charm until I bought the Vacuseal combo press a few years later.
It was essentially a kit, with a vacuum pump (GE, if I recall,) the tubing and gages, the flexible bladder, a pair of gas lift cylinders and good directions. (Some assembly required.)
I built a wood base, bought the 1/4" plate glass top locally and made a frame for the glass out of the heaviest-available Nielsen metal moulding - the profile we used to use for framing Volkswagens.
It was, of course, a cold mount press and it worked like a charm until I bought the Vacuseal combo press a few years later.
squareman
Grumbler
Thanks to all for your help...
Ron,
Did you modify the base with any grooves,etc?
Why frame the glass top?
Ron,
Did you modify the base with any grooves,etc?
Why frame the glass top?
No modification to the wood frame base. The rubber "bladder" was wrapped over the padded top edges of the wood frame and probably stapled to the sides.
The top was glass because it had the appropriate weight, was absolutely smooth and enabled us to see what was happening before full vacuum was achieve - something I have missed sometimes with my Vacuseal. The glass weighed a ton (more or less) but the gas lifts made it easy to raise the hinged glass top and kept it open while the work was inserted or removed from the press.
We framed the glass top so we'd have some place to attach the hinges to the back and the gas cylinders to the sides.
The top was glass because it had the appropriate weight, was absolutely smooth and enabled us to see what was happening before full vacuum was achieve - something I have missed sometimes with my Vacuseal. The glass weighed a ton (more or less) but the gas lifts made it easy to raise the hinged glass top and kept it open while the work was inserted or removed from the press.
Oops, I think I musunderstood the question.
We framed the glass top so we'd have some place to attach the hinges to the back and the gas cylinders to the sides.
I purchased Tapeease 54 X 109 #B54109V vacuum bag for pieces larger than my
40x60 press.
<font size="5">It works great!</font>
</p>
To achieve a good result, you will have to cover the item you are mounting
with a sheet of foam core or something smooth.</p>
Or you can make a vacuum bag for about $20.00 refer to:
http://www.thegrumble.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000011;p=1#000011
</p>
I know a local framer that only uses a homemade vacuum bag to mount all his
work.</p>
40x60 press.
<font size="5">It works great!</font>
To achieve a good result, you will have to cover the item you are mounting
with a sheet of foam core or something smooth.</p>
Or you can make a vacuum bag for about $20.00 refer to:
http://www.thegrumble.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000011;p=1#000011
</p>
I know a local framer that only uses a homemade vacuum bag to mount all his
work.</p>