On another thread someone lamented that a 40x60 vacuum press takes a lot of floor space. Yes, it sure does.
For several years I've been toying with the idea of building a vertical vacuum press, which would take up some wall space, but almost no floor space.
I have not taken this idea to the drawing board, but it seems pretty simple.
It could consist of two sheets of rubber or neoprene, perhaps 1/4" thick conveyor belt material, with a smaller piece of air-passage material of some thickness, perhaps fiberglass window screen, between them. Any heavy sheeting that is flexible, durable, airtight, smooth-surfaced, and hangs flat could work. Then there would have to be a vacuum pump, connected by tubes to ports in the corners of the top or bottom sheet, and a timer-switch.
The two heavy flexible sheets, with the screen between them, would be hung together on the wall from their top edges. For example, the top edges could be sandwiched between two lengths of 2" wide aluminum angle stock bolted together, and attached to the bottom of a 2x4 anchored horizontally to the wall. The sides and bottom edges of the sheets would be unattached, simply hanging straight down.
The vacuum ports could be most easily fitted into the top (outermost) sheet, but their tubes would have to dangle in front of the assembly, and flex every time the press is used. So, the ports should probably be fitted into the bottom sheet, the one flat against the wall, so the tubes could be stationary and out of the way. That would necessitate some sort of space under the sheet to accomodate the ports and still lay flat, so some sort of spacing structure would have to be built.
A heating blanket similar to what is used in other vacuum presses could be placed under the bottom sheet, which would require insulation between that and the wall.
A clamping mechanism might consist of three separate, full-length clamps overlapping the edges of the bottom and two sides. Woodworking stores sell cam-clamps that could be fitted on each end of each clamp. Very little pressure would be needed; just enough to hold the two sheets' edges together while the vacuum pump draws down. And draw-down time would be minimized because there would be almost no space between the sheets. The screen would assure overall vacuum pressure.
As I imagine it, the top (outermost) layer of flexible material would be lifted up by hand from its bottom edge and the mounting assembly simply slipped in between the sheets. Then the clamps would be engaged, and vacuum pump turned on.
The pressure of the two heavy sheets of rubber should hold the mounting assembly in place, especially if the sheeting material is heavy rubber, with a pad in the center of the bottom sheet to make it bubble out slightly.
If this works, it could be almost any size. And it might be cheap enough that a shop could have a couple of them hanging on the back room walls -- maybe a 36x48 press for routine use, plus a 60x120 press for big jobs. One vacuum pump and timer switch setup could be plugged into either of them.
Has anyone tried something like this?
For several years I've been toying with the idea of building a vertical vacuum press, which would take up some wall space, but almost no floor space.
I have not taken this idea to the drawing board, but it seems pretty simple.
It could consist of two sheets of rubber or neoprene, perhaps 1/4" thick conveyor belt material, with a smaller piece of air-passage material of some thickness, perhaps fiberglass window screen, between them. Any heavy sheeting that is flexible, durable, airtight, smooth-surfaced, and hangs flat could work. Then there would have to be a vacuum pump, connected by tubes to ports in the corners of the top or bottom sheet, and a timer-switch.
The two heavy flexible sheets, with the screen between them, would be hung together on the wall from their top edges. For example, the top edges could be sandwiched between two lengths of 2" wide aluminum angle stock bolted together, and attached to the bottom of a 2x4 anchored horizontally to the wall. The sides and bottom edges of the sheets would be unattached, simply hanging straight down.
The vacuum ports could be most easily fitted into the top (outermost) sheet, but their tubes would have to dangle in front of the assembly, and flex every time the press is used. So, the ports should probably be fitted into the bottom sheet, the one flat against the wall, so the tubes could be stationary and out of the way. That would necessitate some sort of space under the sheet to accomodate the ports and still lay flat, so some sort of spacing structure would have to be built.
A heating blanket similar to what is used in other vacuum presses could be placed under the bottom sheet, which would require insulation between that and the wall.
A clamping mechanism might consist of three separate, full-length clamps overlapping the edges of the bottom and two sides. Woodworking stores sell cam-clamps that could be fitted on each end of each clamp. Very little pressure would be needed; just enough to hold the two sheets' edges together while the vacuum pump draws down. And draw-down time would be minimized because there would be almost no space between the sheets. The screen would assure overall vacuum pressure.
As I imagine it, the top (outermost) layer of flexible material would be lifted up by hand from its bottom edge and the mounting assembly simply slipped in between the sheets. Then the clamps would be engaged, and vacuum pump turned on.
The pressure of the two heavy sheets of rubber should hold the mounting assembly in place, especially if the sheeting material is heavy rubber, with a pad in the center of the bottom sheet to make it bubble out slightly.
If this works, it could be almost any size. And it might be cheap enough that a shop could have a couple of them hanging on the back room walls -- maybe a 36x48 press for routine use, plus a 60x120 press for big jobs. One vacuum pump and timer switch setup could be plugged into either of them.
Has anyone tried something like this?
