Thread: Vacuum table powered by a shop vac

Wouldn't you eventually burn out the motor?

I was thinking the same thing but it does not seem to worry the maker of the table

Since his vacuum cost US$25, I don't think he has reason to be worried about it having a limited life....

At 1:40 in the video, the guy grasps has vacuum fitting and lifts the VC unit in preparation to lifting the sheet using the fitting. In the proccess of grasping the fitting, he slides it a good 50mm accross the board.
The biggest issue with a vac table in a commercial situation is normally not stopping the work from lifting off the bed (unless it is extremely light and thin), but stopping it brom being moved on the table by the cutting forces, and producing rubbish. Might be different for smaller systems with lower capacity feed systems, I don't know, but would be a big issue for a commercial unit.
The 2400 x 1800 Procam I used to operate ran two 10HP vac units for table vacuum through an MDF diffuser sheet and needed a minimum area of 0.1sqm to ensure that the job would not move on the table. But it did run 2x600W servo motors on X and 1x600W on Y.

don't forget this is used for cutting veneer with a drag knife and he does go through vac's
I think its ok for the use