"Holding On
A low cost, but effective vacuum table is appraised by Peter Roper
Within any workshop there is always need for an affective vacuum table. When using a router this need becomes almost an essential requirement, especially when machining an all around edge moulding on say a kitchen cupboard door.
Click to Expand
However, the cost of buying a commercial vacuum table maybe prohibitive, and the effort required in making your own too much to consider.
To cater for the demand from amateur as well as professional router users for a cost effective table, M.POWER Tools are just about to introduce the Mini Mach.
This is a unit that resembles a tea tray with ball bearings placed geometrically within it, but is versatile, transportable and is operated by nothing more complicated than a conventional vacuum cleaner or dust extractor unit.
Click to Expand
Based on a scaled down version of the company's very popular V Mach unit, launched just last September, the Mini Mach features outstanding performance.
Once the vacuum cleaner hose is pushed onto the tapered and grooved connector all that is necessary, apart from switching on the cleaner's motor is to place the unit onto a rigid flat surface.
A simple control valve allows the suction to the unit to be cut for easy removal or repositioning of the workpiece.
The vacuum cleaner I used was fairly powerful with a 1000Watt motor, but the manufacturers state that it will work just as effectively with virtually any cleaner [We recommend 1000Watt non-cyclone models].
Click to Expand
It must be said that the table works better with man?made boards such as MDF sheet [fibreboard] and especially if it is large enough to cover the majority of the apertures. I tried a piece of wide T&G floor board and whilst it held very rigidly when working directly over the table, when moved to create an overhang of 400mm plus, it did show signs of lifting of the sprung ball bearings that allow vacuum cells to be created.
In fairness the board was twisted, and only covered about 25 per cent of the cells available.
A sheet of MDF works very well. Indeed, once pushed down onto the ball bearing valves it was almost impossible to pull the sheet off. Applying horizontal pressure, such as is created when routing around the edge of board, the Mini Mach features outstanding suction power.
Strips of butyl rubber adhered around the perimeter of the base side and geometrically positioned on the work surface greatly assist in increasing the holding power.
With a price tag of just £89.95 [Now £65] inclusive of VAT, the Mini Mach offers tremendous value for money and could well become an essential buy for all router users.
| 
