Hey everyone! I'm diving into a project where I'll be building some stave core interior doors. Previously, I just used clamps for laminating thicker veneer to a core, but I'm feeling a bit hesitant about that for larger pieces like doors. I came across a video where they used a vacuum bag for clamping veneers onto the rails and stiles, and it seemed really effective. The vacuum bag they used was about 40"x80", but I didn't catch the size of the pump. Would a small pump around 1.5 CFM work, even if it's slower compared to a more powerful pump? I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest route; I'm open to investing in quality equipment. I'd love to hear your suggestions on what size pump I should target or where I can find a good system. Just a hobbyist here but planning to make a couple dozen doors this year.
3 Answers
I have a pump with a flow rate of 140 Lpm and it works great with a 60"x120" bag. You shouldn’t have any issues with that size!
You can definitely work with a lower CFM pump if you're using an adhesive with a longer setting time. The good vacuum bags are designed to reduce air pockets, so that helps too. My smallest pump does about 0.5 or 0.75 CFM and it's served me well.
I recommend checking out Vacupress—I've got one of their pumps, and it's been reliable. They also made a helpful video about choosing the right pump size that you might want to check out, even if you decide on something else.
Really helpful! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks! That sounds solid. Is the price around $500 for something like that?