Joe, what are your thoughts on this system?
There is a well-known quote from Warren Buffett that "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." When I think of this quote and the vacuum presses we offer, the Excel kits comes to mind. I don't think there is a better value in vacuum press systems anywhere else and our customers seem to agree. Christine and I ship more of this kit then any other on our site. It's designed it to deliver maximum value and that comes through its price, durability, ease of use, and capability. I think you will be very pleased with it.

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Vacuum Clamping Questions

Do the Podz™ vacuum clamping jigs work on porous surfaces?
The overall effectiveness of the clamping apparatus is dependent on the porosity of the work bench surface and the porosity of the material being clamped. If the work bench surface below the clamping jigs is porous - such as unfinished MDF or particle board - then you will have diminished clamping power with this vacuum system. Some woods such as oak and walnut will leak a considerable amount of vacuum and this can reduce the holding ability of the system.

Where can I learn more about the Podz™ clamping jigs?
There is a very helpful questions and answer tab on the Podz product page.

Can this system be used to vacuum clamp projects for CNC routing?
The clamping add-on for this kit is designed for bench-top clamping. It is not designed for large scale CNC work. Most large CNC vacuum clamping systems use a vacuum blower (not a vacuum pump) which can move more than 25 CFM. If the project material being cut is exceptionally porous or will have cut-throughs that will release the vacuum, then this system certainly will not work.

Why can't I order the clamping option with the 240V version of the Excel 5 kit?
The clamping kit requires the electric foot pedal to turn the system on and off. We have not yet obtained foot pedals that will work with the special plug end on the 240v version of the pump.

Why does the clamping add-on on this product appear to cost more than if the Podz clamping kit is ordered separately?
The Podz kit option on the Excel vacuum press system also includes the electric foot pedal. The stand-alone Podz kit on our site does not include the foot pedal.

Can I use the Excel system with the Festool VacSys SE2 clamping jig?
I honestly do not know if for sure if the Excel kit is suitable for this Festool clamping jig. I suspect it could work, but I don't know how it would be connected. I do believe some users are having success with it using the Excel 3 or 5.

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Vacuum Chucking Questions

Can this system be used for vacuum chucking?
There is no safe way to answer this question. More information needs to be provided. You would need to know three things...

1. What is the surface area where the chuck attaches to the project?
2. Is the project material porous? (some species of wood are very porous)
3. How much weight will be held on the chuck at turning speed?

With these bits of information, you can calculate a number that will help you determine if the pump is safe to use for chucking. Continue on to the next question.

How much clamping force will the Excel 5 create for vacuum chucking?
This is based on a calculation using the maximum sustainable vacuum level and the surface area where the project is attached to the chuck. A smaller attachment area means less clamping/chucking force. A large industrial pump capable of pulling a very high vacuum may not be suitable for chucking if the vacuum surface area of the project is small. You have to calculate the vacuum surface area on your project first. Then determine what amount of vacuum you are capable of applying to the project. With this information, you can determine the total clamping force on the project and consider whether or not it is enough to safely hold your project while it is being turned. Here is the method for calculating the clamping force.

1. Determine the surface area of the vacuum attachment point. In most cases, the vacuum chuck will be circular so use Pi (roughly 3.14) to determine this number. The formula starts by taking the diameter and dividing by two. This gives you the radius. Then multiply the radius by 3.14 and then multiply it again by the radius. Let's use a chuck diameter of 6" and determine the surface area. Divide 6 by 2. That makes 3 so then multiply 3 times 3.14 (Pi), then multiply that again by 3.
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   6 ÷ 2 = 3
   3 x 3.14 = 9.42
   3 x 9.42 = 28.26
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   So here we have 28.26 square inches in a 6" diameter chucking surface.
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2. Determine the maximum sustainable vacuum level that you can reach with your project piece attached to the vacuum chuck simply by placing it on the chuck and turning on your vacuum pump. A non-porous material that is chucked to your lathe will typically achieve the same level of maximum vacuum that your pump is capable of achieving. In other words, the project material itself allows no loss of vacuum therefor the pump will achieve its best available vacuum.
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   In the following example let's assume that the project material is non-porous and that the pump can generate 25" of Hg. For every inch of Hg vacuum, you get .49 lbs per square inch of pressure. Multiply .49 by the vacuum level that the pump can create.
   
   .49 x 25 = 12.25 (this is how much pressure in pounds that you are getting per square inch)
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3. Multiply 28.26 x 12.25 to get 346.19 lbs of force holding your project to the lathe.
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4. Now only you can decide if that is enough chucking force to safely hold your project.

What if the chucking project is porous? How do I determine if this pump is suitable?
Unfortunately, there is no way to determine this without actually placing the project on a vacuum chuck. You would need to determine the actual maximum sustainable vacuum and this will vary across each project you try out depending on the size and porosity of the material.

What pump do you recommend for vacuum chucking?
I can only suggest one thing... the bigger, the better. Several of our customers are using 3 CFM vacuum sources for chucking but most are opting for 5 CFM vacuum sources.