North American Festool VAC-SYS

[Michael Kellough]

Rick,

I can see the foot switch in your picture. My question is, compressor or vacuum pump? Description of the source please. I recall seeing the vac clamp at the training center, we did not get to play with it.

Tom

Tom Bellemare said "A while back, I showed how the air-operated vacuum clamp I have and sell EASILY supports a 4' x 2' x 3/4" slab of MDF above.

I decided that personally, I would rather have the vacuum-operated version so I got one and all of the suction plates plus the high tech German vacuum pump. I also got a Robinair vacuum pump to test a significantly lower investment alternative."

Tom sells this stuff

 

[Rick Christopherson]

poor Rick...all those systainers and not one T-loc...

[smile]

What'd you say?  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

[attachimg=#]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Rick,

I can see the foot switch in your picture. My question is, compressor or vacuum pump? Description of the source please. I recall seeing the vac clamp at the training center, we did not get to play with it.

Tom

Festool uses a vacuum pump in a systainer.

 

[tjbnwi]

Rick,

I can see the foot switch in your picture. My question is, compressor or vacuum pump? Description of the source please. I recall seeing the vac clamp at the training center, we did not get to play with it.

Tom

Festool uses a vacuum pump in a systainer.

Thank you.

Tom

 

[tbellemare]

The NAINA Festool clamp uses a vacuum pump in a systainer with the connections and manometer on the side, if I'm not mistaken. Based on the image above, it is also capable of being used in a frivolously dangerous manner as is the Schmalz gear that I sell.

Festool, Fein, and Schmalz are all Swabian companies. I once spent a week consulting at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. That part of the country is riddled with world class, innovative industries. Stuttgart is sort of at the center of it all. If you see a manufacturing company that is headquartered in Swabia, it is not uncommon that it is near the top of its game.

Schmalz is considered by many to be the world leader in applied vacuum technology for material handling, process automation, and now, manual processing of, largely, woodworking.

Tom

EDIT:
Rick beat me to the pump thing...

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks Tom.

By the way, why didn't you tell me I was down to 5 sheets of 80 grit Granat when I ordered paper a few weeks ago?

Tom

 

[tbellemare]

I forgot... I was too depressed because I didn't have beer bottles precariously perched on a fence picket in my shop.

Tom

 

[leakyroof]

I forgot... I was too depressed because I didn't have beer bottles precariously perched on a fence picket in my shop.

Tom

  Wow, I think that was a near miss to Rick...... [eek] [big grin]  The bottles were probably empties, wouldn't want to risk damaging the beer inside...

 

[erock]

Tom, you're gonna make a video of this in use?  [popcorn] [popcorn] [popcorn] [thanks]

Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

Tom, you're gonna make a video of this in use?   [popcorn] [popcorn] [popcorn] [thanks]

Eric

Sure I will, if the other Tom sends my one to try.  [big grin]

What, this was not a question for me? [sad] It asked "Tom"....

Tom

 

[tbellemare]

Yes, I am, Eric.

I'm going to make a video of both the air-powered and vacuum-powered versions in use.

I originally got the air-powered version because it is more economical and it seemed logical to just use the air compressor as the power source. Everybody has air where they work, right?

Though it works great, my compressor is really noisy. Even the constant noise of the air hissing out of the suction plate fouled the serenity of my shop. So, I decided the vacuum-operated version was worth the extra power source.

I'll put together the video in the next few days and I think most will agree.

Tom

Sure I will, if the other Tom sends my one to try.

If it were totally up to me, you'd already have one to try...

 

[leakyroof]

poor Rick...all those systainers and not one T-loc...

[smile]

What'd you say?  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

[attachimg=#]

  Exactly the point I was making.  [eek]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I forgot... I was too depressed because I didn't have beer bottles precariously perched on a fence picket in my shop.

Tom

 Wow, I think that was a near miss to Rick...... [eek] [big grin]  The bottles were probably empties, wouldn't want to risk damaging the beer inside...

Near miss? I think not.  [scared] Hey, I had to use something to show scale, right.  [big grin]

I got the VacSys in 2009 when I was visiting Indiana, and they showed it to the End-User training class. I brought my 300 pound smoker with me to smoke ribs for the students and formally announce the release of my MGS guides.

I wanted that VacSys so bad that I told Michael Williams I was willing to trade him my smoker for it. He'd been drooling over my smoker the whole time I was there. When he agreed to the trade way too fast, I knew something was up. He said he was planning on sending it home with me anyways, but thanks for the cool smoker.  [scared] [scared]

I kept the smoker, but I got the heck out of there before "Guido" could take it out of the back of my truck.