Vacuum Jigs

Tom,

I am not at home right now, but I'll ask a couple of questions so that I can try to answer you and maybe show you.  That's just the kind of OLD guy I am.

Partial repair or total replacement?  What kind of siding?

I have some primed smooth hardiplank and also some factory finished at the house to try it on to see if it will stick.  My house is hardboard siding that is another project in motion.  Darcy, that's on the list behind the door painting.

Just let me know what you want me to try and stick it to and I'll try.

Ole
 
Thanks, Peter!

I'm replacing 30+ year old pressed crap siding with 12" x 12' Hardi Plank. I forget what they call it but the textured kind with the faux wood look. There are various reasons for this job, one of which is raccoons and squirrels chewing through the old stuff to get in the attic in winter. If they try that with Hardi, it would be like nails on a chalkboard.

So, basically, what I need is another person 10' away to hold one end while I tack the opposite end. I've already done the whole back of the house using jacks that I made out of scrap and pieces of old trim that I replaced. It worked OK but it was too time consuming for my taste. What's left is a gable end above a rock wall, which is probably about 100' of siding starting about 10' off the ground.

If this works, I could conceivably put one on each end with a tee. The only row that would still be a pain would be the starter.

Tom
 
Thanks, Darcy!

That looks like the perfect solution. I feel pretty stupid having done so much of it the way I did?

Tom
 
[welcome]

There are even more kinds out there.

A siding/roofing supply house in your area should stock something similar.

[cool]
 
peter halle said:
When we were at the first training class in Lebanon, we got a chance to see the Festool Vacuum Clamping set that is available in Europe and that might be making its way overseas in the future. 
Click to expand...

Peter

What did you think of the Festool VAC-SYS when you saw it? Was it up and running and did you use it for projects, or was it more a display item?

I see that Peter HS has seen one at a UK dealer's open day, but I have yet to find a review of it anywhere, and its non-availability in the USA doesn't help matters!

I am particularly interested to hear how well it works with MDF and bare pine, rather than MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard, eg Contiplas), laminated worktops and other smooth surfaces with minimal porosity.

For interest, the holding force specifications (with the workpiece vertical and horizontal) are:

Suction plate:  Holding Force in kg (vertical):  Holding Force in kg (horizontal):  Holding Force in lb (vertical):  Holding Force in lb (horizontal): 
215 dia5590121.2198.4
275x100355377.1116.8
200x60223048.566.1
277x32212746.359.5

(Note by Festool: specifications for smooth surfaces such as plexiglas, Resitex and worktop material, not MDF. The holding force may decrease by up to 20% over the course of the years.)

Forrest

 
Forrest Anderson said:
peter halle said:
When we were at the first training class in Lebanon, we got a chance to see the Festool Vacuum Clamping set that is available in Europe and that might be making its way overseas in the future. 
Click to expand...
...I see that Peter HS has seen one at a UK dealer's open day, but I have yet to find a review of it anywhere, and its non-availability in the USA doesn't help matters!...Forrest
Click to expand...

I didn't study the internals of the vac system in much detail. It was attached to the rails on the MFT and it was very secure. The vacuum pipe was connected to something under the MFT. It might have been one of the dust extraction vacs or it might have been a special purpose unit but I'm really not sure. All I can say, is that one piece of material was held on the vac sys and it was released without any problem. The new piece was simply dropped onto the plate and it was instantly held. I tried shaking it off but it stayed stuck and it inspires confidence in the product.
 
Peter HS said:
Forrest Anderson said:
peter halle said:
When we were at the first training class in Lebanon, we got a chance to see the Festool Vacuum Clamping set that is available in Europe and that might be making its way overseas in the future. 
Click to expand...
...I see that Peter HS has seen one at a UK dealer's open day, but I have yet to find a review of it anywhere, and its non-availability in the USA doesn't help matters!...Forrest
Click to expand...
The vacuum pipe was connected to something under the MFT. It might have been one of the dust extraction vacs or it might have been a special purpose unit but I'm really not sure.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input.

The Clamping Unit would have been connected by a pipe to the special-purpose vacuum pump (VAC-SYS VP), but because the pump is housed in a Systainer, it would probably have blended in to the background due to all the other Systainers lying around on the Open Day!

Forrest

 
Tom,

I tried out the block with the vacuum pump on the following surfaces w/ one layer of the tape .125 in x .375 in.  The results:

1.  Dirty old hardboard siding - ok
2.  Painted Hardiplank siding - ok
3.  Factory primed flat Hardiplank siding - no
4.  Factory finished Hardiplank wood grain siding - sometimes

w/ 2 layers of tape

1 thru 4 ok.

I personally do not agree with Darcy's comment that this would be more time consuming.  This little block with some minor modifications could be used to set your started course and then every course with the correct reveal on one end - you'd use scrap to make a jig when you start at the opposite end.  When you get done, take off the modifications to the plastic block and take it inside to hold up that end of 16' chair rail that your dog decided to chew up, etc.

Many different ways to do things.

Peter
 
Forrest,

The unit that was in Lebanon was a working model.  It was up and running when we walked back into the classroom at some point in time.  I admit that I looked but didn't fixate or drool because I knew that I already owned a start.  It was very well designed, quiet, and the clamping pod with its interchangeable clamping pads and the ability to rotate and tilt was pretty cool.  I think that they came and placed a large plank down on it and the Brian used that to pick up most of MFT to show his its strength.  

Any class attendees fill in the blanks for this OLD man.  My memory banks are getting foggy.

If clarity has returned to the jello above, I am pretty darn sure that they said that this would be coming to the US.

Sorry I couldn't remember more.

Peter

edited to correct spelling
 
Once you get the first row of Cement siding set, all you have to do it put the clips on, set the next row and so on.

Take clips out when done.  The clips will give you your desired reveal every time.  you would have to reset the vacum clamp each time and measure for your reveal, unless you sized the clamp.

The clips are quick and cheap, some models.

My 2 cents from using the clips.
 
I shot a video to show the basics and to spur thinking for those who might be be interested in vacuum clamping whether it be the Festool system that will be coming here or otherwise.  It has been posted elsewhere on the web, but thought that it might be interesting here also.  It is unedited except for titles, and I'm still learning the camera.  I'll do better in 5 years or so.

Hope that this gets your thinking caps on.

It is about ten minutes - sorry.

Peter

Vacuum Clamping Cheap and Ideas

 
Peter, I'm not going to bother to put my thinking cap, I'm going let you figure this stuff out then steal your ideas. [tongue] Great video!
 
Brice,

Thank you.  Steal away.  But there are two ideas that I'm working on that I will not share - at least not yet.

Peter
 
peter halle said:
Brice,

Thank you.  Steal away.  But there are two ideas that I'm working on that I will not share - at least not yet.

Peter
Click to expand...

Okay but I'm going to have to try and think of a way to pry your new ideas out of you.  ;) Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
 
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