Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone know of a good source for a vacuum pump for a bridge application?

Any help would be apreciated!

Thanks

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I don't know anything about them, but http://www.qualityvak.com/electric.html

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Peter
I made the Joe woodworker EVS pump system with reservoirs. It is very nice.
As far as a bridge clamp to go with it, you can easily make your own or LMI
has a very nice one prefabricated

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Get a used refrigeration pump (cheap to free), make a resivoir from 4" pvc pipe, and get an adjustable vacuum control switch from McMaster-Carr. Connect it all up and you're in business.

Al

Thanks guys,
I would love to make my own but with so many guitars in progress I rather just buy something already assembled.

But, who knows....
Anyone knows where I can get some plans in case I was to build my own?


Thanks

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

joewoodworker sells the pumps, parts, etc, and the plans are, or were, free on his site. i haven't visited for a while.

his prices for new, high quality components are as good as you can get without scoring a major win on ebay.

Thanks!!
I think I found what I needed at Joewoodworker!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Peter,

A few weeks ago I removed my partially falling off bridge off my cedar topped 12 string and re-glued with hide glue and this pump.



The most expensive part will be the compound vacuum gauges which can be had on e-bay for as low as $20 or $30 dollars. It worked great and these pumps are whisper quite, you literally can not here them when you are using them! I have used this same pump for the new vacuum dishes we are developing and it performed great at that also! I have larger compressor that I am going to set up (From a more heavy duty fridge unit) but it may not be necessary, I just have it so I will try it.

Joe is a good guy as well, I just orderd some vacuum film from him.

Shane

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Canada

WOW! Thats a big one!

what are you using it for? .....roofs?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Ah, it just looks Big Peter, it is smaller than an empty diaper box ! Seriously, fridge compressors are quite small and you can use whatever you want for the reservior, PVC like Joewoodworker suggests or just find a 20 lb propane tank or a used refridgerant tank like this one, anything to just help you get the initial pull. My buddy and I had this together in about 20 minutes. I then added the switch and the stand in another couple of hours (including looking around the shop for scraps to make it with, like the lovely edge grain spruce to hold the gauges).

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Canada

LMI sells a Compressor Vacuum Valve that allows to use your compressor for all of this stuff. Might be worth checking out. If that don't work than just send your guitar and the bridge over here and I will glue it on for you....I am sure you will understand that it got lost when I return shipped it !

Shane

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Canada

I built the evs from Joewoodworker after it was suggested by some in this forum. I'm happy with it. It's a 1/8 hp Thomas pump, quiet and small. The whole thing fits on a shelf behind my workbench. Works great for holding, haven't tried a vacuum bridge clamp yet. I didn't want to take the time to build it either, it takes a few hours once you have all the parts.

My gosh Marc, what a clean, impressive shop. And that vac guitar holder...that thing is huge. Very nice! What's the story on the holder? Heck the base that the vac holder sits on is rather impressive. Nice work.   

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

vac clamp appears to be the standard lmi product.

Bill, the vacuum holder is available at lmii, I think they're relatively commonplace in the luthier community, but it's new to me. It's very convenient but I'm having a little trouble getting use to it--it's unsettling having the guitar held by a vacuum. That's why I built the evs system, the reservoirs give a margin of safety and the pump doesn't have to run continuously.

If you use a fridge compressor (i recommend it for a small, inexpensive system) it *may* not be a good idea to put a vacuum switch in the circuit. Some fridge compressors won't restart at high vacuum. You might have to plumb in an unloading valve to make it work.
With my unit, I just leave the pump running for the hour or so necessary.
joewoodworker.com is a brilliant source of vacuum clamping info.