Of course the one part I really wanted to document well and my camera batteries went dead. Just got some new ones but it's a little late. Here is the near finished heating element in place.
Another photo of the heating element. You can see the two fiberglass insulated heat shielded wires sticking out. They are there awating the last part of the table. The heating controller should be on order next week.
Here is the heater control unit I won on ebay. I am still waiting for it to arrive but I got it at about 10% it's real cost so I'm happy.
This is the cord with both hot and the ground wires set up to run the heater.
This is the extension cord/adapter cord I made to convert My dryer outlet to the power controller unit's plug. The controller unit is supposed to be here on Tuesday.
Just recieved the plastic in. This is 2 of the .093 ABS 4x8'plastic sheets precut to 16 24x24" sheets.
Did a test fit of one of the sheets and it is clamped in and held fairly well. I still think I will try putting grip tape on it to make sure there is a good solid hold. I just don't know if grip tape will hold up to the heat.
Here is the final table. The top is the voltage controller and heating element. The side bars are used to slide the frame up and down. The part with all the holes is the vacuum table. Everything seems to have come out pretty well it it is working well.
It has been a while since I updated these pictures. I have completely redone the table and vacuum storage tank with a beer keg now. The wood box was just too difficult to keep air tight. Who would have thunk wood wouldn't be air tight?
The new table was done in 4 layers. first was the base, a 24"x24"x3/4" pice of MDF. Then the next layer was 22"x22"x3/4 MDF. On top of that was a 24"x24"x1/4" sheet of hardboard cut in a hollow sqare similar to the white seal in the above picture. the top layer was another 22"x22"x3/4 MDF. The top then had the holes drilled and lines cut between them so the vacuum would cover everything.
Underneth the first two layers had a lage hole drilled in them and a piece of PVC with an adapter to 1" pipe thread JB welded into the hole. The pipe was hotwater heater pipe that I got for the flexibility. It then goes through a ball valve and then into the top of the keg. The copper tube running out to the right is actually the lever. It is connected at one end to the ball valve lever and the other end sticks out as seen in the next picture.
Here you can see the outside of the lever. It is now in the open position. Pulled up vertically and it would be in the closed position.
And finally, my entire shop.