Virutex SVN 460

[barry...@gmail.com]

I stumbled across this product on youtube and Chris from Driftwood Guitars was extolling its virtues.

In the video he mentions modifying it to use a vacuum pump rather than driving it with a compressor.

The vacuum pump is much quieter - does anyone know how to make this modification and can you suggest a vacuum pump to use?

Thanks!

In His Name -
Barry

[Neill S Morgan]

Barry, I have one of these that was delivered a few minutes before I left for ten days. When I get back home I plan to figure out the pump and will let you know if nobody else has chimed in here.

Neill

> On Aug 22, 2025, at 4:37 AM, barry...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> I stumbled across this product on youtube and Chris from Driftwood Guitars was extolling its virtues.

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[Barry Oren]

Thanks Neill -

In His Name -

Barry 

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[Charles Tauber]

Not sure I have an answer to your question. However, I have an identical basic vacuum unit, without the rotatable base, that I purchased a decade or so ago. I haven't really used it as having a compressor constantly running doesn't work well in my small shop. Likely the Australian company Vac-Clamp that patented the basic unit has sold the company or rights and it seems to now be sold as the Virutex, with or without the rotating base. 

Earlier this year, I purchased a Joe Woodworker vacuum pump kit. It works very well. So, when I saw your question, I remembered that I had the V-Clamp and spent an hour investigating its use with a vacuum pump rather than a compressor. My conclusion was that the integral Venturi unit isn't really removable or bypass-able. It isn't a standard Venturi arrangement, though it seems like a clever implementation. If one simply attaches a vacuum pump to the inlet port of the V-Clamp and plugs the small exhaust hole, one is drawing a vacuum directly - rather than blowing compressed air out the outlet past the Venturi/vacuum port. It does draw a vacuum on the surface of the V-Clamp. However, I didn't find it to be a very strong clamping force. If in the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0R9dMkwy7s, the unit has in some way been altered, it isn't obvious to me. I'll write to Chris and ask him what modification he has made. 

Being new to vacuum clamping, I was expecting the same solidity of the workpiece as one obtains with more traditional clamping. That is, a completely rigid, non-moving workpiece. Instead, apparently due to the rubber seals against which the workpiece is clamped, there is a certain amount of seemingly inherent movement.  (I note in the Driftwood video, that he dismisses the amount of play in the rotating base. I think I'd find the play irritating.) My question for those experienced in using vacuum work holding for guitars is, is this typical of vacuum clamping of guitars, that there is a certain amount of "play" in the clamped workpiece?

Charles  

[Barry Oren]

Thank you Charles.

In His Name -

Barry 

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[Paul McEvoy]

I'm confused.  What are you using this for?

Paul McEvoy
207-699-9526

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[Barry Oren]

Paul, I’ll be using it as a clamping device to hold the guitar (or parts) while I’m working on it. 

This is a good video of it:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0R9dMkwy7s

In His Name -

Barry 

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[Charles Tauber]

A follow-up...

I did write to Driftwood guitars asking what modifications they made to the clamp so that it would work with a vacuum pump rather than a compressor, as stated in their video. I received no response. 

I modified the clamp that I have so that it now works with a vacuum pump. It is a simple, three-minute alteration to the clamp. Cast/molded into the body of the clamp is a hollow reinforcement for the passage of air.  All that is necessary to use the clamp with a vacuum pump is to bypass the integral Venturi that is set into the hollow reinforcement. To so so, drill a single diagonal auxiliary hole into the reinforcement from the clamping face, creating a channel through which to draw a vacuum. Place tape, such as electrical tape, over the original exhaust port and the original vacuum port to eliminate any air flow through those ports. Attach your vacuum pump line directly to the existing/original port on the side of the clamp body. Air is drawn from the face of the clamp through the auxiliary hole you drilled into the reinforcement, bypassing the Venturi and its exhaust. 

To use the clamp with a compressor, one needs only to remove the tape and seal the auxiliary hole with a piece of tape.

Charles

[barry...@gmail.com]

Charles - you’re awesome! Thank you for this info. 

Much appreciated!

In His Name - 

Barry

On Sep 4, 2025, at 9:18 PM, 'Charles Tauber' via Robert O'Brien Guitar Building Forum <obrien...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

A follow-up...

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[Gill Brewster]

Thank you for work on how to modify to use with a vacuum pump. I’m not picturing about where the hole is drilled for the modification.  Any chance you could show a picture.

Thanks, Gill

Gill Brewster Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 4, 2025, at 21:36, barry...@gmail.com wrote:

Charles - you’re awesome! Thank you for this info. 

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