I want a vacuum table!

[Tenson]

Okay well a floor vacuum will tend to move around 3000-4000l/min so certianly a higher flow rate!

As soon as the sheet has some holes cut in it there will be a fair amount of air flow I suppose. It would only take a 3mm wide cut 600mm long to give an open area about the same as the vacuum hose. That's why I worry about using a pump as I think the sort I can afford might not manage without a really good seal. I suppose when the sheet stock is held down perfectly flat I could accurately cut just shy of all the way through helping to keep the suction up. I'd then just cut the perimeter of the piece with a knife. I think I've heard this referred to as 'onion skinning'. Kind of like tagging, but the remaining stock is not strong enough to hold the part, it just keeps the vacuum up.

This is an interesting video anyway: