The Open Source Vacbed.

Version 1, September 2020

In this guide, we’ll show you how to build a vacbed from scratch. You don’t need to be an expert latex
crafter to be able to make this. The aim of this guide is to simplify the build process, so that a vacbed is
accessible / affordable to more kinksters!

1. Safety First
You are responsible for your own safety. Neither myself or anyone else is responsible if you screw up, get
hurt or even die. People have actually died, playing with these alone, and the risk is still present even if
you play with someone else. The risks include compression asphyxia, suffocation and strangulation.

As such you need to be aware of the risks, have tools to destroy the vacbed and facilitate those inside a
quick escape if need be. Never play while using drugs or alcohol. If you have any doubts in your ability to
build this, then don’t proceed with building it.

During construction, it is essential to use the adhesives and solvents ONLY in a well ventilated area.

2. Tools required:

You’ll need the following tools:

Drill – A basic cordless drill will be fine
3mm drill bit suitable for plastic/metal
8mm drill bit suitable for plastic/metal
Hacksaw, or a PVC pipe cutter that can fit 32mm pipe if that’s accessible.
Rag
Coarse Sandpaper (80 grit is good)
Ultra fine Sandpaper (400 grit is good)
Metal Tape measure.
Sharpie Marker
20mm roller cutter
Rubber roller
Cutting surface suitable for latex

3. Materials needed:

You’ll need the following materials. To assist in purchasing, a price/ item code list is provided below:
Item Quantity From Item Code Total Cost
32mm PVC Ball Valve 1 Bunnings 5070690 14.42
32mm PVC T Junction 1 Bunnings 3142368 3.54
32mm PVC Coupling 2 Bunnings 3140837 3.68
32mm PVC 90degree 3 Bunnings 3141320 7.92
Elbow
32mm PVC Pipe 6 metres Bunnings 4750152 29.76
Clamps for closing 2 pack Bunnings 5860098 9.25
20mm Conduit for 1 metre Bunnings 4331892 5.50
closing mech.
Protek Priming Fluid 125ml Bunnings 4750121 4.50
Protek Type P PVC 125ml Bunnings 3140033 5.50
Cement
0.4mm, 1m wide Sheet 6 metres Bella Rubber NA 228.00
latex, in your
choice of colour
Latex glue 500ml Leffler.com.au FOSS FITTING ROOM 25.30
CEMENT No9 500ML
(FITROO.5)
Latex solvent 500ml Leffler.com.au SOLVENT FOR No9 14.18
FITTING ROOM CEMENT
500ML (SOLFIT.500)
1.2m PEX Pipe 1 Bunnings 4950090 6.20
20mm pipe for 1 metre minimum Bunnings 4750047 3.98
breathing

Total Material costs: $357.75

Note: Price is for a basic model with breathing tube only.
4. Notes on materials
When purchasing PVC pipe / joiners of all shapes. We are sticking to a couple of standards. Everything is
32mm. Nothing is threaded, joints are being made by pushing pipe / joint together, and gluing some
sections together, but not all, because we intend this vacbed frame to be 7 modules that can be
dismantled and easily portable. Purchasing strictly to the product code (if available in your area) will
ensure you get the right parts. If not, it will pay to check that all the joiners will attach to the pipe you’re
working with.

The joiner hardware we’ll be using to link the pipes

A tool that will make your life easier is a PVC pipe cutter. You can achieve some really nice cuts on your
pipes if you use it correctly. A word of warning though, start operating it really gently. If you’re too quick,
you’ll crack the PVC pipe and may need to replace It. Increase your speed only when you have initially
broken the surface of the pipe.

You can save a lot of time and achieve nice cuts with this device. Use it with extreme care. Observe the picture on the
right. This is what happens to impatient users of the pipe cutter.
 Once you have broken through the pipe, then you may increase the cutting speed.

The PVC pipe you’ll purchase will be in 3 metre sections. Take this into consideration when loading it into
your car…. You might luck out and find the slightly more expensive 1 metre pre-cut version of this pipe,
but if you can’t be sure to have a method to cut your pipe into 1 metre segments when you get it to the
car. The pipe cutters will be a nice thing to have for this.

Don’t hesitate to read each instruction ahead thoroughly before carrying them out. There’s plenty of
handy hints to help you get the best results, with photos and advice.
5. Let’s get building!

1. The first step is to make the appropriate cuts of the 32mm PVC piping. You will want to make the
following pieces:

a. 4 pieces of 1 metre pipes for the short sides of the vacbed

b. 2 pieces of 84cm pipes for the long sides of the vacbed

Measure twice – Cut once: Be sure to be consistent in your measurements when cutting the pipe. The
more consistent they are, the better the vacbed will hold together. You can always allow a couple of mm
inaccuracy and it’ll be ok, but don’t hesitate to double check your measurements!

Also cut a 10cm piece from your offcuts. Don’t drill holes into this. It’ll be used for the valve.

2. Drill the holes!

This is an easy task. A good rule of thumb is to mark out every 10cm along the pipe. Avoid drilling the
markings close to either end of the pipe so you don’t risk cracking it. To be efficient, mark the holes where
any text is printed because you’ll be using a sandpaper there to remove burr. You may as well remove
text a the same time. Drill the holes with a 3mm drill bit rated for plastic first, this will make a pilot hole.
Go over the holes again with an 8mm drill and carefully bring them up to size. Do this for all 6 pipes you
cut.

When you have completed drilling, grab a course sand paper to scrape off the burr from drilling. Leaving it
there can risk scratching/ripping the latex…. When completed, finish the sanding with a ultra fine
sandpaper to smooth it all up.

Best practice is to not drill holes close to the extreme ends of each pipe. They’re not necessary, and it’s good to not
risk breaking the pipe.
 Drill along the text line, for added efficiency. It also serves as a handy guide to keep your holes relatively straight.

Don’t worry if you screw up and end up with jagged holes like this. They can be corrected using your drill bit, and sand
papers. Make sure they have no jagged bits pointing outward.
 Be sure to make those holes nice and smooth. It doesn’t take much to make a cut into latex.

Also sand the ends. If anything comes apart, it’s another opportunity for sharp edges to ruin the latex.
3. Put it all together to admire your handiwork, and see that it all fits:

Let’s check that you got your lengths right. We can also use this step so you can get an appreciation of
where pieces go, and what parts will (or won’t) be glued together.

The pipes placed together.

So how do I put it all together?

Just plug it all together, but don’t glue anything yet. You just want to check that it all fits snug. Let’s go
through the pieces in this picture.

A: It’s an offcut of pipe placed in the inlet. Not necessary. You may wish to build an adaptor that holds
your vacuum snug to this point. Totally optional and 3d printers are great for this. We won’t be covering
much more on this piece here.

B: Ball valve. Note how this is connected to part C using that 10cm offcut created in the step 1.

C: T-Junction

D, F, J, L: 1 metre pipes

E, K: Couplings

G, I, M: 90 degree elbows

H, N: 84cm pipes.

REMEMBER: All the holes drilled in Step 2 should face where the user will be laying, ie, face them toward
the centre. This will allow efficient suction, and they will catch on less latex allowing them to suck more
air quickly. You don’t want them blocked until everything is so tight, that no more air can be taken out!
4. What do we glue?:

Seeing as we want to keep this vacbed portable, and that you shouldn’t need a ute to carry it about, we
need to be able to pull it apart. We only want to glue sections where it really counts, and to minimise the
amount of bits to plug together. In this design, we have brought the pipe components down to 7
segments.

The segments you need to glue together have been outlined in the above picture.

Segment A: Glue one of the 84cm pipes to 2x corner pieces.

Segment B x2: Glue a 1m pipe to a coupler.
Segment C x2: Just leave 2x 1m pipes as they are, don’t glue them to anything.
Segment D: Just glue an 84cm pipe to 1x corner piece.
Segment E: Glue the ball valve to the T junction with a 10cm piece of PVC pipe between.

While the unglued bits are plugged together when the vacbed is in use, suction will flow through them
freely. The gasket we’ll be making in the latex bag will stretch over the pipe between valve and T-
junction. That’s really the only crucial part that needs gluing, as it’s external facing. So take time and care
to get it right.

REMEMBER: Face the drilled holes to the middle toward where the user would be laying!!!
5. How do we glue it?:

These are the glue / priming fluid jars you’ll be using

IMPORTANT: USE THIS IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA WITH NO NAKED FLAMES NEARBY. BETTER YET, DO IT
OUTSIDE. THIS STUFF STINKS AND IS DANGEROUS IF MISUSED.

CLEAN the joins:

Wear disposable globes, get a rag, dip it into priming fluid (red) solution, and give the areas to be glued a
light clean with it. This stuff leaves a red/pink stain, so be sensible in using it.

GLUE the joins

While still wearing disposable gloves, use the lid which has an attached brush of the glue (green jar) to
brush the inside of the jointers, and about 1cm of the ends of pipes that need gluing. Once it is done, be
sure to align the pipe so the holes are the right way then make the join. This stuff bonds pretty quickly so
don’t fuck it up, plan your join before putting it together.

When you are done, leave all the parts in an open area, preferably outdoors to cure for 24 hours. Be sure
to wash the work area, and your hands thoroughly afterwards. Make sure the parts are in a well ventilated
area if you can’t leave them outside. The smell will persist while it’s curing.
6. Cut the latex sheets:

The latex you have ordered is normally 1m wide. That’s what we want. Out of the six metres you ordered,
cut two sheets that are 2.5 metres long. The latex has a side that is more shinier than the other. Use the
dullest side for all your markings. You can also use low-tack masking tape you can write on to mark
metres as well.

When you’ve marked your intended cuts, use your roller cutter and a suitable cutting surface underneath.
As a rule, you generally want to finish a cut non-stop from start to end. This isn’t always possible on cuts 1
metre long like we’re doing here. If you really have to stop, be sure to carefully start the cut again when
you move the cutting surface across. Hold the cut wide and try not to leave any jagged bits. At the very
least, these can be trimmed back if need be, and should be covered/glued well when the seams are
joined.

*** SMALL JAGGED BITS IN A CUT PIECE OF LATEX ARE AN EXTREMELY WEAK POINT. ONE HINT
OF PRESSURE, AND THEY’LL CAUSE A MASSIVE TEAR IN THE GARMENT ***

When you’re done cutting, you’ll have two pieces that are 1mx2.5m long, and one 1m square of latex.
This 1m remainder is handy for offcuts, should you need reinforcements, and you’ll be using a small part
of this to make gaskets. Keep this 1m square piece for repairs.

7. Glue the latex sheets together:

Before we go in depth, we should explore how these sheets will be assembled and in what order. First we
will be assembling the side seams. Observing the picture below, you can see that these are the long
edges of both sheets that need to be glued together. To ensure the best strength possible, they will
overlap. Looking to the right of the picture below, a drawing has been done of how this would look, when
viewed from either of the shorter edges. Remember, make sure the shiny side remains outside, and the
dull side inside, where the user would lay. The overlaps will be 1 cm, so 1cm of glue will be used. Also,
don’t forget to offset the bottom sheet downward by 1 cm. You will want to do this so you have a flap to
help make a sturdy seam for the bottom short-end seam. Place the seam on your work surface and begin
gluing it together.

If you’re unfamiliar with latex gluing, see Section 8: Make it Better to help get the best results. We won’t
be covering much on technique here, just straight instructions to get the build done.

A rough drawing on how we’ll be overlapping the long sides to make seams. Note how the bottom sheet sticks out by
1cm below the top sheet. This is normal as we want this to assist with our bottom seam.
When you have completed the side seams, allow approximately 2 hours to pass so that the seams won’t
break easy while we continue to work. Turn the bag inside out, so that the dull side is facing outside. Grab
the bottom end, where you left 1cm of latex sticking out, and lay it flat on your work surface. Proceed to
gluing this seam and folding it over.

A simplified diagram of the bottom seam fold, when viewed from one of the long sides.

When you have completed the bottom seam, inspect it well. Don’t be afraid to cut a couple of small (say,
3cmx6cm piece) to glue onto the corners. The corners are generally a weak point, and if you’re not
confident in the, save yourself some troubleshooting time, and reinforce them now. As we are working on
the inside of your vacbed, these reinforcements will be barely noticeable. Allow to dry for a couple of
hours before continuing to work.

8. Fit a gasket for the valve:

For this exercise, we’ll need to make sure the bag is now shiny side out. We are going to place it on to the
frame. Once it is on, grab a sharpie marker and draw a 2cm circle around where the valve pipe would
protrude, if we had a hole there.

Note the bulge where the valve tap is, we can see where our hole will be...
 Now we see where the pipe will protrude, we have marked a hole. A shiny green sharpie is excellent help on black
latex.

Observing the image above, we can see a rough 2.5cm hole. It’s significantly smaller than the pipes, and
that’s OK. Latex stretches generously, and it’s this stretch property along with the vacuum that will help
maintain an excellent seal.

Once you have marked a hole. Remove the bag from the frame, carefully set this circle up on your cutting
surface, and use a roller cutter to carefully cut this circle out. Be sure not to leave any jagged bits. An X-
acto knife may also be helpful for these smaller cuts. Once again, don’t leave any jagged bits, they will
weaken the hole and risk a tear. Clean up your cut a bit if you have to.

This hole will not be stable on it’s own. You will need to use the spare sheet of latex, and make
reinforcement patches to be installed inside and outside this hole. This is a patch that will have a slightly
smaller hole. Make it about 2cm. This is because not only do we want these patches to stick to the latex
bag, but we want them to glue to each other through the hole in the bag, increasing their integrity. For
consistency, glue them so that shiny side is outside and dull side is inside.

A 5cmx5cm piece of scrap latex will do the trick, with a 2cm hole. Make two of these. Extra markings were made to
help alignment.

Once these reinforcements are done, they are best left for 24 hours so they cure properly. They will be
stretched well over the large valve and on to the pipe.
9. OPTIONAL: Perform an inflation test.

Before we go about installing any breathing tubes or cutting more holes, now is a perfect time to do an
inflation test. If you have an air pump with a hose that sufficiently fits the valve, then you can pump air IN
to the vacbed to check the quality.

Prepare either a spray bottle of soapy water (just a squirt of cheap dishwashing detergent in water to
make it bubbly), or have a mixing bowl of soapy water and a rag handy. Inflate the vacbed gently, don’t
let it stretch, just let it fill with air. Seal the valve.

Seal the top of the vacbed as per Section 7: How it works.

With the vacbed full of air, either spray or wipe the seams, and observe if any bubbles appear. Use your
hands to apply pressure occasionally to the vacbed, to encourage air to escape through a potential hole.
Use some tape to mark near where the hole is. When you are done, make sure all the seams are dry, and
any faults marked. Open the valve and allow the air to escape. Inspect the marked areas. If it’s a bad glue
join, re-glue the area and allow it 24 hours to cure. If it looks good, use your spare sheet of latex to make
a small reinforcement patch and glue that into place. It could be a small break in the latex that you just
can’t see.

The vacbed is inflated with air, ready to begin fault-finding.

Performing this test and making any subsequent repairs, should any fault appear will ensure a better
experience during play. You’ll spend less time re-applying vacuum.
10. Install the breathing tube:

Cut 10cm of your 20mm pipe, and use some fine sandpaper to smooth it all up. Wash it after you’re done
with some dishwashing detergent and warm water. Bear in mind this is something that will be going into
the user’s mouth. You want it to be nice and clean.

Find the best hole location by lying on top of the vacbed while fully assembled. Use a sharpie to mark a
hole where the centre of your mouth was. Place your cutting surface underneath this area inside the
vacbed You can make your hole here. Use a rotary cutter / cutting surface to make a 1 cm diameter hole.
If this is difficult to achieve with your cutter, the hole can be square too like in the picture below. As long
as it is small enough to stretch and grip around the tube.

Clean both sides around the hole (5cm surrounding the hole) with solvent.

Next, cut 8 3x1cm strips of latex. Clean both sides of them with solvent. Observing the picture below, on
both sides, glue the strips around the hole (green) with 2 horizontal (red) then two vertical (blue). Use the
roller to press it all down. This is the reinforcement.

Now to make it all pretty, cut a 5cm diameter circle patch from the spare latex. In the circle, make a 1cm
round hole (or a square if easier). Clean the patch with some solvent, then glue it over the outside
reinforcement, lining up the hole on the patch with the hole in the middle of the reinforcements. Use the
roller to press it down. Allow the vacbed 24 hours for the glue to cure before going any further.

When the glue has cured, you can stretch that hole around your 20mm pipe. When fitting it, allow about 2
to 3cm to enter the users mouth, dependent on comfort. This breathing tube is designed to be removed
after play, so that it may be cleaned, for hygiene purposes.

AT THIS STAGE, MORE EXPERIENCED BUILDERS MAY WISH TO INSTALL HOODS OR GAS MASKS TO ALLOW
BREATHING. ALWAYS TAKE GREAT CARE WHEN PLAYING. PLAY UNDER SOBER, COMPETENT
SUPERVISION, AND ALWAYS HAVE A METHOD OF ESCAPE THE SUPERVISOR CAN USE SHOULD A
PROBLEM OCCUR.

Congratulations, you have now completed building your vacbed. Don’t forget to clean/ shine it up ready
for the first use!
6. Cleaning and shining

Keeping Clean:

The latex bag can be dunked in a laundry tub of warm water, with a dash of cheap, unscented hand soap,
or weak dishwashing detergent. Hang it up somewhere, then dunk it in a laundry tub of plain warm water
to rinse it. Hang it up to dry, and don’t forget to flip it over and/or turn it inside out occasionally so that no
water gets left anywhere. When it all looks dry, use a cloth to assist drying any corner or crevice that
might still be wet. This will prolong the life of the latex. Remember, water left in corners/crevices of latex
for a long time will encourage mould. So drying is a priority!

Keeping shiny:

You can polish the exterior with your favourite latex polish. If you’re familiar with vivishine dipping, an
easier method is to get a mixing bowl full of warm water, mix in a cap full of vivishine. Use a chux wipe to
dip into the bowl, then wring gently. Use the wipe to spread the vivishine thoroughly all over the outside.

On the inside:

A latex dressing aid is recommended. It’s less of a greasy polish feel, and will greatly assist in comfort of
entry and exit of the user. Don’t be afraid to give the inside a wipe with a cloth just dampened with warm
water mixed with a weak amount of basic dish detergent. Just be sure you’re going to hang it up to dry,
and ensure both sides dry by turning it inside out once one side has dried. You do not want to attract
mould.
7. How it works

a. When fully setup, cleaned and shined, the user may enter from the top end. Minimal or no clothing is
recommended. Jewellery or anything else that could rip the latex should be removed. Nails should be
trimmed or at least filed back so they are smooth. When entering do so patiently so as not to dislodge or
even tear the latex. The more slack that is left up top, the easier it is for the assistant outside to close it
up.

b. The assistant should ensure the utmost comfort of the user. Make sure the breathing tube is fitted, and
ensure enough of it is in their mouth when the latex pulls down. Adjust if necessary. Ensure both parties
have agreed on verbal / non verbal (ie shaking the feet) communication to indicate discomfort / stopping
of the scene.

c. When the use is established as comfortable and the breathing pipe is in place (be sure the user is
holding it in their mouth), then the top may be sealed. Use the PEX pipe to roll the top of the latex bag
around it. Roll it up tight and hard up against the top PVC pipe. Use the clamps to secure the PEX pipe roll
up against the top PVC pipe.

The entry side is now airtight.

d. Open the valve, hold the vacuum against it and operate the vacuum. The vacbed will shrink down until
it stops and the vacuum cleaner tends to sound like it’s struggling. Quickly close the valve before turning
off the vacuum. This will ensure there’s no vacuum loss. Before continuing the course of play, ensure the
user’s comfort, breathing and personal safety. If neither of this is good, immediately cease play.

*** THE CLIPS CAN BE QUICKLY RELEASED TO OPEN THE ENTRY SIDE AND REMOVE THE
VACUUM PRESSURE – Test this ability as a precaution! ***
8. Make it better!

In this section, we’ll cover techniques you can use to get the best results out of your build. It is wise to
refer back to this section, if there is any doubt during the processes throughout the instructions.

1. Have a good workspace for the latex!

This may seem obvious, but a nice clean dedicated bit of space can go a long way to helping you make
that precise cut, or getting those nice, flat and secure seams. The pipes can easily (and really should be)
cut and glued outdoors. This isn’t the case for latex. Be creative! Clear the dining table and use that for a
workspace. Find an old bedsheet and use it as a tablecloth. You can also use your coffee table, if that is all
that is available. Note that the smaller the table, the more times you will spend shifting the materials
across. The reason a tablecloth is suggested is not only to keep your table free of any glues, it is to
facilitate a smooth movement of latex across the table without risking a scratch on the latex.

Using the clamps you purchased, you can use them to secure the work in place. This is handy when you
want to line up and get those 1cm overlap seams just right! You can even clamp your cutting surface into
place for a better cut.

Clamps are used to keep the materials in place, and to keep it taught. This improves accuracy in cutting/gluing.

Another workspace hack is to prepare a “platter”. Yes that’s right, a platter! You simply buy one of those
large disposable platter trays from the picnic aisle of the supermarket, you know, the ones you’d enjoy a
fruit platter off!. This platter tray is then used to keep all your frequently used tools / glues nearby. It can
be placed on top of the material without fear of spills (a deep tray will catch all your glue/solvent). This
will allow you to keep everything handy on the same table you’re working at. Less drips on the carpet,
less fishing about for tools.

2. SHIELDS UP!

Don’t hesitate to steal some A4 or A3 paper from your printer, and use it around the areas being glued
where unwanted glue could drip to. This will help ensure a professional finish.
3. This fucking curling! Just! Complicates it!!

Ok, this is going to be the biggest pain in the arse with the gluing process. When you apply solvent to
prime the area, or glue (which is thinned by the same solvent in it!) then the area you’re applying it to will
curl for a little bit. Once the area dries a little bit, say after 5 minutes, it will relax a bit. So, lets use this
information to our advantage;

How do I minimise curling when priming the area?

Easy. Use a thin art paintbrush to apply the solvent, and brush in very quick brash strokes. You may still
get some curling, but it won’t be so severe. Once it settles then you can glue the area.

How do I minimise curling when gluing the area?

This one isn’t so easily avoidable. If you reduce the amount of glue, the seam will be weak. Apply the glue
in smooth, even consistency, give it a couple of minutes to dry a little. At this time, the area should have
relaxed and you can fold/roll that seam.

If you have enough tape, use some low-tack masking tape on the other side behind the side you’re gluing
on each sheet. This will give the material a bit more “backbone” when the curling occurs and will help
mitigate it. This is such a recommended tip that you really should buy yourself more tape!

*** You’re encouraged to use some scrap latex offcuts to do some demo 10cm seams. Get a
feel for how your glue and solvent will work before you go to town on your project! ***

4. Priming? Thinning? Prata du Engelska?

You will notice that for the latex, we specified some Foss glue that has a matching solvent. The solvent
serves two purposes: 1. The solvent is also a primary ingredient in the glue. It controls the thickness of
the glue. You can use a glass jar to put some glue (I recommend a used peck’s fish paste jar that you’ve
cleaned thoroughly), and add some solvent to if you need to thin your glue. With this vacbed, you
shouldn’t need to do this, but it helps if you make anything a little more dainty! 2. It is also used to clean
the surfaces being glued to ensure maximum adhesion. We use it every time before we glue latex
together.

5. How do I glue a seam?

Mark the area with tape / a marker (on the dull side!!!). The seam on the long sides will typically be 1cm
that overlaps the other sheet of latex by 1cm. An exception can be made for the bottom seam, where that
can easily be 2cm. Whatever you do, just know that your seam needs to be airtight for this whole thing to
work.

Once you know what you’re gluing and it’s marked out, position everything ready to glue together on your
work surface. Use clamps if necessary. Place sheets of paper underneath to avoid drops of glue on your
tablecloth or elsewhere on your latex.

When you’re happy with positioning, start priming both surfaces to be glued as per the method stated in
item 3 above. Apply glue, observing methods to avoid curling. Be VERY patient. This is going to be the
task that decides whether your vacbed will be leaking air. A smoother seam won’t hold air pockets, or
have passages for air to rush back in. Once both glued surfaces have been applied, use your rubber roller
to apply pressure to the glued seam in firm even strokes. Carefully move the seam across and apply
clamps to repeat this process again on the next part of the seam. When continuing a seam, don’t be
afraid to pull up the last centimetre of a glued seam, and brush glue from that into the new section. This
assists with consistency, which is everything In this project.