OK, after some...prodding
...from certain members for a few months, I've finally gotten around to making a vacuum frame system I'm really happy with 
. And, since I love you all (and it's what I do for a living), I figured I might sell a few!Attachment:
vacframe2.jpg
The important stuff: The frames are 26" square and 1.5" tall with a 24"x24" usable area so you can fit all your 2' dishes inside! They're also airtight like you wouldn't believe, owing to who welded them (see below).
Here's the skinny: the presses are made from 6061 aluminum extrusion and bar stock and are TIG welded by (I kid you not!) a certified aerospace welder (friends in high places). The membrane is a supple 1/32" neoprene rubber (same stuff LMII sells) and the gasket is an ample 3/8" closed cell neoprene foam. The membrane is user-replaceable in case of calamity. Vacuum reaches the inside of the frame at four points around the perimeter instead of just one, so you get more uniform vacuum distribution more quickly with less chance of 'sealing out'.
To save on shipping, I'm only making the lids here. You can get a 26" square piece of melamine for $10 at just about any hardware store and it'll serve fine as a base. If you are inclined to use a hinge (I don't, I like setting the lid straight down and being able to stow it away) then you can screw one to the aluminum so long as you caulk the screw holes to keep the seal! When I stuck one of the lids to a piece of aluminum and turned off the pump it was still holding vacuum five minutes later!
The pricing on these is $250 and shipping is $30 surface or $40 air in North America.
The membrane material is $22 for a 26"x30" piece.
If you want to order anything else small from here, like bridges, truss rod covers, tuner buttons, pickup rings, inlay, fretboards, etc, it can probably be crammed in the dish and shipped along with it for free.
The flash did weird things with the light on the aluminum ring, but I assure you the finish on the whole frame is nice. All the pictures are of the frame stuck to the (sort of rough like canvas) wall of the shop.
