Greetings, 

The prices for a foodsaver or vacuum sealer for food products to
prevent oxidation or freezer burns are outrageously expensive compare
to other appliances not to mention the cost for the special plastic
bag for that purpose. This monopoly should be stopped.

Can someone find a website on creating a homemade foodsaver/vacuum
sealer? or can any of you design a good one on your own and post it
here? I was thinking of using some very cheap stuff at home such as
:

1. handheld/portable vacuum cleaner (most home have one)
2. $1 for a pack of 100 sandwhich plastic bags 
3. Vinyl or rubber gloves to connect vacuum to plastic bags
4. 10 inch heating element (tape type) purchased from hardware store
5. 10 inch of teflon tape or heat resistant rubber/cloth
6. some resistant to create heat from 110V outlet
7. some cables & plugs
8. some woods for base structure
9. some mechanism to produce vacuum - seal steps accordingly
10. some relay/analog control to control the heat

basically creating sort of heat sealer like this product using woods,
http://clevelandequipment.com/impulseheatselaers/impulsesealersfinal.jpg
only with additional suction connected to vacuum cleaner.

thanks and I hope this can be a nice project as well.

Buy the real thing used at a thrift shop. 

People fall out of love with fad appliances fairly quickly. Grin

It doesn't use a vacuum cleaner, but you should look at the Press N
Seal, not only is it cheap (about $30) it doesn't use electricity and
has bag adapters.  As far as doing it yourself, it seems like a simple
pump action, one could probably be fabricated using PVC tubes.  Hope
that helps!

The new vacuum sealers are very much improved and the prices have come
down--it is possible to buy a very good basic model for $40.  I bought
mine at Target, and it works great.  The bags are a little pricey, but
the denier of the bags are much thicker than a sandwich bag which is
important in freezing; and in many cases they can be washed and reused
unless you have had meat, fish or oily substances in them or you have
microwaved or boiled the bags.