Not too long ago, in order to have vacuum hold-down at your workbench, you needed an air compressor and earplugs. Those days are over.

This is the VacQube, a diminutive, quiet 12V vacuum pump created by inventor Izzy Swan.

The idea is that you drill a hole in your workbench and plug the VacQube's 1/4" airline into the bottom of it. When you drop its companion VacQseal—essentially a gasket—on top of the workbench and encircling the hole, now you've got instant holddown. You can also elevate the workpiece by using a VacQpod, a sealing riser.

Check out the demo:

The VacQube is currently up for pre-sale at $80.