It took quite a bit of time to get all the (correct) parts together but I got them and after that assembly only took a few hours. I used 1/2 inch polycarbonate which I selected for it's machinability. Also it's tensile and flexural strength is higher than plexiglass. And it doesn't cost much more. The pump is a standard vacuum pump that you can get for air conditioning systems. Hose and brass fitting and pressure gauge are also used for auto air conditioning systems. I used some silicone rubber that I mixed and poured directly on the polycarbonate for the seal. The whole system works great, and there's some photos on Picasa that I posted.

https://picasaweb.google.com/quincy.powell/VacuumChamber?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNufj4SstrnlOg&feat=directlink

Yeah, I shrunk a marshmallow. May have to "space" some peeps when the time comes around >:-3

I think advantages that I see with this setup are that I can place the lid over any vessel that is airtight and will support the pressure difference, which makes it flexible in application.