Anyone use this pressure pot?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
758
Location
Bush, LA, USA.
I purchased one from Harbor Freight. The only thing inside the pot was a tube to get the paint from the bottom of the pot, which I cut off with a hacksaw.
 

lorbay

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
3,378
Location
BC. Canada
There are two on the link you sent one for $265 and the other $395 both have an 11" when lid is on. The agitator should not be a problem to remove. The working pressure on both is 60 psi with a max psi of 80.
Lin
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
There are two on the link you sent one for $265 and the other $395 both have an 11" when lid is on. The agitator should not be a problem to remove. The working pressure on both is 60 psi with a max psi of 80.
Lin
Yes, I guess I pasted in the wrong link. (Note to self: Preview your post & check the links before posting)

Try this one: Amazon.com: California Air Tools 365B 5-Gallon Pressure Pot: Home Improvement

Removing the agitator isn't the problem, plugging the hole is the problem. But I think I've been told a good solution.

So if anyone has THIS pot, I'd also like to know if the bottom is flat or concave. I really want one with a flat bottom.
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
I bought the HF pot earlier this year. A CONCAVE Bottom. Easy to cut a thin plywood bottom to fit into the pot.

Yours is a different brand, but if it's concave - this should not be a problem. :)
 

lorbay

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
3,378
Location
BC. Canada
Not sure you will find one with a flat bottom, that's just the way pressure vessels are built.
I cut a piece of plywood to fit in the bottom of mine and make it flat.
Lin.
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
Not sure you will find one with a flat bottom, that's just the way pressure vessels are built.
I cut a piece of plywood to fit in the bottom of mine and make it flat.
Lin.
Some of the higher priced pots have flat bottoms. It's not that it has to be flat, I would just prefer that it's flat. I have a board for the bottom of my current pot. It works ok, but it would just be nice to have a flat bottom on the inside of the pot.
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
Not sure why you want to spend that much when you could have this one from HF. At full price, it's not bad. I got mine several years ago on sale for about $35. Check it out.
My Sears pot is similar to the HF, just a little beefier. One thing I'm looking for is a deeper pot. I'm pretty sure that this one is a few inches deeper. I know the diameter is wider, but I want to be sure that it has at least a couple more inches in depth.
A flat bottom would be a plus.
 

Marko50

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
938
Location
Orem, UT
I don't want to rain on anyones parade here, but the HF version is a accident waiting to happen. Just read about Curtis's "explosive situation" in the library and it will make you think twice about a Chinese made pressure pot. Read about it here: http://www.penturners.org/forum/f43...ot-failure-my-wife-almost-became-widow-51588/

I almost purchased a HF pot but then thought better of it. I found a swinging deal on ebay for about $60.00. American made and built like a tank. Sure it was dirty and used but a quick sand blast and I was off to the races! I can run my pot at 80-90 psi all day long and never worry about a "ticking time bomb" in my shop:biggrin:. I put a 125psi safety relief valve in the extra hole for peace of mind and went to work!:glasses-cool:

Safety first my friend:)
 

Attachments

  • DSC_9884.jpg
    DSC_9884.jpg
    212.6 KB · Views: 193

DavidWalser

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
1
Location
Mesa, Arizona
I just found this thread through a search and thought I'd answer some of the questions raised in the original post. (This is just for future visitors to this thread who might have the same questions.)

The California Air Tools 365B 5-gallon pressure pot has a flat bottom. It is 11" deep.

The paint auger is removed by loosening an allen screw in the collet on the top of the lid that supports the shaft of the paint auger. Once the screw is loosened, the collet can be removed and the shaft of the auger slid through the bottom of the lid. The hole left by the auger is 5/8" in diameter and can be plugged with a 5/8" bolt of the appropriate length, a couple of neoprene washers, two wide fender washers, and a nut. Very simple.

Other than removing the auger, the only other thing needing to be done is to remove the paint draw tube. That's done with a pip wrench or vice grips.

The pressure pot is a beast! If you don't mount it permanently to your bench, you'll definitely want to use the included casters.

Not asked: Why buy this pot rather than the much cheaper (and less expensive) HF? My reason is that I wanted the greater capacity for larger castings. Normally, I won't be using that capacity and the HF pot would suffice. But, when I wanted the larger capacity the HF wouldn't do.

Another reason is safety. Assume, for the sake of discussion, that both pots are made to the same standard of quality. Still, the HF is rated for a max pressure of 60 lbs. The California Air Tools pot is rated higher -- mine is rated at 90 lbs. (California Air Tools has made different versions of their pot over the years. Some are rated at 80 lbs.) So, say you're comfortable running your pot at 50 lbs of pressure and get good results with your castings. Great, with the HF pot you'd have 10 lbs of safety 'headroom'. With the California Air Tools pot, you'd have 30 - 40 lbs of safety margin.

And, if you think that your casting would be improved if you could use 60 - 70 lbs of pressure, the HF isn't really an option. At least, not a safe option.
 

tomted62

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
18
Location
Bucyrus, Ohio
Bob, I just got mine from TCP industries. Looks almost identical to this one. The agitator is simple to remove and you just use a bolt to plug the hole, make sure you use Teflon Tape, Plumbers Putty or Locktite to insure a good seal. The bottom was flat on mine.
 

jcjc

Member
Joined
May 27, 2017
Messages
54
Location
PDX, OR
i have the 5 gallon Cali Air tools pot and its worked great. the agitator on mine came off easily but the siphon was another matter. i had to heat it with a propane torch and grab it with vice grips to unscrew it.
with the lid off its 14" from inside to the top edge and about 15" from bottom center to top edge.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom