Vacuum chamber...

[AlanZ]

A few days ago, I posted a message in the shop area about a vacuum chuck setup for my lathe.

Now that I have a vacuum pump (Gast 0522), I guess it's time for me to venture into the world of casting, to exercise the toys... errrr, equipment.

I know that many of you use a pressure pot. However, I came across an item on Craigslist that caught my eye. The price was right, so I scarfed it up. You can see a photo of it standing in the back of my car.

It's a Sargent-Welch Pryex Vacuum Chamber.

The inside of the bell is approximately 8.5" x 15".

Has anyone used such a setup for casting? If so, is there anything special I should know about it (other than "don't drop that very-expensive-to-replace glass bell!!")?

Even if I don't use this for casting, it's a cool toy, and will be a conversation piece around the house/shop.

 

[LEAP]

Thats cool, you would be able to watch the resin off gasing. Of course you will still need something for pressure.

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

Nice! I've been looking for one of those at a reasonable price for months.:frown:

Do you have kids? Put a marshmallow in there and slowly draw out the air. Kids love watching that... Then tell them they get to eat the giant marshmallow, they'll get excited and when you release the pressure, it goes back down to reular size. It's a fun tease.

.

 

[jason_r]

A few days ago, I posted a message in the shop area about a vacuum chuck setup for my lathe.

Now that I have a vacuum pump (Gast 0522), I guess it's time for me to venture into the world of casting, to exercise the toys... errrr, equipment.

I know that many of you use a pressure pot. However, I came across an item on Craigslist that caught my eye. The price was right, so I scarfed it up. You can see a photo of it standing in the back of my car.

It's a Sargent-Welch Pryex Vacuum Chamber.

The inside of the bell is approximately 8.5" x 15".

Has anyone used such a setup for casting? If so, is there anything special I should know about it (other than "don't drop that very-expensive-to-replace glass bell!!")?

Even if I don't use this for casting, it's a cool toy, and will be a conversation piece around the house/shop.

Oooohhh. I want one.

 

[Penl8the]

A few days ago, I posted a message in the shop area about a vacuum chuck setup for my lathe.

Now that I have a vacuum pump (Gast 0522), I guess it's time for me to venture into the world of casting, to exercise the toys... errrr, equipment.

I know that many of you use a pressure pot. However, I came across an item on Craigslist that caught my eye. The price was right, so I scarfed it up. You can see a photo of it standing in the back of my car.

It's a Sargent-Welch Pryex Vacuum Chamber.

The inside of the bell is approximately 8.5" x 15".

Has anyone used such a setup for casting? If so, is there anything special I should know about it (other than "don't drop that very-expensive-to-replace glass bell!!")?

Even if I don't use this for casting, it's a cool toy, and will be a conversation piece around the house/shop.

Oooohhh. I want one.

Oooooooooooh. I want to next one.

 

[ThePenWizard]

Just make sure you have a tall container for your casting material. The rubber if your making a mold expands very quickly in the chamber and flys up your container. I use a small bucket with a lid, in my case I have a 6" round bucket by 8" tall. I then cut a 3" hole in the middle of the lid to allow air to escape. When the air is pulled out of the chamber, as I said you will see the material rise up the sides, thats why I have the lid on it, it keeps the material from making a big mess in your chamber. Happy casting