HF Pressure Pot

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RetiredJake

RetiredJake

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2012
Messages
232
Location
Huntsville, AL
Got my pot and set it up this afternoon. Ran a pressure drop test on it and can not get a good seal on the lid. I lose about 15 pounds in 15 minutes. I have rotated the lid to several positions to no avail.

Any Secrets to getting a good seal on the lid?

TIA
Jake
 
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I know it's the lid, in some positions I can hear it and run my fingers over it and the sound change. Hadn't thought about Vaseline. Thanks, I'll give it a try.
 
Be very, very careful with the HF pressure pot. We've had a few folks on this site have them blow up on them.

I went through 3 that would not seal, then gave up.
 
Yeah I searched these forums quite a bit and a lot of people have used the HF pots successfully and a couple have had the lids blow off. I found the pot I'm using from a link someone else here provided so I'll repost it for anyone that may be considering buying a pot. It's in the $300 range so it does cost a lot more than the HF pot but it's built pretty awesome.
C.A. Technologies Resin (Mold) Casting Pressure Pots

I'm losing pressure over time in my pot also but probably due to my fittings. I used teflon tape but the instructions said there is a liquid you're supposed to put on the threads and let dry overnight. But I just leave my pot connected to the compressor so I hear that cut on every hour or so. What I like to do is just barely open the shutoff valve fitting I attached to the pot where the pressure hose is attached so that the pressure will equalize but due to the small opening it cannot make rapid pressure changes.
 
The first pot I bought was a Shop Fox 2 1/2 gallon which looks ALOT like the HF pot. I could not get it over 30 psi without it hissing like a ****ed off snake. Would not hold pressure long at all. Wasted $100 there! So I then spent about $375 on a big 7 1/2 gallon pressure pot from Paint Sprayers Plus. The build quality on this one is outstanding. I run it up to 80 psi with no problems. The clamping system is way more secure than the HF model so you don't have to worry about blowing off the lid. And it is plenty big enough for custom built casting racks.


 
Bigj51 said:
The first pot I bought was a Shop Fox 2 1/2 gallon which looks ALOT like the HF pot. I could not get it over 30 psi without it hissing like a ****ed off snake. Would not hold pressure long at all. Wasted $100 there! So I then spent about $375 on a big 7 1/2 gallon pressure pot from Paint Sprayers Plus. The build quality on this one is outstanding. I run it up to 80 psi with no problems. The clamping system is way more secure than the HF model so you don't have to worry about blowing off the lid. And it is plenty big enough for custom built casting racks.


Click to expand...


That's a nice pot! I got mine from Gleempaint, it is 2.5 gallons and built like a tank. It was $230, and that was 2 years ago, and I guess that is still the price. You can see it here.
 
I have the HF pot and I run a vacuum first and tighten the latches as I go. After I get a good seal Ill then pressurize it, I have yet to test over 40 psi. Ill do that outside where it is safer.
 
I know a lot of people dont encourage the use of HF pots, but I just wanted to add to the record that I bought one and re-sealed all the connections and greased the lid seal and if im lucky, will lose about 1lb of pressure over a 24 period. I think a lot of the problems can/could be operator errors, ie, overtightening the connectors or not using the proper amount of teflon tape or sealers. I completely re-did all of it so that i knew everything was sealed properly, dont rely on China to do it right. This is just my opinion, but i can cast up to 60lbs with no problem.
 
Got some Vaseline and greased the lid seal. It helped, but did not completely solve the problem. I have soap checked every fitting on the tank and they are all good. That only leaves the lid. I now lose about 5# over a half hour, guess I can Live with that. Thanks for the help and advice.

Jake
 
Jake,
You could try returning the pot and getting another. You should have no leaks with any pot. Like I said, I went through 3 of them and they all leaked.
 
Padre said:
Jake,
You could try returning the pot and getting another. You should have no leaks with any pot. Like I said, I went through 3 of them and they all leaked.
Click to expand...

Don't think I can take it back after cutting off the paint tube,I think the warranty is null and void now. :tongue:
 
The paint tube screws out, there is no reason to cut it. If you get the piece out you can replace it cheaply and return it.

RetiredJake said:
Padre said:
Jake,
You could try returning the pot and getting another. You should have no leaks with any pot. Like I said, I went through 3 of them and they all leaked.
Click to expand...

Don't think I can take it back after cutting off the paint tube,I think the warranty is null and void now. :tongue:
Click to expand...
 
Be careful with vaseline, it will probably attack the gasket surface.
If you can clean the gasket, put some silicone rubber on it (not too much), put some oil on the hard surface so it won't stick, close lightly and let dry. When tightened it should seal well.
 
Tried tightening the lid more this morning. Got it about as tight as I could by hand. Dropped 3 psi in an hour and a half. I'm happy with that.

I know some of the fittings are screwed in, it's the red Loctite (or Chinese Version of it) that kept me from unscrewing it. I used my heat gun and got it really hot, still could not budge it. That's when the cutting wheel came out.
 
RetiredJake said:
Got my pot and set it up this afternoon. Ran a pressure drop test on it and can not get a good seal on the lid. I lose about 15 pounds in 15 minutes. I have rotated the lid to several positions to no avail.

Any Secrets to getting a good seal on the lid?

TIA
Jake
Click to expand...

I had problems with mine leaking down also. I checked all the joints with soapy water and fixed any that leaked. I removed the gasket from the lid(carefully so it doesn't tear, I used a small screwdriver to kind of scrape the sticky spots). then ran a small bead of silicone around the inside corner of the gasket groove. replaced the gasket and pressed it in place. Then stretched saran wrap over the top of the pot, cut a couple of slits in it and placed the lid on(this keeps any excess silicone from sticking to the pot) Then snugged the screws down on the lid and pressured to about 20 psi for about 5-10 minutes, relived the pressure and removed the lid. let the silicone cure for a day or two before using.

I did this because the seal leaks between the seal and the lid and this fills any leaky areas. After I did this it only dropped about 5 psi in 2 days, from 60 psi. Note the manual says max psi is 80 and max working is 60, I've had no problems at 60.

Another thing, the supplied regulator and gauge is junk, mine would fill to about 40 psi no matter how much I tried cranking it up, and that took a few minutes. I replaced it with a regulator/gauge from Lowes and it works great, 60 psi in less than a minute. Also spray the thumb screw threads with Silicone lubricant, helps when tightening the screws, and tighten them as tight as you can by hand, going over them several times.

That's how I do it and I've had no problems. By the way MAKE SURE THE THUMB SCREWS ARE PUSHED TOWARD THE CENTER AS FAR AS THEY WILL GO!. There is a slight groove in the lid and the need to be there.

Martin
 
The key to a good sealing HF pot is to minimize the number of connections you put on it. If you are just using it for pressure then all you need is the pressure gauge, one inlet with a cutoff (for putting air in and releasing it) and safety valve if you are not regulating the pressure at the source. One of the weak points of the HF pot is the gasket, I bought some after market gaskets and I "train" them by putting them on the lid, lubricating with a little white grease putting it on the tank and lightly tighten the screws, then I apply a vacuum (I have a cutoff valve on the pressure gauge so that I can isolate it during vacuum) and as the vacuum increases I tighten the screws more until they are tight, once I get full a good vacuum I let the pot sit overnight and the next day release the vacuum and add pressure, I get a perfect seal every time. Make sure you mark the lid and the tank before you remove the lid so that you can put the lid back on the same way.

I'd guess that a properly sealed HP pot could hold 150 psi easily (although I do not recommend it).
Eugene
 
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