mostangrypirate
Member
sorry if this thread already exists..I am about to begin casting and I want to use a pressure pot. I want to know if it is possible to make my own somehow or atleast if someone could tell me where to find one for LOW cost.
pressure pots
- Thread starter mostangrypirate
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GaryMadore
Member
Pretty much everyone gets theirs from Harbor Freight.
As I understand it, they (HF) occasionally have "unadvertised" specials - you have to call and ask for a current price. Their pots were just on sale.
Someone posted a pot for sale in the classifieds here as well - don't know if it's sold yet.
Cheers!
Gary
As I understand it, they (HF) occasionally have "unadvertised" specials - you have to call and ask for a current price. Their pots were just on sale.
Someone posted a pot for sale in the classifieds here as well - don't know if it's sold yet.
Cheers!
Gary
gketell
Local Chapter Leader
And plans on how to make it into a complete system to pressurize or vacuum your blanks can be found in the tutorials section or by searching this forum.
Here are the instructions that I created when I did mine.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28705&highlight=Harbor+Freight
Steve followed those when he created his awesome tutorial that is in PDF format here:
http://content.penturners.org/articles/2007/pressurepot.pdf
Have fun!
Here are the instructions that I created when I did mine.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28705&highlight=Harbor+Freight
Steve followed those when he created his awesome tutorial that is in PDF format here:
http://content.penturners.org/articles/2007/pressurepot.pdf
Have fun!
tool-man
Member
And yet more pressure pot ideas, and sources for the gauges and fittings.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42075
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42075
mostangrypirate
Member
a little bummed to see that need to get all McGyver on this before I can use it. Thanks for the replies. But I ask one more thing. Are these modifications totally needed to start pressure casting? or only if I want to hook up the vacuum as well?
rjwolfe3
Member
I just did mine today - took me a total of 30 mins to put together once I had all the brass. I went with the simple version with a dual gauge. All ready cast my first mold and will let you all know tomorrow how it went.
MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
If you only want pressure, I would be happy to pick one up for you, do the conversion, and send it to you just for the cost of materials and shipping. I DO NOT do vacuum, though. If you are just going to cast, IMO, vacuum is unnecessary. I just did one for Reb (sorry Reb, have not had time to send it) and the post was around $80 with tax and the parts to convert it were $12. It only lost 3# of pressure in 10 days at 80 psi. Send me a PM if you are interested.
gketell
Local Chapter Leader
If all you want is to do pressure casting and you are 100% sure about your pressure regulator on your compressor then put a quick connect and a valve on the top of your pressure pot and a diverter (elbow) on the inside of the lid on the same connection (so you don't blow the resin out of the mold), set your regulator to your desired pressure up to (but below) the max the tank is rated for and then connect up your compressor.
The secondary gauge is to measure vacuum and pressure at the tank. The other ball valves are so you can cut off the pressure from the vacuum gauge and the vacuum from the pressure gauge.
GK
GK
The secondary gauge is to measure vacuum and pressure at the tank. The other ball valves are so you can cut off the pressure from the vacuum gauge and the vacuum from the pressure gauge.
GK
GK
MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
Greg,
There are 2 problems with leaving the hose attached. First and not likely, is if the regulator you are using fails, you could blow up your pot.
Second, if you hook up your hose and leave it connected overnight, if the seal blows out, you may come back in the morning to find your compressor burned up. I had this happen to me when I first started. I hooked up the pot and everything was holding fine. I went inside and went to bed. Came back in the morning and smelled something hot smelling and my compressor was running full bore. I walked into the shop and found my seal had blown out during the night. The pot had 1 1/2" of water in the bottom of it and the pot itself was hot. I shut it all down and things were fine...for 3 days. Then the nearly new $500 compressor quit and would not pump air.
I tried to save $7 on a valve and had to re-build the compressor which cost quite a bit more than that.
There are 2 problems with leaving the hose attached. First and not likely, is if the regulator you are using fails, you could blow up your pot.
Second, if you hook up your hose and leave it connected overnight, if the seal blows out, you may come back in the morning to find your compressor burned up. I had this happen to me when I first started. I hooked up the pot and everything was holding fine. I went inside and went to bed. Came back in the morning and smelled something hot smelling and my compressor was running full bore. I walked into the shop and found my seal had blown out during the night. The pot had 1 1/2" of water in the bottom of it and the pot itself was hot. I shut it all down and things were fine...for 3 days. Then the nearly new $500 compressor quit and would not pump air.
I tried to save $7 on a valve and had to re-build the compressor which cost quite a bit more than that.
gketell
Local Chapter Leader
Bummer about your compressor Curtis!!
I should have included "close the valve once it is up to pressure".:biggrin: I did list the valve, I just forgot the "close it" part.
I should have included "close the valve once it is up to pressure".:biggrin: I did list the valve, I just forgot the "close it" part.
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MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
Sorry, Greg. I did not read thoroughly and did not see your part about having a ball vavle. That said, why would you be depending on the regulator at the compressor? If you buy a HF pot, they come with a guage so there is no reason to not use the supplied guage on the pot.
rherrell
Member
I spent VERY LITTLE, about $5, to convert my HF pot to PRESSURE ONLY.
Quick connect on the left and a plug on the right.
Close-up from the front.
This shows the other plug thats needed for the lid. With this configuration the pot will hold pressure with the hose removed. Nothing to it!:wink:
Quick connect on the left and a plug on the right.
Close-up from the front.
This shows the other plug thats needed for the lid. With this configuration the pot will hold pressure with the hose removed. Nothing to it!:wink:
Attachments
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mostangrypirate
Member
thanks everyone for the help. and thanks for the offer mequite, but the tank and vacuum are in route to me from HF. I will just have to look closely at all the great instructions posted. I'm sure it will be enough. P.S. I'm really glad that pen makers are not all stuck up and tight lipped like those hoity toity pool que makers!!!
jttheclockman
Member
Hey Paul
Are you a pool cue maker??? If so please send me a PM.
Are you a pool cue maker??? If so please send me a PM.
mostangrypirate
Member
sorry I am not a que maker....it is pretty hard to become a part of that little community. but I am trying. And when it happens, I WILL bust those doors WIDE open!!! I will tell ALL!!!!
outfitter
Member
Hey Rick-
What size plug did you use to cap the top of the tank?
What size plug did you use to cap the top of the tank?
MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
One thing to think about...ditch the regulator. It is just another area that can leak and more bulk to deal with. You need a cutoff valve so you can disconnect the hose once pressure up. If you have a cut off valve, simply close the valve, attach the air, turn on the valve until you reach the pressure you want, then turn off the valve and you are good to go. The regulator serves no purpose in this configuration. I have one on my original pot and it just gets in the way. Here is a pic of one I recently built for someone else...
The quick connect ($1.48 at Lowes) screws into the valve ($7.96 at Lowes) which then screws into a 3/8 x 1/4 adapter ($1.97 at Lowes) and then screws into the lid. The regulator is removed from the aluminum T that comes with the pot and that hole is pluged with a bolt of the right size that was then cut off. The plug on the end of the T was removed and the guage was screwed in there to allow it to be seen easier when the pot is lower than eye level.
In testing, the pot was pressured up to 80 psi. It lost 3# in 3 days and then held at 77# until I released the pressure 10 days later!
The quick connect ($1.48 at Lowes) screws into the valve ($7.96 at Lowes) which then screws into a 3/8 x 1/4 adapter ($1.97 at Lowes) and then screws into the lid. The regulator is removed from the aluminum T that comes with the pot and that hole is pluged with a bolt of the right size that was then cut off. The plug on the end of the T was removed and the guage was screwed in there to allow it to be seen easier when the pot is lower than eye level.
In testing, the pot was pressured up to 80 psi. It lost 3# in 3 days and then held at 77# until I released the pressure 10 days later!
mostangrypirate
Member
thank you mesquite, I used the method you posted at the top of page 2 here, but the pot I got looks like the 2nd one you show here. I have a leak in the unused port. It's one I didn't touch other than to cap it off, which means it came that way. But I've allready cut the pipe so, no warrenty. I twisted it in a few directions and it reduced the leak a bit. I only lose about 4 lbs an hour now and I dont want to make it worse, so that's the way it's gonna stay. Thanks again, everyone. I am lovin' the PR !!!