The $120 double vacuum chamber/pressure pot

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MetalHeadWoodWorks

MetalHeadWoodWorks

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Joined
Nov 25, 2019
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Hello all!
I have just completed my vacuum system and I am currently testing for any leaks. Just wanted to share my journey in making this.
Pressure pot - $30
Vacuum gauge - $10
Fittings & hose line - $50
Wireless camera - $30
So I converted a pressure pot to be a vacuum system. Got all the fittings at Ace Hardware (bit more expensive than I thought) and was able to find 2 mini fridges and get the compressors out of them. Drained the old oil and replaced it with full synthetic 5w-30 I had laying around. Hooked up the hoses, Teflon taped the fittings, and put em in. Waited for vacuum gauge to come in from amazon. Got it all together and pulling -26 inHg in about 1-2 min.
I decided to not go with an acrylic lid due to CJ possibly damaging it. But I still needed to see inside. So here comes the wireless camera! I have no clue how the camera will behave under a vacuum or if it will react at all. Idk. But hey if it breaks then its only $28 and ill work on getting a small thick window installed into the top or something. But anyhow this is my system. I plan on making another set of fittings just for a pressure system and using some sort of quick release so I can just snap in whatever I need.
Thanks for looking and leave a comment if you like. Ill be testing the camera in the next few days and ill post updates here.
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Don't know about CJ attacking acrylic but stickfast resin definitely does! Now using a polycarbonate 12mm thick lid which I KNOW is stickfast proof . I left a sample of polycarbonate in stickfast for 5 days to test it and no reaction at all.

Couldn't believe the acrylic. was damaged by splashes from the resin then as I tried to repeat the vacuum it imploded infront of me. Lesson learned.

What is the purpose of the tennis balls? to cover the inlet hose ends or just to help it appeal to the dog ?šŸ˜
 
Oh 2 thoughts
1 the camera might not work as signal,shielded by metal,container ( faraday cage effect )
2 reinforced tubing might be a good idea as the type you're using looks a bit thin walled for repeated use?

Keep is updated please.
Ian
 
howsitwork said:
Don't know about CJ attacking acrylic but stickfast resin definitely does! Now using a polycarbonate 12mm thick lid which I KNOW is stickfast proof . I left a sample of polycarbonate in stickfast for 5 days to test it and no reaction at all.

Couldn't believe the acrylic. was damaged by splashes from the resin then as I tried to repeat the vacuum it imploded infront of me. Lesson learned.

What is the purpose of the tennis balls? to cover the inlet hose ends or just to help it appeal to the dog ?[emoji16]
Click to expand...

Lol well the dog has been eyeing the tennis balls for sure. But they act as baffles and with some cotton stuffed inside also a oil catcher. I have the outlet tube kinda long and straight up so left over oil in the pipe can leak back down into the machine. And yes CJ does attack acrylic. I saw a video where the bubbles hit the top of the acrylic and later on spider cracks developed. I'd rather not spend over $50 for a thick lid only to have to replace it cause of some bubbles. And it imploded in front of you? Damn hopefully you left unscathed.

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howsitwork said:
Oh 2 thoughts
1 the camera might not work as signal,shielded by metal,container ( faraday cage effect )
2 reinforced tubing might be a good idea as the type you're using looks a bit thin walled for repeated use?

Keep is updated please.
Ian
Click to expand...
Yeah I also thought the metal might be a issue for the camera but if it is ill use the camera for other purposes and then think of another way to view the inside.
I agree on the tubing but I grabbed the best ace hardware had. Ill be getting better after I get some more cash in.

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Not sure what the camera will like the least - being in the dark , being in a metal cage , being subjected to high vacuum , or being splashed with cactus juice . Maybe none of them . The cactus juice would be the last variable I would try . Would suggest you leave at least 4 inches free space above the CJ . Things can get very bubbly in a hurry . The less free space you have , the slower you can allow the vacuum to increase , or you will suck CJ into the compressors .
 
Is 26 inches of mercury a full vacuum for your elevation. I had read the one big issue with using fridge compressors is they can't get all the way down to 29 ish.

for a chamber I use quart and half gallon mason jars with a lid made from a PCV cap turned down a bit and some rubber sheet.
 
Well I can promise you polycarbonate is stick fast proof but haven't tried it with cactus juice. Why not get a bit of "Lexan " or any other polycarbonate and leave it in juice for a week. That's how I tested the stickfast. I used 1/2" actually 12mm and carefully rounded over any edges drilled for fittings etc so there were no sharp edges for cracks to propagate from.

As for imploding aside from the noise and surprise it's actually fairly safe as the atmosphere rushes inwards so stuff doesn't fly out ! Imagine a beer can being crushed by the " hand" of the almighty infront of you, just a bit bigger in my case. I was using a stainless steel bread bin as the pressure vessel so it was a shock. The lid after resin exposure split into four sections after developing the spider web surface described above. So I had 2 failed attempts before success.
 
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