[Jewelry making - Article 00164] - Re: [Orchid] What to Look for in a vacuum pump?

[ben]

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Hi Chris.......

    My two cents. I bought a factory reconditioned 6 cfm vacuum pump from
    an air conditioning parts and supply wholesaler for $150. It works
    great. They had others, but I opted for a big one. AC mechanics use
    these big pumps to quickly evacuate and dry A/C refrigerant lines.
    Thus the A/C industry is the best source for vacuum pumps..... even
    new ones and oil. 

    I'm going to look for a salad bar SS container as others have
    suggested, but I have used a Number 10 can for quite a while. A boil
    over of RTV being vacuumed gave it a nice rust proof finish. The tin
    can easily handles 30 inches of vacuum without collapse. It was free
    after eating a lot of pork and beans. 

    My table is a 12x 12 piece of anodized aluminum .125 thick from a
    local glass shop and is covered with a piece of .125 gasket rubber
    from my Best Buy hardware store. The vacuum gage and valves come from
    ww Grainger. Plastic tubing works good. I eliminated some of the
    copper after I had a hot metal blowout. I use a silicone sheet from
    Indian Jewelers supply for vacuuming hot flasks. 

    The vacuum casting system is really simple and can be very
    uncomplicated and still work well. 

    Use a torch to melt the metal. As you watch the various stages of
    melting, comprehension dawns. 

Ben

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