Ideas for vacuum pump

[greasyfingers01]

A few years ago I picked up this Thomas TA0100-V rotary vane vacuum pump for a song. It's rated at 10 cfm, 26 in. Hg. I got it for a project that never came to fruition. Now that I have a shop and in the planning stages of how I'm going to set it up, I'm trying to come up with a use for it. I was thinking of plumbing it to an old propane tank for fluid evacuation. Anyone else have ideas?

 

[Mooky]

Be sure your tank can withstand the vacuum level that the pump can generate.

 

[rsanter]

Do,you,do,woodworking?
Us for a laminate bag

Bob

 

[OccupantRJ]

Vacuforming.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Being from the HVAC field, I would recommend picking up a used Vacuum pump from this industry. Will pull to less than 250 microns, good parts availability, and easy to service (designed to be field repaired). While you are at it, get a 50# recovery tank (Yellow and Grey) if you need vacuum storage, they are rated, have 1/4" flare connections, and will make life a bit easier in the long run. This stuff comes up on Craigslist or ebay everyday.

 

[Cyberbear]

Again, if you're into woodworking, a vacuum bag clamping system can be used as well as a vacuum chuck for wood turners. I sometimes need to vacuum pack my home made beef jerky and thought I could use a commercial unit to surpass the cheapo ones for home use.

 

[ryolse]

Vacuum bagging for Composites

 

[malibu101]

I'm NOT trying to turn this thread off course, but, this is an idea I've wondered about.....

I ain't not no engineer, but I grasp the basic principal that water boils at a lower temperature the lower the vacuum gets. Hence why a refrigerant system is vacuumed.

So what would happen if I take my wet shirt out of the washer, put it in a container, and pull a "deep" vacuum?
A new style clothes dryer?

 

[rlitman]

I'm NOT trying to turn this thread off course, but, this is an idea I've wondered about.....

I ain't not no engineer, but I grasp the basic principal that water boils at a lower temperature the lower the vacuum gets. Hence why a refrigerant system is vacuumed.

So what would happen if I take my wet shirt out of the washer, put it in a container, and pull a "deep" vacuum?
A new style clothes dryer?

Not quite. As the water boils off, the heat of vaporization has to come from somewhere, and what happens is the remaining water starts to freeze. If the starting point was too wet, you're eventually left with ice and the boiling crawls to a stop at the triple point.

Given enough time, you'll get things dry though, and in a very good way. Ever heard of freeze drying?

 

[engineer2]

Do a google search for vacuum kilns.

 

[steel 35]

vacuum table.

 

[rlitman]

... I was thinking of plumbing it to an old propane tank for fluid evacuation. ...

I like the vacuforming idea, but your idea has me thinking I may put my scrap forklift cylinder to this use. It's got a liquid level indicator. I could put a drain valve on it, and oh the possibilities ... gee that could be useful.
Damn it, now I've got a new project.

 

[kbs2244]

Are you interested in home distilling?
A vacuum assisted process cuts the heat need quite a bit.

 

[matt_i]

COuld be used as a clamping system for light duty parts in a machining center.

In a plant where vehicles are manufactured, every single fluid which goes into the car (brake, radiator, AC refrigerant, hyd power steering) save the windshield washer fluid is done by first evacuating the system as far as the pump can take it. For example the radiator hoses will be sucked apparently flat from the outside. The pump is isolated from the evacuated system and pressure-decay testing starts, to see if the evacuated system is sealed or is leaking. If sealed, the fluid is then introduced, it flows rapidly and fills completely with no air pockets, no burping.

The difficulty lies in keeping the vac pump oil from getting contaminated along the way from various internal process valve leaks, residual fluid on the test connector, etc. When it gets water-based stuff inside, the oil can't thoroughly seal the vanes because the water is micro-boiling. Hence vacuum levels go down. Change oil, vacuum level restored.

 

[greasyfingers01]

Great ideas guys! A few of these have crossed my mind. I like to make a laminate stock one day. My carpentry skills aren't there yet. The kiln is a great idea!

I was first thing of a central vacuum system with a drop in the "maintenance bay" and a drop at the work bench. Plumb it with a liquid reservoir and a vacuum reservoir. But now you have me thinking a mobile setup would be better. I have my dad's old 10 gallon air compressor I can mount the pump to.

 

[Guster]

I use mine mostly for vacuum bagging composite molding. Have done a little vacuum assisted resin transfer molding, pulled dents from a sheetmetal bike gas tank once, pulling oil from my lathe gearbox(indirectly) and applying decorative wood veneer. Sometimes do a little casting where it helps to de-gass the casting media to remove bubbles and improve clarity. Most fun of all - ping pong vacuum cannon after watching Mythbusters(look it up)

They can be used for bleeding your brakes, evacuating your AC systems and thermoforming plastics with the addition of a reservoir. Probably not enough cfm for vacuum clamping anything that doesn't have a uniform shape and non permeable surface. I know someone making glass lab equipment, art glass and custom light bulbs + neon signs that uses his all day. Watched him evacuate a laser tube before filling it with CO2. Watchmakers and instrument makers/calibrators use them. Also have a friend messing around with plasma deposition that has one of these as the first stage before the more expensive high vacuum turbine pump kicks in. That doesn't even begin to list the food+drink processing and potential medical purposes.

 

[wssix99]

Implode tank cars: