So after much delay I have finally got round to purchasing a pump to try my hand at infusion moulding. I have picked up an Edwards E1M8 vacuum pump relatively cheap off eBay for the same price as a new HVAC pump from China.
One problem with it is that the gas ballast knob is incredibly tight. I have spoken to an Edwards supplier who says that it should be operable by hand but I need a mole wrench to operate it properly.
The seller says that maybe the fittings have swollen as he was using it with “various resin systems includig a reactive silane oil”. This is beyond my area of knowledge and I don’t know if this is a serous problem that means I may need to replace all the seals in the pump or if it is nothing to worry about.
Any advice appreciated.