Help Me Build a Quality Vacuum System

General Composites Discussions Equipment Talk
#1

Good evening, everyone!

I am looking to begin building a new vacuum system specifically for infusion. I want to build something that is going to be very user friendly, and works well.

This is the vacuum press that I made for bagging wet lams.

I have been looking into using the follwoing pump for use with this system.

Yellow Jacket 7CFM bullet: http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Jacket-93600-Bullet-Vacuum/dp/B003AJIWOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356149067&sr=8-2&keywords=yellow+jacket+vacuum+pump

Are we feeling that this pump is going to work OK?

I know that there are better choices out there, and I am all ears, but my budget for a pump will need to stay in the $500 range right now. If anyone has any suggestions for a different pump, please let me know.

I am on the lookout for a new pressure vessel such as an old air compressor tank or something similar. I also have the option of making tanks out of PVC like the ones below.

I used the plans and materials from joewoodworker.com for my existing vacuum system. The plans are great and my current system is very solid, but the pump only pulls around 25". The vacuum switch also leaves a lot to be desired.

As far as switches go, the SMC switches look nice, but complicated to wire up from what I have read on the forum. There are also a lot of different models out there. It would be great if the experts could chime in with specific suggestions of switches that have proven to be durable, accurate, and somewhat straight forward to wire into the system. I’m in the US, so suitable sources would be great too.

I think that’s pretty much the jist of it, right? We need a good pump, a vacuum switch, some sort of pressure vessel, and the rest is really support gear and basic wiring.

I know that I am asking a lot here, but If I can get the parts scrounged up, I’ll be happy to put together a detailed toutorial of the building process as a way to say thanks, and pass the knowledge along.

Thanks for the help, everyone!

#2

Maybe a secondhand pump?

#3

Ebay! Its christmas time, not as many people buying items like this. I picked up a sweet dekkker rvr deep vacuum pump (1.5 cfm) with a $110 oil vaper filter for $127.50 usd. Not largest but more than up to the task. Do some searching and if budget alllows a little more cash will get ya into some sweet pumps

#4

I see a lot of used vacuum pumps that look like they would be good quality, but most say that they run but are otherwise untested. How do you all go about picking a good, used vacuum pump off of ebay?

#5

Hhhmmm… other than chance dont’ really know. But be cafeful that alot of them are three phase, most sont have three phase in the states (europe probley?)220v no problem,3 phase nope. You google “reconditioned, rebuild, refurbished vacuum pumps” and purchase from a vacuum based business

#6

He can dubble his budget then.

#7

I see that http://www.pchemlabs.com/index.asp sells quite a few refurbished vacuum pumps, but all the ones that I have looked at so far start around $1100. This is more than doubling my budget, but if I want something that I know will work as it should, than this may be my source.

Do any of you have a dealer that you prefer?

The Vacumoblie Micro 8/2 looks to be a very nice setup, but at $3100, it’s a bit out of my range right now. Also, it looks like they don’t offer a 60hrtz option which would make the system unusable in the USA. Am I reading correctly that the systems cannot be used in the US due to the power requirements of the electronics?

#8

Actually i checked the pvr(?) (Used in the vacmobile rig))Vacuuum pump website a couple of weeks ago and it is actually compatable with our 60 hertz power although its 220 volts wich is really no problem

#9

I have some nice Edwards RV8 pumps for you for €550 and €500. I even have RV8 pumps that needs to be refurbished (cheap).

#10

Yeah it can be tricky buying pumps on eBay. I bought an Edwards E1M8 off eBay which looked fine but it turned out it had been used with some nasty substances, all the seals had swollen and the oil had collected enough water to cause some minor corrosion.

Taking it apart the blades were also quite worn with the retaining pins for the blades so heavily used they had been worn flat on two sides by the springs.

Still after a nice pump …

#11

What’s shipping to the UK going to cost?

#12

€42,45 and you have a pm.

#13

i know this is off topic but i really like how you have this set up. Can you give a little detail on the wiring and what kind of vac switch you used?