I currently don't have any equipment for vacuum chucking, but some day I would like to. However, recently a friend bought a vacuum pump at an auction. He called me to see if I was interested.
I have not seen this pump but apparently it is possibly 10-20 years old and still in its original crate and unused. The manufacturer and ratings of the pump are not readily found. I have not seen this machine yet but they say it is 24"+ long and maybe 18" high...single phase.
Is this too much pump for vacuum chucking? He wants $100 for it. Too much $ for this situation? What should I be considering here?
>Depending on the pump it may be way more than you need. Check ebay for gast pumps and then go to the gast website for specs on the models offered. I bought a 1/3 hp pump for $65 about 2 years ago that not only serves as a vacuum chuck pump but makes a great pump for a veneer press. Any pump you get should pull at least 25 inches I think.
Thanks. Yup this deal doesn't look right. The pump is probably too beastly to be practical and thanks to you I know what to look for in the future and the expected cost.
I bought a pump on ebay for $35, new. It's worked flawlessy for me for a while now. I figured at that price, I couldn't go wrong. I don't remember the brand (sorry), but I remember it was a popular one, maybe Thomas Electric. If I remember correctly, the company name was Electronic Discount. They put these on auction from time to time, generally 10 - 15 at a time. My dad got one also, and he's been very pleased as well.
When you get ready to do it, contact Al Crandal, he has a set of instructions on how to make the rig that he had at Ray's last April. For about $25 plus pump, you will have EVERYTHING you need.
The pump I chose was a Gast model #0523-P335-G509DAX and was purchased for $89.99 from Surplus Center /Burden Sales Co . This pump features a 1/4Hp motor that is wired for 220V. I like using 220v motors due to the lower amperage draw. But the 110 V version of this pump should work just as well. The pump I used is rated to draw 25� Hg at 4 CFM. This is perfect for use with the vacuum chuck assembly.
I also built Al's version of the Rotary Union (with some personal modifications of my own) along with a complete intake filter and valve assembly for the pump, as well as several vacuum chucks. The chucks were made from Sch 40 PVC pipe fittings.
It is expensive if you buy all the parts from Craft Supply. If you go the do it your self route, you can make a whole system for less than the cost of the Oneway rotary union and a chuck.
