Thread: My Experimental Vacuum Chamber

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I too think that kind of money is out of my range.

But it got me to thinking:

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'What if' instead of my 12"X12' glass plate was say a 3/4" piece of Plexiglas that had the pattern of the Pyrex baking pan routed out say 1/4" deep and then filled with Silicone. OR perhaps simply a piece of 3/4" plywood that was sealed and then the groove routed and filled with Silicone

Then having say that glass plate coated with Vaseline and then clamped down to level the silicone and let the silicone cure for a few days?

I used feeler gauges and the widest gap between the glass and the bake-ware is 30 thousandths.

As my friend walleyeyman likes to say; "Always Thunkin"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rmib_Hfpfs

6" Schedule 40 PVC Pipe 4004-060AB

Originally Posted by jnats

6" Schedule 40 PVC Pipe 4004-060AB

Sorry guys. Bad advice, if you don't want to get injured. I should have went to the middle and looked at "why" the vacuum chamber. Better to stay away from both lexan and pvc if your stabilizing wood. methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, cyano acrylate, most chemicals used as adhesives and those used as solvent vehicles are going to craze, melt, embrittle, weaken - basically tear the s*^& out of PVC or lexan.

Better to go with something like T 304 or even 316 SS. Pressure cooker? Or with your pyrex idea, . Silicone works, and is chemically resistant but be careful routing the vessel or making your own gasket, as it's not only a weak point- explosive compression from a catastrophic failure of the seal can make the contents projectiles, instead of 'just' implode. I think you need to spend twice as much time making richard's suggestion: a blast shield, containment fence as you spend making the vessel, then go at it. Borosilicate as in pyrex is going to serve much better than regular thin soda lime glass, which is in no way advisable to be used under pressure- without the boron trioxide of borosilicate: compression strength is reduced from 2000Mpa to 330. What your more concerned with though is the lower numbers: deflection and tensile strength which is 30-70MPa borosilicate and 41-170 for soda lime and only 280MPa borosilicate and ~140MPa for SiO2 glass.

Think pyrex is borosilicate? Check again. Not since 98 at least. Kitchenware isn't lab ware. -so, if you're not going to invest in materials to make it 'right', then invest in the materials to make a blast cage- that lets a pressure wave safely dissipate, but not projectiles. it'll probably pay itself off time and time again. Blowing stuff up isn't dangerous. Lack of expert planning to ensure the risks to all life and limb are mitigated is. I'd say the level to which this can be done is proportional to how well ventilated you keep your work area were you handle stabilizers.

how expensive is a proper setup? If you have a welder, this can be done relatively easily.

Since my mason jar vacuum set up is small enough to be operated in my kitchen sink I'll be swinging by my friends glass shop and picking up a thick sheet of Plexiglas or whatever he thinks is best to use as a 'blast shield' over my meager little vacuum chamber that will see use only a few times a year. In fact I believe that the 1 quart container of water soluble stabilizing solution will go bad before I could ever use it all.

I sure hope that the Plexiglas will be enough for when the Book of Revelation of Homemade Vacuum Chamber Stabilizers comes to be so I will be safe from the Earth Shattering Kaboom!

Walmart + Rubbermade container big enough to contain the set up + Hole for hose = Safe Zone


Cost $5

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I sure hope that the Plexiglas will be enough for when the Book of Revelation of Homemade Vacuum Chamber Stabilizers comes to be so I will be safe from the Earth Shattering Kaboom!

A pellet gun wont kill you, but there are more daunting things than instantaneous death- like loosing one or both of your eyes because machismo, and not realizing how little has to go slightly wrong, without proper precautions. Then living in hindsight. pun intended. I'm well aware of the force involved, my statement of value in safeguards and PPE comes from the observation that unless this is your last home engineering stunt were your going to over apply force to an uncertain medium, and you're hanging up your lab coat after this vacuum chamber and retiring for good- PPE costs will repay themselves exponentially greater than all other costs of this project, as they will carry over and find use time and time again in future experiments, so don't see them as frivolous or cost prohibitive. Even goddard had a piece of plywood handy.

live long and prosper

Well my friend did indeed have something better that simple Plexiglas

I picked up a 1/4" thick sheet of Polycarbonate that was slightly larger than I needed to cover the well in my kitchen sink for $5





Now to save up the Sheckels to purchase the Stick Fast Stabilizing Resin and accompanying hardener.

Once I have the scavenger jar finished and tested I'll post picks of it. Then when I can have the above mentioned chemicals ready I'll post more pics and let all know how it's going!

Thanks for all of the intrerest, ideas and encouragement! They have all been appreciated! :

Safety is good, carrying it to extremes , who knows, in the real world boys ,, maybe you shouldn't get into your car or walk outside. 40years in the oilfield and I never once seen a guy with a hard hat survive 6 tons of block falling on him, so let's not admonish what's going on here with the safety police! Ok? The men are taking plenty of precautions and talking to them like their idiots ain't helping, let's just see how it goes, turning on your furnace is just as dangerous,and that no one is getting in there flame suit just to light a BBQ grill. , good work Roy. Tc

by the way lost an eye , with plenty of PPE. And it didn't matter that I had on a flak jacket when I took 2 bullets. Ok

Umm, what is wrong with vacuum BAGGING?? it works well with fiberglass for stabilizing and is a heck of a lot safer.

my setup is an old legostina pot, a silicon baking sheet cut for a gasket, and this piece of polycarbonate 6009 Polycarbonate Clear 1 2"Thick 12" X 12" FOR Sale | eBay

The hose and fittings I got from home depot, and the pump I got off of amazon for around $100. Works very well.


I use tin cans, paper milk jugs and whatever else that's a nice size to hold the fluid and the wood while it's in the chamber