Cheap Vacuum Pump

[Bob Sigmon]

For anyone doing or wanting to do their own stabilizing or mosaic pins. . . . . .

Harbor Freight has this pump for $9.99

Vacuum Pump



I have not used this pump but it seemed like it might be just the thing for those of you doing thier own stabilizing.

Use Item 03952-4VGA for the sale price. Click on 'order from catalog' button and enter the Item number.

Bob Sigmon

[Osprey Guy]

Bob-

Good catch!

At some point over the next month or so I was hoping to try making my own mosaic pins as an alternative to the (rather expensive) pins I've been buying from TKS for my "Chef's" knives. This does look like it could work just fine, but then I'm not one to say.

Any reason why it wouldn't work? (I know $10 bucks ain't much, but why waste money unnecessarily?)

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[Mike Sader]

Hello, I have used this pump for it's intended purpose and am also going to use it on pins & stabilizing myself. It pulled 22" of vacume on my sons A/C system before we could get to checking for leaks!!! It is very fast on the A/C systems and I do think it will work good for stabilizing, I also like it because we won't be pulling the fumes thru a vane or piston pump to ruin them.Anyway I hope this helps. Mike Sader

[Will]

Don't know, but it should work.

For an even cheaper pump find an old refriurator that was running and yank the compressor, that's what I'm useing, pulls 26-27inches.

Of cours, if I'd seen that first I wouldn't have run all over town looking for an old frige!

[Gary Mulkey]

Bob,

I bought one of those pumps and haven't ever used it because of the bad experiences of others talked about in a past thread. If you want the thing let me know and you can have it for the postage. I think that you'll find it is not as good as it sounds. Maybe some of the others who responded to the past thread on this will respond and let you know more.

Gary

[TJ Smith]

I have one of those pumps also. only problem is you need a $300.
air compressor to run it.
I use a hand brake bleed pump from an auto parts store. Cost is about $40 and you get tubes and all. I draw 20 inches of vacuum in a 2 quart mason jar.
Be sure to keep the pump higher than the jar or you will suck liquid into the pump. Glues everything together.
I'm on #2
Take Care
TJ Smith

[SVanderkolff]

Dennis
I saw your post earlier about the vaccuum pump and making mosaic pins. I came up with a really cheap alternative. It won't work for stabilizing but does pins really well. Just go to any farm supply store and get one of those big syringes and some flexible tubing. Make sure the tubing is the same inside diameter as the outside of your pin tube. I use 1/8 tubes and had no problem finding 1/8 id clear tubing. Then just mix up your epoxy, attach one end of the flex tubing to your mosaic and the other to your syringe. Put the end of the mosaic in the epoxy, pull the syringe open as far as you can, vise grip the syringe open to maintain the vaccuum and wait about 5 minutes. VOILA. The syringes are only good for about 3 or 4 pin tubes but at 1 or 2 bucks apiece who cares.
Hope this helps
Steve

[Raymond Richard]

Piece of crap.......

[SVanderkolff]

Raymond
I assume you are talking about the vac pump from harbour freight?
Steve

[Bob Sigmon]

Ray,

I'm assuming that you've had some experience (not all good) with this 'vacuum pump' . Thanks for the heads up!

Bob Sigmon

[Raymond Richard]

The red box looks impressive but there's a 2 dollar fitting in there and thats it. The air from the compresser blows by one hole and creates a little vacuum, enough to suck up some liquid but I could do the same thing with a straw. Save your 9.99. I ended up buying a had vacuum pump for a car parts place for $40.00. Its got a guage on it and I can pull 28 pounds with it plus build up my grip at the same time. Now if I just smoked a pipe.

[Bob Sigmon]

Thanks guys,

Great info. I guess a trip to the auto parts store is in order when I go to make some pins!

Bob Sigmon

[Raymond Richard]

Bob, I've used plastic tube and just suck on it alittle, seems to work fine for me. Just don't forget and think you've got a milk shake. I just use the hand pump for doing stabalizing.

[Bob Sigmon]

Thanks, Ray

I guess I just don't want to suck fumes on purpose. I probably get enough fumes as it is!

Bob Sigmon

[Raymond Richard]

If you don't want to do the suck thing I think one of the rubber bulbs that is used to suck snot out of a baby or even one that is used for baisting a turkey would also work for doing pins. It doesn't take alot of force to do that.