Vacuum pump

[Jim C.]

Don't know much about lab glassware other than beakers and graduated cylinders but if you go with a gas washing bottle
that's glass make sure it's vacuum rated, the pump your using doesn't seem like it's strong enough to implode the bottle, but better
safe than surprised. If you're creative you could possibly use a rechargeable soda water dispenser, cheap enough to find in thrift stores
sturdy enough to not implode, you'll need to be creative with the plumbing.
Even rotary vane pumps vibrate, I know I have two 5 CFM ones I use for vacuum bagging / vacuum forming the longer
your vacuum line is the less vibrations.

[Micheal Clark]

I had an old 73 Ford PU that used coffee can size can to hold its vacuum for the heater controls in the dash,might take a hike to the local junk yard and find a vacuum canister there.

Mike

[Rick A]

I had an old 73 Ford PU that used coffee can size can to hold its vacuum for the heater controls in the dash,might take a hike to the local junk yard and find a vacuum canister there.

Mike

Why not go to the grocery and buy a large can of broth. All you need to do is drill apropriate sized hole in the top, pour out the contents and rinse, then epoxy the correct size tubing to the can. I'm sure that would cost less than what a salvage yard will charge plus you can have it up and running sooner since you don't have to hunt the thing in the wrecking yard.

[Jim Jones]

Consider the math: a 32x45x2 inch vacuum easel has a capacity of several gallons. It would be a large broth can that makes much difference to such an easel.

[Sevo]

Consider the math: a 32x45x2 inch vacuum easel has a capacity of several gallons.

YMMV - one of the most common factory made types hereabouts uses routed channels (in a otherwise solid board), and accordingly has much less capacity.

Besides, you have to account for differences in cross-section - a wide-bodied vessel does have quite a different buffering action than a low cross-section channel network, so it is not entirely a matter of capacity.

[Jim Jones]

YMMV - one of the most common factory made types hereabouts uses routed channels, and accordingly has much less capacity.

Besides, you have to account for differences in cross-section - a wide-bodied vessel does have quite a different buffering action than a low cross-section channel network, so it is not entirely a matter of capacity.

Very true. The OP mentioned a 32x45x2 inch easel in one post. We should know what vacuum easel the OP actually has or will buy or build before offering specific advice. The 32x40 vacuum printing frames I used had very little capacity, and used a quart jar in the vacuum line.

[LF_rookie_to_be]

Jim,

I plan to build an easel with a 33x46" surface, 2,5mm dia. hole every 2 inches, 1 1/2" total thickness. This easel would be used vor horizontal projection as well as on a screenprinting table, and I plan on routing channels between each hole. The latter was advised to me on another forum and has the purpose of keeping the air flow continuous, though I'm not sure if it's really necessary.

[Jim Jones]

For large holes and fairly wide spacing, pegboard may save you much trouble. My only vacuum easel was for 11x14" paper with holes drilled on a 1/2" grid. Drilling and chamfering over 600 small holes was boring (pun intended). Routing channels proved unnecessary. Once the paper is drawn down, there should be little air flow. The big contact printing frames I used had fabric to channel air away from the film, but unlike an open vacuum easel, the frames sealed at the edges.

[Rick A]

Consider the math: a 32x45x2 inch vacuum easel has a capacity of several gallons. It would be a large broth can that makes much difference to such an easel.

How about a used helium cylander. I have a couple that are each the size of a 20lb propane tank and they are easily modified for pressure tanks, I'm sure they would be just as good as vacuum stabilizers.

[Sevo]

Just about everything mentioned will be safe within the levels the average aquarium pump can deliver - and your paper will stand even less, or it will get pitted at the vacuum holes. In real life, the regular clear vinyl hoses collapse first, so that you cannot even build up that much vacuum.

If you have had an attack of tuning frenzy and scaled up all your kit, pump and hoses to high vacuum specs, now is the moment to discover that you could have had better results for less money - and that you now need an automatic pressure control valve to tame your oversized pump...