short update on vacuum

I am still chasing leaks, but I have bigger worries which must be addressed first.

1. I need to replace the motor. A 3/4 HP motor rated for fan/blower duty is VERY different from a 3/4 HP motor rated for compressor duty. If I carry on with the motor that's mounted on it now, it'll overheat. I had to set up a fan on the motor to keep it cool. I actually have a compressor duty 3/4 HP motor on hand... that doesn't turn. BUT: I believe I know what's wrong with it and that it's easily fixed. I will be looking into that today.

2. There are several switches and pilot lights -- on both the Veeco system and the outboard vacuum tube Veeco gauge controller -- which need to be replaced. One of them is causing erratic readings on a T/C gauge.

One needs the basics working properly before one can presume to troubleshoot something.

Meanwhile, I also have plenty to do on main components for the MSLS, and hope to work on that as well, unless I get diverted onto the honeydew list...

More as it happens. Stay tuned.

further ado about nothing

Hmph. This evening I reassembled my high vacuum system and not terribly surprisingly, I still have a gross leak... according to the gauges built into the system... the system I bought at an auction for $20... the system which I and a good friend have systematically rebuilt from the ground up... with the exception of the gauge electronics.

Well, I've got the roughing pump running at least. VERY rough. If I could believe the panel gauges (and I cannot) the pressure is bottoming out at just over 100 millibar.

The reason I've revisited the vacuum system so soon is that I have constructed a device (ye gods how I love that phrase) which I wish to encapsulate in epoxy. (it's another special effect for the Mad Science Light Switch)

To do encapsulation properly (ie; without voids) one needs a reasonable vacuum pump. I now have a reasonable vacuum pump again, although I do wish its vacuum were a bit MORE than reasonable. I'll need a few more bits of plumbing to connect the plasma cleaning chamber I'm going to use for this to the vacuum cart, but I ought to be able to get it done during the next week or two.

The hilarious part - to me - is that the electronics in the "trusted" gauge controller are so old, I will have to apply power to them gently -- slowly increasing the voltage from zero, using a variable transformer -- over the period of, say, an hour. This old-timer's trick may preserve the old high voltage filter capacitors inside which need to be "re-formed" after having sat idle for many years. It would be -- unpleasant -- should one of them fail within the chassis. Ick.

I do love old tube equipment though. Using it in the winter saves on heat. And fire bottles have such a cheerful glow.