Budget Vacuum Chamber

I'm very interested in resin, and I know that a TON of the Instructables community is too. Unfortunately, to get good results from many projects, you need a vacuum chamber, a device that sucks the air bubbles out of the resin to prevent holes in your project. These devices can be hundreds of dollars to buy-or you can build one with an air compressor, a few tools and about $30

Disclaimer: There is inherent risk in working with tools like high pressure air compressors, drills, etc. I take no responsibility for any injuries caused by someone making this project, everything is done at the maker's own risk

For this project, you will need

1. This air operated vacuum pump (It will reverse the flow of air coming from the compressor-it will suck air into the pump and expel it through the hole in the bottom instead of pushing air from the compressor)
2. A small hose and a few fittings-this kit will have everything you need (I'll refer to this hose as Hose P)
3. A valve for letting the air in and out-one similar to the one shown in the picture will work well
4. A mason jar (or some other small, airtight container about the same size, I found that the jar worked best)
5. A drill
6. Caulk
7. An air compressor
8. An air compressor hose (I'll refer to this as Hose C)

This step is pretty easy, but takes some time to find the right size fittings. Find the fittings that attach to:

a) The air input to the back (where hose C attaches)

b) The air output to front (Where hose P attaches)

c) The hose to the valve

Find these fittings and attach them to the pump as shown, as well as the pump hose and the valve

*Make sure to use the plumbers tape that comes with the fittings to keep them in top condition!

Take the end of the hose P that isn't attached to the pump and measure it. Drill a hole in the top of the mason jar that is just barely larger than the end of the hose. Insert the end of the hose into the lid, and use caulk to seal it This will prevent air from escaping, enabling the chamber to work efficiently. Seal both sides and screw the top back onto the jar.

Connect the hose C to the compressor and to the back of the pump and put the compressor on about 80 PSI, give or take

Prepare a small cup that you can fit in the chamber, and that will be able to hand the high pressure (I recommend one of the silicone measuring cups that you often see for mixing small to medium batches of resin). Fill it with soap (or preferably some kind of bubble solution) and water. Stir or use a coffee frother it to mix it well and make the bubbles easy to see. Put it in the chamber and make sure the compressor is pumped up. Open the valve, keeping the compressor running so that you can keep the pressure consistent. Watch it for a few minutes. You should see the bubbles in the water begin to disappear, and when you take it out, there should be few to none left. If it isn't working, check the following things, the repeat the test:

a) Make sure your seals are airtight

b) Bump up the pressure on your air compressor

If both of those solutions aren't solving the problem, try using a smaller container to reduce the workload on the pump.

You're good to go! Just follow the same steps you used in the test, but replace the water and soap with resin. Good luck, and I hope this helped!