Vac Chamber Lid Seal Is Fucked

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BCOGYODA

Well-Known Member
Hey guys I've only had my vac chamber for a couple weeks now and already the seal on the lid is coming unglued from the plexiglass. Seems like when the chamber warms up good for a long period of time the glue starts to melt and the neoprene (or whatever it's made of) seal is coming off in spots. I'm worried that the glue fumes will contaminate the oil in the chamber. It gets real melty like.

Is there some sort of industrial glue that would take a shit kicking from heat etc. that would be suitable to use for this?

And if I have to put a new seal on what material would you guys recommend?

I'm thinking along the lines of automotive head gasket type of stuff and whatever bonding type stuff is used for that. Since motors get cooking hot that may work?

I'll put some pics of it up when I take my oil out of it soon.
 
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BCOGYODA

Well-Known Member
Thanks Saybian
What type of gasket material would you recommend? I'm assuming you are suggesting to use the VacSeal to seal the gasket to the lid; or are you suggesting to use the vac seal as a gasket on it's own since it dries like a silicone?

Have you seen this stuff sold in stores or is it just an online type thing?
 
Guzias1

Guzias1

Well-Known Member
i picked up some 1/8 inch rubber gasket stuff from ace hardware. cost me like 20 buckks. but its enough to make about 4 chambers :]
 
Fadedawg

Fadedawg

Well-Known Member
BCOGYODA said:
Hey guys I've only had my vac chamber for a couple weeks now and already the seal on the lid is coming unglued from the plexiglass. Seems like when the chamber warms up good for a long period of time the glue starts to melt and the neoprene (or whatever it's made of) seal is coming off in spots. I'm worried that the glue fumes will contaminate the oil in the chamber. It gets real melty like.

Is there some sort of industrial glue that would take a shit kicking from heat etc. that would be suitable to use for this?

And if I have to put a new seal on what material would you guys recommend?

I'm thinking along the lines of automotive head gasket type of stuff and whatever bonding type stuff is used for that. Since motors get cooking hot that may work?

I'll put some pics of it up when I take my oil out of it soon.
Click to expand...
We have our gaskets cut by Paramount Supply out of Viton, which is resistant to both butane and ethanol.

The lid flexing is breaking the rubber cement bond against the polished surface. You might try roughing it up a bit under the gasket.

The gasket doesn't have to be glued in place. You can just rest it in place on the pot and set the lid on it and it will work, and eventually it usually ends up sticking to the polycarbonate anyway.

You might use some partially decarboxylated cannabis oil in a few spots, to to lightly hold it in place, to make placement easier. One of the more sticky substances on the face of this planet and not of concern from a contamination standpoint...............................
 
B

BCOGYODA

Well-Known Member
Thanks guys! So I got her all fixed up and put a new vac gauge on as well. The original one was an oil filled one which the seal went and was leaking so the vac chamber had a nice overhaul and is working splendidly BUT...

The gasket material I bought was from an auto supply store. It's neoprene but looks more like a rubber to me since I'm used to seeing neoprene as a fishing wader or scuba type.

So the gasket material has a very strong smell to it. I didn't use any glue or bonding stuff. Just the gasket. When I open the chamber I can really smell the gasket and I'm hoping that smell doesn't transfer onto the wax in the chamber.

Do you guys find the same thing with the gaskets you are using? Or is the one I'm using no good? Should I change to a different kind? If so what actual material is not so smelly?
 
SaybianTv

SaybianTv

Active Member
If you come across rubber than's rank, i give it the silicone treatment by boil and freeze. I find it faster than running your chamber multiple times hot to clear up to off gassing.
I've used multiple rubbers for gasket's during my diy vac chamber days. I got this quarter inch rubber rubber it worked great but was so thick i had to push hard to get it vacing. Sadly i ended up with a non perforated "kitchen drawer liner" i don't know why but it worked way better than every industrial rubber i tried. Mind you it's not solvent safe so it's not really for wet purging.

Vac seal grease is just space age vaseline that won't eat the gasket, it's like moisturizer I guess so that your gasket will be more "salubrious" <---FD quotable when it comes to filling all the cracks and holding vac.
 
qwizoking

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
I will forever think of him when I hear that word....idk why...does he really say it that often?
 
B

BCOGYODA

Well-Known Member
Boil then freeze...interesting. I'll give it a go on some of the cut up parts of it when I made the gasket to see how it goes then do the chamber gasket if she works out well.
Thank you!
 
Fadedawg

Fadedawg

Well-Known Member
qwizoking said:
I will forever think of him when I hear that word....idk why...does he really say it that often?
Click to expand...
Along with insalubrious................

I actually used to get paid big bucks to tuck a few $5 words into Return on Investment and Return on Asset analysis and proposals. Makes the managers and board members feel like it was professionally reviewed.
 
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