John Blazy
02-25-2016, 11:27 AM
I thought this would be useful for boat builders or bar top finishers that mix epoxy and need to get the bubbles out - assuming you have a vacuum pump. It will hold a one gallon can and will de-air completely any medium viscosity mix - you an actually watch the bubbles come out viewing through the clear lexan top.
I took an old empty (very important that its empty) propane tank, drilled two holes in top to fill with water to displace any remaining gas, then I drained it and mounted it on my lap disc (or any slow turn table) and while it spun, I marked a line, then cut the top off with a cutoff wheel on my grinder. Then I put a 100 grit diamond disc on the lap, and planed the edge flat, although it doesn't need that great of precision - likely belt sanding would have worked.
Then I solvent laminated two pcs of 1/2" lexan (Polycarbonate) into a thick 1" panel, and routed a circular groove into it, and filled the groove with 1/4" x 1/8" weatherstripping, although flat rubber would work better.
Then drilled the hole for a vac hose fitting, and it worked the first time. You can see the lexan flex a little, but it held full vac, and have used this many times.
I took an old empty (very important that its empty) propane tank, drilled two holes in top to fill with water to displace any remaining gas, then I drained it and mounted it on my lap disc (or any slow turn table) and while it spun, I marked a line, then cut the top off with a cutoff wheel on my grinder. Then I put a 100 grit diamond disc on the lap, and planed the edge flat, although it doesn't need that great of precision - likely belt sanding would have worked.
Then I solvent laminated two pcs of 1/2" lexan (Polycarbonate) into a thick 1" panel, and routed a circular groove into it, and filled the groove with 1/4" x 1/8" weatherstripping, although flat rubber would work better.
Then drilled the hole for a vac hose fitting, and it worked the first time. You can see the lexan flex a little, but it held full vac, and have used this many times.