Pressure Pot for resin casting

[Topcat32]

i want to buy a pressure pot to do some resin casting, was looking at the paint pressure pot and convert it, cant justfy a really good one as i will not be doing a lot , a few months ago they were on ebay for between £75 to £90 , now if you can find 1 on ebay they are around the £140 mark is this because of brexit? is it worth waiting to see if they drop back in price, or does someone know of a place where they are nearer the £100 mark, or even where there is a good 2nd hand 1 going

cheers Tim

 

[KT -andy]

Gordon Bennett .
Glad I got mine at £85 , just checked , now £135 !
In 1 month ?

 

[Inspector]

If you are not in a lockdown situation try going to auto body shops and see if they have any old ones they are not using anymore. Another place to try are the house painter types. They have pretty much gone over to airless sprayers and might have some they are not using anymore. It's a long shot but you could end up with a decent one for a reasonable price. Have your cash ready.

Pete

 

[Democritus]

Excuse my ignorance, but what’s a pressure pot, and what role would it have in resin casting. I’ve used resin in bowl rims etc.
D

 

[Inspector]

A vessel used to supply paint or lacquers to a spray gun. Paint put in the pot is pressurized with an air compressor which feeds the spray gun.

Tim wants to use it to contain the polyester/epoxy resin while it cures. The pressure helps to keep bubbles forming in the resin.

Pete

 

[marcros]

A vessel used to supply paint or lacquers to a spray gun. Paint put in the pot is pressurized with an air compressor which feeds the spray gun.

Tim wants to use it to contain the polyester/epoxy resin while it cures. The pressure helps to keep bubbles forming in the resin.

Pete

A pressure put reduces the size of the bubbles in the resin so that they hopefully cannot be seen. By contrast, a vacuum pot sucks out the air and removes the bubbles- you use this with stabilising wood. Stopping them from forming is more closes related to the way that it is mixed and poured.

 

[Lazurus]

I made mine following the You tube harbour freight conversion a few years ago, cost of new paint pot then was about £70, been used a lot and is a sound investment if you are doing deep poyrs. I also use a vacuum chamber first then pressurise the resin as it casts, not had a bubble yet.

 

[Democritus]

Thanks, guys.

 

[Topcat32]

Gordon Bennett .
Glad I got mine at £85 , just checked , now £135 !
In 1 month ?

wish i did now, why the hell did i wait

 

[KT -andy]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Paint-Pr...ses/353177080854?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144

 

[KT -andy]

90 odd quid .

 

[julianf]

I dont know how much domestic pressure cookers go for, nor the pressure that they go up to, nor what pressure you need for resin, but....

If it all worked out, it would not be so hard to connect a port to a pressure cooker, to bring it up to pressure without heating it.

 

[julianf]

in follow up, used pressure cookers are all over ebay for as little as a fiver buy-it-now

still dont know the answers to all the other ones, so the pressure may be all wrong still

edit - looks like too low

 

[Sachakins]

Pressure cookers bad idea, usually only used upto 15psi max when cooking, plus leak like a sieve. Seen them used, with a ton of sealant etc, but wouldn't want to risk life and limb getting it to 50 or 60psi some use for casting!

 

[Adam Pinson]

I dont know how much domestic pressure cookers go for, nor the pressure that they go up to, nor what pressure you need for resin, but....

If it all worked out, it would not be so hard to connect a port to a pressure cooker, to bring it up to pressure without heating it.

It would be safer to have all the clamps to keep the lid on one would think.

 

[Ollie78]

Pressure cookers can be found for very cheap and could be converted. Air line fittings can be found easily.
My mate made a vacuum chamber from one using a fridge compressor. Works great cost a few quid.

Edit
Didn't read sachakins post saying it was bad to use pressure cookers. Maybe only good for vacuum.

Is what you are looking for really an autoclave?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12L-Pres...-/283484500071?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Ollie.

 

[marcros]

vacuum chambers if they suddenly fail (eg lid cracking) make a big bang, or so I am told. A pressure vessel is a potential bomb. Personally I wouldn't risk making something unless it had already been pressure tested beyond the intended working pressure. Making something by changing the existing gauges is as far as I would go (eg the paint pot conversion), I certainly wouldn't be taking a pressure cooker and hoping for the best.

I am all for saving a few quid here and there, and we frequently see shop made tools that are of higher quality than their commercial alternatives, but £100 saving on something that is likely to kill you if it fails when you are near it, no thanks.

 

[Owd Jockey]

I bought one of these, see link, a few years ago for c£330. I'm amazed to see it now at £520 !! Basically they are initially built for commercial car/van spraying and have just been 'tweaked' to accommodate their use for ' crafting ' purposes. I did consider converting an old pressure cooker, but it was too small.

https://airlesspro.co.uk/product/co...ssure-pot-with-wheels-compressor-casting-kit/
After researching other peoples videos on the use of these pots, I used 40psi, which worked fine. However, its an expensive business using resin , both the cost of the pot and the Epoxy Resin itself. I did buy about £100 worth a few years ago ( I forget the volume), but it worked out cheaper. However, it does have a shelf life and one of the two components does crystallise out after some time - but is still usually usuable with some gentle heating.

My advice would be, if you want to put some deeper colour into your pieces, other than painting, for your turned pieces. Get hold of some Milliput epoxy putty, the colours are limited, but it is a cheap intro to putting colour into your work.

The photo below is 'Zebra' bowl with a black&white inset into Alder.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Personally I wouldn't risk making something unless it had already been pressure tested beyond the intended working pressure. Making something by changing the existing gauges is as far as I would go (eg the paint pot conversion), I certainly wouldn't be taking a pressure cooker and hoping for the best.

I completely agree with the required testing and construction.

A paint pressure pot is unlikely to need gauges changed, though it may need the relief valve changed or adjusted, but probably not

The pressure testing should be at least 3 times the working pressure.

I would be very reluctant to use a pressure cooker unless it’s only for very low pressures.

 

[Arnold9801]

Look for o e on EBay and Market place on Facebook and set an alert for the particular item you’re looking for.

The second hand market is ideal and you can get a good vessel at a reduced price.