# Anyone used a GlassVac for a Stabilization Chamber?



## Cole Mods (Apr 8, 2015)

I got a deal on one of these guys (which i realize is just a large cooking pot with some acrylic on top). It saves me from having to build the chamber myself. I have a 3CFM pump, and just ordered the Cactus Juice and dye. I also have an old counter-top oven i can use for curing it (i forget what they are actually called).

I'm pretty sure i'm all set to go for stabilization. I'm stabilizing wood the size of call blanks (a bit thicker) so the larger container is necessary.

Anywho, just checking to see if anyone else had anything good or bad to say about the chamber.

Thanks


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## JR Custom Calls (Apr 8, 2015)

If it's a glass vac, it's tempered glass, not acrylic.


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## Cole Mods (Apr 8, 2015)

Ah, thanks for that info. I know they have different models and I wasn't totally sure about the material (the word Glass should have tipped me off).


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## Jerry B (May 30, 2015)

I use a 3 gallon glass vac w/ 4cfm 2 stage pump
have used it for last year, 4-5 days/week, and have stabilized close to 1000 blanks,
works perfectly and have no complaints what-so-ever.


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## EastmansWoodturning (Jun 20, 2015)

Jerry B said:


> I use a 3 gallon glass vac w/ 4cfm 2 stage pump
> have used it for last year, 4-5 days/week, and have stabilized close to 1000 blanks,
> works perfectly and have no complaints what-so-ever.


Good to hear, I just bought one myself and am waiting for it in the mail

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jerry B (Jun 21, 2015)

Just a heads up ........ _Make Sure _to get a gallon of extra oil and change often!
I live in Nevada, @ 2200' altitude, am still able to get a full 29Hg
I notice that the juice gets sucked into the tube when pulling vac, in turn gets mixed in with the oil, and degrades it
I run vac 4-5 times a week, so quite a lot
I usually change the oil completely at least once a month, degraded oil Will affect the pump and it's performance!

Other than that, I love this system, and it has more than paid for itself in finished product 

** edit** I'm going to test this week, putting a water extractor/separator between the tank, and the pump, will see how much that degrades the vacuum, and if it stops contaminating the oil

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## justallan (Jun 28, 2015)

I did learn something worth sharing while looking at vacuum chambers yesterday morning. The bestvaluevac and the Shattervac systems are not compatable with the stabilizing resins we use. Just thought I'd pass that on. Maybe it's the metal used and a chemical blend, I don't know?
The Glassvac is compatable.


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## myingling (Jun 28, 2015)

justallan said:


> I did learn something worth sharing while looking at vacuum chambers yesterday morning. The bestvaluevac and the Shattervac systems are not compatable with the stabilizing resins we use. Just thought I'd pass that on. Maybe it's the metal used and a chemical blend, I don't know?
> The Glassvac is compatable.



The glassvac got glass lid as the others have a acrylic lid and the resin will make them spider web crack and will eventually break

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## justallan (Jun 28, 2015)

Thanks Mike. I just barely caught that on the site I was looking at and would sure hate to see anyone miss something that may cause a wreck.


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## andy close (Jan 30, 2018)

Jerry B said:


> I'm going to test this week, putting a water extractor/separator between the tank, and the pump, will see how much that degrades the vacuum, and if it stops contaminating the oil



@Jerry B, did adding the extractor/separator negatively affect your vacuum? Do you have a link to the extractor you're using?


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2018)

Best Value Vacs recommended the use of a Trap to prevent issues with the pump, before they came out with the Glass Vac line. Not sure if they changed anything in the pumps or not, but they were saying their pumps were not designed for use with wood stabilizing resins. Suggesting the resin and even vapors from the resins were creating problems. I haven't seen that of late, however... Nor have I ever seen a problem with my pump. 

Resin Trap - https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/vacuum-chambers/resin-traps.html
Cold Trap - https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/vacuum-chambers/cold-traps.html 

The difference being the Cold Trap is supposed to trap vapors too.

Redneck Trap - Eliminates most of the problem. More than anything however, having a chamber that's big enough to avoid sucking resin up the tube, when it boils up, helps immensely. Implemented this before switching from my gallon pot, where I did have a problem. It holds the hose out the way with the big pot. It does still suck some water/resin vapor and contaminate oil over time, and that varies according to blanks, time of year, and weather. But... I didn't pay a hundred bucks for it.






Poly lids on these will look like this about the second or third trip in. Technical term for it is "Crazing"

craze - krāz/
_verb_ - gerund or present participle: *crazing*


2. produce a network of fine cracks on (a surface)... "the lake was frozen over but crazed with cracks"


This one started first time I used it, about 2 years ago. Haven't actually gone out and searched, but thus far casually inquiring, I've found one call maker that reported having the poly lid implode on him, but he's using a duplicator and mass producing calls. Didn't say how long it took for it implode either.


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## Sprung (Jan 30, 2018)

rocky1 said:


> This one started first time I used it, about 2 years ago. Haven't actually gone out and searched, but thus far casually inquiring, I've found one call maker that reported having the poly lid implode on him, but he's using a duplicator and mass producing calls. Didn't say how long it took for it implode either.



Rocky, I've read a number of reports of people whose poly lids imploded on the first or second use... Ouch...


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2018)

Not sure how they pulled that one. The crazing is a gradual thing, it gets worse and deeper over time, in my experience. That could be dependent upon what brand or formula of poly lid you had too I guess, and I'm sure would be largely dependent upon how thick it was. 

First time out, mine showed fractures in the poly to maybe 1/16" when turned in the light. Second time around they got a little deeper and were definitely noticeable, but still nothing major. Finish started clouding up on it about the third trip, it just sorta gets tacky, no way to wipe it clean. On that 10 gallon pot however, the lid is in excess of an inch thick. 

Imploding on a first second run sounds more like a stress fracture set up during drilling and tapping the holes, or screwing fittings in too tight trying to get them to seal.


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## Sprung (Jan 30, 2018)

Yeah, there's a lot of variables there. I think some of the smaller pots are only using 1/2" material which, when you drill and tap it can easily create enough of a weak spot for potential catastrophe.

I've got an original TurnTex chamber - the square one made with acrylic - that is heavily crazed. It still holds vacuum just fine. Though I know that at some point I'll have to retire it. I can see that the crazing is gradually getting worse.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2018)

Have an excellent glass shop here in town, I'm going to take the poly lid on mine in there some day and see what they'll charge me for tempered glass. Then drill a hole in the pot and plumb my fittings like the Glass Vac.

Reactions: Like 1


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## andy close (Jan 31, 2018)

rocky1 said:


> Best Value Vacs recommended the use of a Trap to prevent issues with the pump, before they came out with the Glass Vac line. Not sure if they changed anything in the pumps or not, but they were saying their pumps were not designed for use with wood stabilizing resins. Suggesting the resin and even vapors from the resins were creating problems. I haven't seen that of late, however... Nor have I ever seen a problem with my pump.
> 
> Resin Trap - https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/vacuum-chambers/resin-traps.html
> Cold Trap - https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/vacuum-chambers/cold-traps.html
> ...



Thanks for the info, Rocky.
I don't see a difference on BVV's site regarding any changes to the actual vacuum pump. it looks like the warning they post is mainly for the lid of the vacuum chamber:


> *Compatibility Explanation:*
> 
> • *BestValueVac®* Chambers are not compatible with stabilization resin (i.e. Cactus Juice™, Gator Venom™, Minwax™ etc.), alcohol, ethanol, acetone and acrylic based monomers or polymers.The lid may only be cleaned with soapy water.
> • *ShatterVac®* chambers are not compatible with stabilization resin (i.e. Cactus Juice™, Gator Venom™, Minwax™ etc.), acetone, acrylic based monomers or polymers. The lid may be cleaned with soapy water and low strength cleaning agents.
> • *GlassVac®* chambers are compatible with all solvents and stabilization resins. We only recommend and warranty GlassVac® chambers for resin infusion and wood stabilization.The lid may be cleaned with any solvent or cleaning agent.


Although I know I did see something in one of their blurbs about sucking resin into the vacuum pump voided the warranty...
I'd think that would be easy enough to prevent by making sure you had plenty of room between the chamber outlet and your resin/stabilizer level. better would be to have a trap or filter in between the chamber & pump, which is why I was asking @Jerry B if he'd noticed any degradation in vacuum with one in place. I wouldn't think it would affect the overall vacuum assuming there were no leaks. maybe take a bit longer to get to max vacuum.
it turns out that BVV is actually down the street from me. I may just have to take some time and pop in and poke around a bit.


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## rocky1 (Jan 31, 2018)

Cool!! That'd break me if they were right down the street. Maybe stop in and inquire about the pumps. The blurb they had on it was a cover all about the time they figured out their stuff was seeing a lot of use in the wood working world. The over head loop eliminates a lot of problems but it will still suck resin up if you get it up to the hose. Keeping levels low enough it doesn't stuck it up is best.

Having had mine all apart a few times, there really isn't a lot in there the resin could impact. Prolonged runs and over heating the pump would have as much impact on parts in their pump as resin in my opinion.

A simple water separator shouldn't impact vacuum.


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## Jerry B (Feb 1, 2018)

Andy, I never ended up adding it ........ I go straight from tank to pump ...... don't have any issues at all with liquids/water getting into the pump through the line.

I found out that initial problems was because I tried to stabilize a few wet blanks ......
Since drying all blanks, everything is working perfectly

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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