I have a small compressor that I would like to pull a low vacuum with. If I stick a hose in where the air filter is to do this will I mess it up? I can open the tank drain so it won’t be doing double duty.
Just wondering if I would wreck it. It’s a nice little compressor and I would miss it sorely.
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I'm no compressor expert, but I noticed that the owner's manual of my Porter Cable pancake compressor has a specification for what maximum percentage of time the compressor should be running. I'd suggest checking that out first.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Likely what would happen is the oil in the crankcase would get sucked up into the cylinder and, if the vacuum were able to get to a sufficiently low level, back-stream into whatever you were pumping. If there were sufficient oil as to fill the cylinder without the compressor seizing first, the compressor would probably break a valve (oil being non compressable).
Having said that, I have read of people using refrigerator compressors as a vacuum pump. Having spent a great deal of my time in high-vacuum technology, I just had to shake my head, LOL. But, if it works, well then it works.
Compressors are usually used to pull vacuums via the venturi effect; i.e., the compressed air output is connected to a venture chamber, which will then draw air through a vacuum port.
Do a google serach on "venturi vacuum pump".
Start here http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm
LOL
Due to the head space in the compressor cylinder head, you won't draw much vacuum. Put your finger in the air suction hole, and you'll see what I mean.
Not sure of the application, but you will probably get better performance with a vacuum cleaner.
If you are building a veneer bag system, you use a venturi vacuum pump, which is a little inexpensive gizmo, connected to your compressed air delivery line. This will give you some real good Hg.
Here is a link for you.
http://www.vaccon.com/venturi.html
Thanks Jellyrug, I'll look into it. I was just wondering , ya know.
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