OrnamentalRoseEngine.com
Shop Jigs
   Photographs:
- Lathe steady rest
- Hollowing tool
- Fabricating vacuum chamber
- Vacuum kiln end
- Vacuum kiln side
- Threading standard
- Lathe dog
   Other Stuff:
- Rambling Rose Engine 3rd generation mobile
- Rose Engine Ornamental
- Wood lathe works
- Downloads & plans
E-mail:
info1@OrnamentalRoseEngine.com

vac_chamber1.jpg 532x565 - 166k
Vacuum chamber wood kiln.

This is my prototype version of a vacuum wood drying kiln as described in Joshua Salesin's book Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers.

I used a 28" long piece of 8" water pipe for the vacuum chamber.   The ends of the pipe were cut very square and smoothed.   The end cap with the penetrations is 5/16" aluminum tread plate.   I made it large enough to be used for a 16" pipe chamber. The "door" is 5/8" cast acrylic.   The gaskets are cut from 12' wide neoprene shelf liner from HD.   The penetration fittings are all 1/4" NPT threaded and sealed with Teflon tape.   The vacuum pump is connected with 1/4"IDx3/8"OD PEC plactic pipe with 3/8" compression fittings with Teflon seals.   Hand tightening is all that is necessary.   I stripped the outter #14 wire cover, drilled individual 3/32" holes for each wire and silicone caulked them to the aluminum tread plate.   I drilled the little holes close enough together so later I can drill and tap for a plastic plug and drill the wire holes in the plastic plug.   Inside is wired a regular 2 plug receptacle for the heating pad and whatever.   I built a standoff ladder to keep the heat pad from contacting the pipe chamber walls.   The pipe chamber sits on a wooden cross rack.   This vacuum kiln has held a vaccum of 28" Hg for as much as two days.

Be aware that all vacuum pumps will not pump to a 30" Hg vacuum. Many have specified capabilities less than the 27" Hg necessary for water vaporization at 120 degrees that we are striving to maintain inside the chamber.

1x3 bar_rust.gif
Rose Engine Rose Engine barleycorn design barley10.jpg 65x65-2.7k
           OrnamentalRoseEngine.com

E-mail: info1@OrnamentalRoseEngine.com