Vacuum Pump/Chamber

[acwatkins]

Hi all,
My essential series plastisol is loaded with air. Id like to try removing it with a vacuum pump. Luckily, I already have a pump as I am an HVAC tech. My question is about the chamber, has anyone made their own? I don't really want to spend the money on one if I don't have to. Also, thinking about switching to Dead-on Plastix after this batch of essential is done, thoughts? Thanks!

[Apdriver]

I haven’t tried it but the seal would more than likely be the hard part. Take a look at these. I know these have been used to vacuum plastisol. If you have a pump, the chambers seem fairly reasonable. I think the guys that do this recommend getting a size double the amount of plastic you plan on degassing.

https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/vacuum-chambers.html

[ctom]

thinking about switching to Dead-on Plastix after this batch of essential is done

I doesn't matter how much de-gassing takes place where you purchase the plastic. Handling during shipping and stirring/shaking before use will inject air into the raw product. If you want a de-gassed plastic you'll have to do it right where you are cooking after you have added everything to the plastic for that batch. Air gets in in a million ways. Consider too the micro-pores in whatever you're cooking with...the process of heating and cooling can create moisture which can get trapped and released when you cook the next batch.

I'm not going to say people shouldn't do whatever they feel like they need to do, but I don't fret over micro-bubbles in baits especially the transparent ones. Light enters the bait, hits the bubble string and gets reflected right back out, just like a live minnow's air bladder. Nothing at all more natural.

[Canga~]

I switched away from the essential series plastic for a variety of reasons but bubbles were a major one for me. Right now I’m using bait plastics and it’s good stuff, might try dead on when I run out of the stuff I have now. That being said, ctom is correct in that you get air in a lot of ways, mainly in my experience, is from mixing the plastic in the container.

I bought the vac chamber from bait plastics and it works great, I wish the chamber itself was a little bigger, can only put 1 two cup Pyrex in there at a time, but otherwise it is super easy to use.

[DobynsTriton]

best value vacs has all your parts. I wouldnt go under a 3 gallon chamber. 5 would be the best all around size. a lid is about $30. I've been using one since about July/August and it def makes a difference when the variables like ctom mentioned are factored in. I still get a few bubbles but it's mainly onsies and twosies