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Finding places to purchase a spherical vacuum chamber

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:59 pm
by Mikey Faraday
Hey. I'm trying to find a way to get a hold of a spherical vacuum chamber to make a fusor. I have a $700 budget for the vacuum chamber, but I'd rather not pay that much for it, if possible. I've found a few different places to purchase them, but they are all $2,200+. I don't have the equipment or skills necessary to create one myself.

Here are a couple of the ones I've found:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MDC-High-Vacuum ... SwiCRUiaPb
http://www.lesker.com/newweb/chambers/s ... hamber.cfm
https://www.mdcvacuum.com/displayproduc ... =m.9.3.1.1

How did you get your vacuum chamber? Are there any cheaper alternatives? How do you suggest getting one, with my budget in mind?

Thanks a lot, and have a great day.
- Mikey Faraday

Re: Finding places to purchase a spherical vacuum chamber

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 11:56 pm
by ian_krase
1. A number of people these days use small "pipe tee" fusors made out of a 2 to 4 inch pipe tee or 4-way cross, and some of the highest performance fusors have used them -- they are arguably a better design in general (and for weak power supplies) because much fusion happens on the walls. Tees and crosses are common and cheap-ish on Ebay of course -- one end for the HV feedthrough, one for a viewport, and one for the pump.

2. Skill and equipment to make your own may not be that bad-- obviously if you have no metal shop at all, then no, but much can be done with a handheld drill, a mapp gas torch, a stick of 50 percent silver brazing compound, and a tube of Hysol 1C Epoxi-Patch. Suitable spheres are cheaper than you might expect. the problem is the large flanges to attach to them.

Re: Finding places to purchase a spherical vacuum chamber

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 11:57 pm
by Richard Hull
I built mine for the price of two 6" SS hemispheres about $90 total and two 8"conflat rings cost about $170 back in 2000. Insulator was $10 (made that up myself). Total $270.00 finished in 2003. If you can't build yours, you will spend big money to have someone else do it for you or find and old fusioneer who will sell his chamber cheap.

Spherical chambers can be crafted as small as 3", (less expensive), but little is to be gained with spheres larger than 10" in amatuer hands as the flowing gas would be costly and wasted in a larger chamber.

As this post's title specifies a "spherical chamber". The above is about the only way forward.

Richard Hull