I purchased, yet, another pump!!

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Richard Hull
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I purchased, yet, another pump!!

Post by Richard Hull »

While at Ed Wingate's Teslathon, I bought another vacuum pump, my 11th pump on hand. It was too cheap not to buy. It was a nice looking Edwards 2M2. I am just getting around to it today. The guy who sold it warned me that it was 240 volt....No big deal, I have that in the lab. He warranted it was functional and that he no longer used or needed it.

In keeping with my routine on new pumps, I hooked one of my TC gauges at the head and turned it on as the oil looked OK even though I would change it out, anyway. It pumped readily to 55 microns. I gave it a bit of gas ballasting and let it run for an hour. I then dumped the much dirtier looking oil and put in TKO flushing oil (Lesker). I ran this oil for another hour and dumped it, (only slightly discolored). I now filled the pump with fresh pump oil and the thing went to 15 microns in a minute or two. As I let it run in about 10 minutes it seemed to bottom out at 6 microns!

I will call this a great buy!

See image below... click to enlarge.

Richard Hull
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Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Rex Allers
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Re: I purchased, yet, another pump!!

Post by Rex Allers »

Congratulations on another score.

That's a nice clean vacuum gauge in your picture. Don't think I've seen one like it. Is that some commercial unit?
Rex Allers
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Richard Hull
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Re: I purchased, yet, another pump!!

Post by Richard Hull »

Duniway stock room sold this 531 tube gauge for years. I bought this about 1999 they had the same gauge offered in the same box in both digital and analog readout.

All of these are still available!! At special super ripoff prices!! 531 analog gauge in box with 531 tube $410 531 digital gauge and tube $425
These are, of course absolutely absurd prices.

I bought the digital gauge and tube in 1999 for a grand total of $220.00, which at the time, I thought was a ripoff.

I now commonly find TC analog controllers with no tube at fleamarkets and hamfests for $20. I have a stock of 12 DV6M tubes on hand from a mass buy new in boxes for 50 cents each at a hamfest several years ago. (college lab shut down). I also picked up two 10 packs of Apiezon N and H greases for 50 cents per tube at the same hamfest. I would typically go to about 14 hamfests per year from 1980 until 2015. I saw and purchased a ton of vacuum goodies over that period. I have rebuilt, restored and resold about 2/3 of what I bought over the years. The key is buy it from dullards who don't know or care what it is or what it is worth, make sure it is good and resell to knowledgeable folks who know what it is and need it desperately.

As a number of hamfests are disappearing and my sleep over place and gal in Maryland of the last 25 years has decamped to Boston, I am now only attending about 5 hamfests each year. In a way it is a good thing as I gotta' get rid of a ton of HV fusor and Tesla related xfmrs, capacitors, etc., and Vacuum gear at upcoming HEAS events.

I am buried in once treasured gear with little thought of ever using it. Much of the best stuff is too heavy to mail or ship and 80% of the attendees to HEAS already have good stuff or did not drive and can't haul the tonnage away with them. Sad, but true. I have two fabulous 1397 18 CFM Welch pump systems which gravity forces them forever to the concrete floor of the lab. These puppies are $6000 each new and I want $600...no takers. I also have two nice 1402 5CFM welch pump systems, $2500 new for $450 and so on. Lots of NIM bins and modules.... Oh well...

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Richard Hull
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Posts: 14991
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2001 9:44 am
Real name: Richard Hull

Re: I purchased, yet, another pump!!

Post by Richard Hull »

I have enough vacuum pumps and recently offered the above proven pump at HEAS 2019 fleamarket for $250.00.... No takers.... Now I am thinking about using it on fusor V or trying again at $200.00 next year at HEAS or taking it to the Richmond Hamfest (frostfest) in February

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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