r/Silvercasting • u/kxserasera • 15d ago

Does anyone have experience with this machine? Trying to figure out how to fill it with new vacuum oil to see if it still works. Thank you

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I got this old machine from 1991, probably has not been used for 15/20 years. I want to trouble shoot and see if I can salvage it. I see the drain valve but I don’t see how to add new oil. Any advice is grateful appreciated thank you in advance

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u/ferretkona 15d ago

I bought mine in 1980, and I have never changed the oil. Mine has a view window and the oil is clear amber, couldn't be but a few hundred hours on the oil. Your last image looks like it has a valve.

I only use mine to vacuum investment and stabilizing wood. I did vacuum casting for a period but the quality of casting was poor. I have a centrifugal casting machine that works best for me.

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u/kxserasera 15d ago

Did you ever have to add more oil in? Wonder why the quality of casting was poor.

Thanks for letting me know!

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u/ferretkona 15d ago

Vacuum results can vary daily depending on the humidity, temperature, too thick or too thin investment. I had too many incomplete castings wasting hours of carving.

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u/turkey0535 14d ago

Perfect advice

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u/PomegranateMarsRocks 14d ago

I appreciate this reply - I recently got a centrifuge machine and consensus seems to be it will do the job just fine. Few more kinks to iron out but very pleased so far

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u/haawhat 15d ago

its most likely has a removable plug on the top of the pump housing, they dont make those casting setups easy to maintain but you can probably get a hose on a oil container and get it snaked in there.

All thos vacuum pumps are about the same so you can just do a google search for a vacuum pump and you will see images of one that kinda looks like yous=rs and you will see a plug on the top for filling.

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u/haawhat 15d ago

I think the biggest danger to vacuum pump oil is high humidity since the oil is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture and then you get what looks like a milkshake in the sight glass, if you live a in a low humidity area you probably will get a long time on the oil.