Any ideas on a homemade vacuum

[500592]

hey i was wondering if anybody had ideas on a makeshift vacuum system

[michiganfarmer2]

I considered using the intake form my diesel tractor, but I never tried it

[Kev]

wouldnt an air compresser make a vacum pump if you plumed it to suck instead of blow?

[3rdgen.maple]

wouldnt an air compresser make a vacum pump if you plumed it to suck instead of blow?

Doubt it could pull enough vac to work. A compressor, well compresses the air with pistons to push it in a holding tank. I would think if you restricted the incoming air it would not pull enough vacuume to do anything and will overheat.

[500592]

Doubt it could pull enough vac to work. A compressor, well compresses the air with pistons to push it in a holding tank. I would think if you restricted the incoming air it would not pull enough vacuume to do anything and will overheat.

what if i hooked my line into the compresser then let it go through it and have it come sraight out the line into my tank because wouldnt the sap over heat
i di find this vacuum pump and was wondering if it would work [URL="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS343US343&q=vacuum+pump&um=1&hl=en&biw=1243&bih=517&bav=on.2,or.&wrapid=tlif129941301232610&ie=UTF-8&cid=6759696599748600504&sa=X&ei=H3hzTdiBJIK0lQfRzbCiCw&ved=0CIMBEPICMAE#"]

[Haynes Forest Products]

SOME pumps are MENT to be either Vacuum or Pressure. Not all. Most compressers will go south if they dont get good air for cooling. So if you starve the average comp of its cooling air your sunk. Now a Vane vacuum pump doesnt have valves to hold the vacuum or pressure when in use. Alot of compressers have reed valves and they dont like heat or vacuum if not designed for it. Plus there is a small amount of moisture in the incoming air and that is bad for compressers also.

[maple flats]

Years ago my brother made a vacuum pump to run 1 milking machine from an old refrigerator compressor. I do not know the CFM but it worked for 5 or 6 years and would pull 14" but he regulated it down to 12". Then he sold the cow and goats and had no use for it. It went with the house when he moved.

[highlandcattle]

We got an old Surge Alamo dairy pump and had it fittted to a custom designed (Indianna Vacuum) Subaru engine and my husband, being an old dairy farmer, rigged it with parts from Tractor Supply and our local farm equipment dealer and as you can see from our pics, it is working great! Yes, it cost us, but now it's done and this was the only way to get up and running to make some money back...

[jrthe3]

use a AC compressor off of an old car hook in to a motor and spin it as fast as you can

[Haynes Forest Products]

Even a car AC unit needs oil to recirculate thru the system or its toast.

[500592]

i may be able to get a fridge compresser so maybe if someone could post a digram on howq to hook it up i would appricate it

[Gromyjoe21]

I know this is an old thread but I am currently building an arduino controlled constant vacuum sap releaser. The vacuum pump I am using is an air compressor I found at the dump so it didn't cost me anything... I just reversed the ports. I haven't measured the vacuum yet but tonight I will have thed gauges all setup. It does draw sap very fast up about 4' with 1 1/4" mainline in my test setup. And there are still plenty of leaks..
Anyway I just wanted to say yes it does work as a vacuum pump quite well but I wouldn't rely on it to work for a sugar bush. I may try installing a check valve on the inlet and outlet of the compressor along with a small oil drip feed system..

[Haynes Forest Products]

Nothing ventured nothing gained. Some vacuum is better than no vacuum. Every successful product started as a prototype. I like this sport of making maple syrup because anyone with an idea can fall asleep thinking about it and wake up and build it and be excited about reinventing the wheel.

[maple flats]

Likely your best bet is to get an old dairy pump and run it at 15-17" of vacuum. Then play with the oil drippers to increase flow and you could get 22-24" but with the original oilers much over the design vacuum of 15" is looking for big problems.