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The Pressure Pot-- as you might guess- adds pressure (atmosphere) to an environment by pumping more air into it.
For our purposes, it's used to condense and contract air bubbles within silicone and resin until they are negligibly small. By increasing the air pressure, we force the bubbles smaller-- This is key especially for Resin, which is difficult to use in a vaccum chamber, so this is the primary method to ensure nice clear casts.
It is Important to note that incorrectly handling the pressure pot Can and Will result in injury. The lid is heavy, metal, and backed by high pressure air that can launch it at speeds that will break something-- like your hands or face.
Never open the pressure pot without fully releasing all air!
Top Left: Air intake valve
⬑ Where the air hose attaches
⬑ Red lever allows air into chamber
Bottom Left : Airoutlet Cock
⬑ main release for air
⬑wrench or hand tighten
Top Middle: Pressure gauge
⬑you can see how much pressure is in the pot here.
Bottom Right: Safety Valve
⬑emergency air release
⬑can also be used for assurance that pressure is normalized.
Putting in your mold
Putting in your mold
1. Connect air tube
unscrew from the nozzle; pull back the coupling and unscrew.
hold the coupling back as you attach it to Pressure Pot
2. Close release valves
there are 2 air releases: the airoutlet cock and the Safety valve.
the outlet cock may need a wrench to close. ensure it is tight but not immovable. [safety valve]
3. CHECK IF PRESSURIZED.
look at pressure display and ensure the readout is at [0]
if not, check reverse below.
4. Unlatch the butterfly nuts and place your mold inside. Be sure you have it on a tray raft!
find a sticky note or similar and mark whether you're curing silicone or resin, as well as the start date/time. This is so anyone using the pressure pot, as well as staff, knows not to disturb your project until it's finished curing.
5. Retighten all butterflies.
screw all to finger tight, then tighten again to fully secure them. this helps the lid be evenly distributed. (Like lugnuts on a car!)
6. After checking the air hose is secure, turn on the flow at the wall nozzle.
You will hear air hissing; the seal from the air hose to the pot isn't perfect-- but watch out! Check the airoutlet cock to make sure it isn't hissing from there. Put your fingers to the outlet and feel for escaping air. Tighten if necessary.
7. Pull the red lever on the air hose 90 degrees up to start pushing air into the pot.
Pressurize to ~40psi, then turn the lever horizontal to stop the flow again.
8. Remove the airhose and reconnect it to the spray nozzle.
Done!
Reverse:
Reverse:
Loosen the airoutlet cock (you may need to start it with a wrench, but this should be achievable by hand). Air will begin to hiss out of the pot.
once the pressure is very low (as seen on the indicator) pull on the ring of the safety valve to ensure all excess air has been expelled. When holding the safety valve fully open, you should not be able to hear any air, and the pressure indicator should reach zero.
NEVER open the pressure pot until the indicator is at zero and there is no more hiss! You can seriously injure yourself and others, as well as damage expensive equipment!
Unscrew the butterfly nuts and retrieve your project. Do not remove cures that aren't yours. Try not to jostle other projects.
If there are other projects, repressurize the pot.
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