First of all, I want to thank everyone who so kindly took time to
offer directions on how I could repair my vacuum caster. Here is a
follow-up on what has transpired.
The you all provided was just excellent. However,
unfortunately, I ran into a lot of problems trying to locate the
correct type of tubing, as well as other needed items. Most of the
tubing I found had thinner walls than the ones that came with my
vacuum.
Finally after visiting just about every hardware store in town, I
gaveup and sent the Vacuum to Rio Grande for repairs. This turned out
to be a very good decision, as when Mike and Moshe worked on it,
they discovered that not only had the blown-out piece of
moltensilver burned into the hose but, a chunk of it had wedged into
the valve toggle, which then had to be replaced. I would not have
discovered this on my own. They did a wonderful job on repairing it,
and now it is all set-up for me to use again.
I know exactly why I had the blow-out. I had used a different brand
of investment which a friend had given me, and unfortunately did not
use thecorrect proportions of water which that brand required. It
did seem a bit more soupy than my regular investment, and even
though theflask sat overnight before the burnout, it was still very
very soft. It was practically dry, but soft. I should have stopped
right there, and made up another batch, but instead put it in the
kiln for the burnout. Then, when I was ready to cast, and got the
flask out of the kiln, some of the investment dropped off the bottom
of the flask. It was quite powdery.
Again, I should have used common sense, and discarded it, rather
than attempting to vacuum it. Hence, the dreaded “blow-out.”
I did learn a lot from this experience and am a lot wiser now.
Again, I want to thank everyone who took the time to send me
detailed explanations on how to repair the vacuum. I have printed
them all out for futurereference. Hopefully, I will not have to use
them. Alma