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[Looking4] Vigor Inva-cast CA 1005 manual

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Does anyone have any printed instructions for a Vigor Inva-cast CA
1005? We bought a used one from a local jeweler in Tampa who said it
worked. Yeah, right. Well, we went to change the oil before turning
it on and it was full of water, first red flag. Then we opened it up
and found it was all rusty inside, second red flag. Cleaned it up,
replaced gasket, filled it with oil, turned it on and it seized.

I have another vacuum pump which we hope to use with the caster, but
would like to have some instructions before we go any further. I
will be happy to pay for any copying and shipping costs. Please let
me know off-forum.

In the meantime, we have been using our spincaster so we aren’t dead
in the water.

Thanks,
Nel

#2

As a follow up to my original posting, we, er, Norman, husband and
Workshop Wizard, took the vacuum pump apart the next day and soaked
the parts in oil or whatever he did to clean it further. He made a
new gasket, gooped it with the gasket stuff and put it back together.
It is working wonderfully now, chugs along nicely and pulls 30
inches Hg. Some previous clown got the knob on the front of the
caster out of calibration. So today Norman is working on getting it
calibrated. He is my hero. Did I ever tell you he built a Questair
Venture out of aluminum?

Still would like the instructions if anyone has any. Otherwise I
figure it goes like this:

  1. do burn out as usual
  2. turn on vacuum caster.
  3. place flask on caster
  4. pour molten gold or silver
  5. wait for button to stop glowing and quench as usual
  6. turn off caster in there between 4 and 5 after metal has been
    sucked in

Does that basically cover it?

I guess we could burn out an extra flask and use it as a sacrificial
lamb, so to speak, then if it works, go with the vacuum caster. If
not,the spincaster is always set up.

Nel, a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-kinda-gal
(pardon the “Pretty Woman” reference, old habits die hard)