Has anyone tried to dry out chemistry by using a small, hand held vacuum pump, and packaged of Sodium Silicates or a duel section Chemistry to a Loose Sodium Silicate to a steady pull vacuum pump assembly at the second transit port of the Silicates container or jar.
I suspect that three vacuum jars, ie, Bell Mason jars, with metal tops, ported through the lid tops with brass nipples, silver soldered for air tightness when a hose is attached, to the nipple of a two nippled lidded jar, to a second two nippled jar that ends with a hand vacuum pump, pulling vacuum.
Harbor Freight sells these nice hand vacuum pumps, for not a lot of dough, and they have a Mason Jar attachment, used for example, pulling out break fluids, with the Jars that can be of various capacity, for example, a two quart, a one quart, a pint, or a four ounce jar.
They all use the same dimension metal or plastic lids.
If you do this I'll suggest a good length of hose, from the chemistry jar, to the silicates jar, so the chemistry, if not light or heat sensitive, be set in a sunny warm window to get the moisture into gas from, to the shaded moisture collecting jar to the pump.
Cheers and let us know, please, if anyone here tries this out.
Eli
PS: it occured to me that an indicator that will actually show you if the silicates jar is capturing moisture could be simply made, by taking small pieces of pointed or balled metal, and piercing the lid, inserting each down into the jar side of the metal lid and soldering them in place for a non-venting install.
Imagine using kids metal "Jacks" as the probes, ball ends as the 'drip probes' inside the jar, where condensation can form on them and drip dow into the silicates.
There's no need to cut the jacks, just drill the holes where there is easy
Access to the jar lid plate for about three - four Jack ball points, solder and let the drips be your guide to when the setup is working, you might even try putting a small copper dish, on top of the Jacks standing proud of the outside lid top, with some ice in it, to give the jacks the thermal advantage of greater condensations.
My suggestion for brass ports hose connections, is to take fired .22 Rimfire brass, primer discharged, the bottom inside drilled out, so the rim can form a tighter fitting flange for soldering the case through the top of the lid, for thin hose attachments.
Mason jars and new metal lids are available at Walmart and various hoses at Home Depot or Lowes home centers.
The name of the vacuum pump from HF is, "Mity Vac"
Photo road trip related equipment is the gas cap tester pump and caps kit.
It will allow you to check your car's gas cap seal to see if it will properly seal for better gas mileage which can be turned into more/longer photo road trips, film, etc.
