Homemade Vaccum Sealer

[splitter]

Anyone out there do any vaccum sealing? I made one years ago and it works wonderfully. You make it out of a freezer compressor, thats what pulls your vaccum. My vaccum seals jars only. Don't need to buy any special bags etc. Have plenty of jars, made it big enough to seal half gallon jars on down. Anybody interested let me know will be glad to share the info with you. If you have a old freeze thats no good anymore and compressor works it may cost you twenty dollars for the rest of the stuff. Usually the compressors not what goes bad, the lines get a hole in it somewhere. Splitter

[Tom]

What are you waiting for??  Put it on!

Heck, we're covered up with diy projects.  That's what makes most of these guys heart pump.  :D :D

I'd love to see what you did.  Got pictures?

[LeeB]

I got an old freezer. It's a 1952 model sears chest freezer and the only reason I quit using it was because the wiring got so bad I was afraid of fire.

[splitter]

Get a compressor pump from a old freezer usually they work and the freezer stops working because of a hole in the metal line somewhere. A freezer compressor pulls better vaccum than a refrigerator compressor.

Cut the metal lines approx: 3 or 4 inches from the compressor. Take it outside and plug it up, it will pump all the oil out of the compressor and will start pulling air.

The rest of the things needed may cost about twenty dollars.

Get a pvc pipe big enough to set a half gallon jar in, cut the pipe approx: one to one and a half longer than the jar.

Glue a cap on one end of the pvc pipe make sure your cap is flat, this will be the bottom of the vaccum chamber, glue to pipe. The pvc pipe needs to be schedule #40.

Next get a small rubber hose like a vaccum hose for a car this will connect over the pulling metal line in the pump and to the side of the pvc pipe. I got a plastic fitting to fit the rubber hose at the auto parts store, drilled a hole in the side of the pvc pipe and glued it in. Now you have the hose hooked to the pump and the bottom glued on the pvc pipe and the hose attached to the side of the pvc pipe.

Get a rubber sheet big enough to cover the top of the pvc pipe, it needs to be soft rubber I got mine at a gasket and hose place I think mine is approx 3/8 inch thick. Make sure the top edge of the pvc pipe is smooth you may need to use sand paper to make it smooth and level as possible. The rubber sheet needs to be soft rubber so it will seal.

Cut a hole in the middle of the rubber sheet approx: one inch. Next I got a piece of plex glass 3/8 inches thick, this lays on top of the rubber sheet and needs to be the same size, remember these only have to cover the top of your pvc pipe.

Cut a hole in the middle of the plex glass approx: one inch. Next you will need a rubber cork about two inches at the top. I found several sizes at a nature store where they sold wine supplies etc. this will fit over the hole in the plex glass. I turn my cork up sidedown this gives me more surface over the hole in the plex glass.

Put anything you wish in the jar place a lid on top of the jar with a ring, this is to keep the lid on straight only do not tighten the ring, the air has to be pulled out of the jar.

Put your rubber over the pvc pipe then your plex glass then the rubber cork upside down over the hole, not in the hole in the plex glass. Turn on the compressor and it will pull the vaccum.

When you think it has pulled all it will pull lift the cork and the air going back in will slam down on the lid sealing it and hold in the vaccum you have pulled. You can then remove the ring. You will find it hard to remove the lid with your fingers because of the vaccum.

The best I remember I have pulled  a 25 to 27 vaccum with mine I placed a vaccum gauge in a jar and pulled the vaccum.  A vaccum of this range will be like flying at 25000 ft and no bug, egg, or larva can live in a vaccum of this degree.

Hope I have explained this procedure well enough, if you have any questions I will be glad to help if I can. Splitter

[StorminN]

That sounds great, splitter! The only thing better would be pictures!

-Norm.

[Dan_Shade]

have you ever broken a jar doing this?

It sounds good, but could possibly be dangerous if the jar breaks.

[Modat22]

most jars will handle the vacuum.

[splitter]

I have never broken a jar. Splitter

[Reddog]

Not sure what you are storing in these jars but,

Can vacuum packaging replace canning fruits and vegetables?
Vacuum packaging machines will extend the storage time of refrigerated food, dried foods, and frozen foods. However vacuum packing machines or sealers are NOT a substitute for heat processing of home canned foods.

Perishable foods packed in a vacuum package must be refrigerated or frozen. They cannot be safety stored at room temperature. The removal of most of the oxygen does not inhibit all growth of bacteria. Some bacteria that grow in a low-oxygen environment can cause food spoilage. These bacteria can cause serious illness or death in humans.

User beware.