Vacume pumps

[Zippiot]

Can a hand operated vacume pump work with casting metals? Mostly aluminum is to be cast, needs to be relatively strong but not forged strengths.

I ask b/c it seems like a slow process and the aluminum cools really fast...

[Zippiot]

It would only need to hold a vacume for a short time as the metal is poured in and setting...

I was looking at some stuff, a few people took apart a toaster oven and rebuilt it in a airtight cotnainer, which they then attatched a hand operated vacume to it. Works great for casting rocket propellant, but not so well for letting metals sit.