How to Use a Pressure Pot

TLDR: With an air compressor connected to your pot, you place a casted project in the pot and allow it to cure under pressure. This crushes the air bubbles in your resin.

Overview

You’re going to take the lid off and turn your air compressor on – go ahead and put your casted part in the pot, put the lid back on, and tighten it down as hard as you can! At that point, hopefully, your air compressor is up to a good PSI (pounds per square inch), you can attach the hose and introduce air slowly up to about 40 PSI – that’s what we recommend here at Alumilite.

Just remember to never go over what your manufacturer recommends for your pressure pot!

Keep that casting in the pressure pot, through the open time all the way to the de-mold time of your product, then release the air slowly – it’s going to be a little bit loud, so don’t panic. Once the gauge is completely down to zero, take the lid off and remove your part.

Now our pressure pot was converted from a paint sprayer, but if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, there are pressure pots you can buy online.

Pro Tips:

1. First thing, the air inlet on the lid. If you have a bunch of pressurized air entering into your pressure pot, this is going shoot a lot really quickly. If you’re not careful and go slow, you can actually splash out some of the resin that’s inside your casting. So be mindful, go slow, and be aware of where the air is entering your tank.
2. Test-fit your mold before you start pouring your resin! If you have a mold that is close and you think you’re good to go – there’s nothing worse than pouring that mold and trying to get it into the pressure pot, learning that it doesn’t fit. Test fit first, then you’re good to go!
3. Pour silicone into the base of your pressure tank. Believe it or not, these are usually rounded bottoms so pouring silicone in gives you a flat surface and a surface that no resin sticks to. It’s a great way to keep your pressure pot clean and perfectly level.
4. Fill your mold three-quarters of the way full, then transfer it into the pressure pot and finish the last pour. There’s nothing worse than having a full casting and trying to get it into the pressure pot without spilling anything.

More Help

Related Article: How to Use a Vacuum Chamber

Related Article: What's the difference between a vacuum chamber and a pressure pot?

If you have more questions, leave a comment or reach out to us at info@alumilite.com!

Watch the video - When to Use a Pressure Pot or a Vacuum Chamber