# Looking for large plastic buchner funnel



## NobleMetalWorks (Aug 28, 2012)

I am looking for a food prep type large plastic Buchner filter.

I saw one on eBay awhile back, but didn't grab it. Now that I am looking for them, I find that even the small ones are expensive. 

Anyone know of an inexpensive place to purchase one?

Thanks

Scott


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## mjgraham (Aug 28, 2012)

I don't really have any where to guide you but when you say large what size are you looking for?


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## Palladium (Aug 28, 2012)

http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=474837

Here's one in your area. It didn't sell on auction so their may be a deal to be had.


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## NobleMetalWorks (Aug 29, 2012)

Palladium said:


> http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=474837
> 
> Here's one in your area. It didn't sell on auction so their may be a deal to be had.



Thank you Sir, that is the exact one I saw on eBay awhile back. I'm going to contact them and see what I can work out.

It's not plastic, but it's better, ceramic. 

Scott


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## goldsilverpro (Sep 1, 2012)

SBrown said:


> Palladium said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=474837
> ...



One that size costs about $1000-$1500, or more, new. I've had several of those of the same size over the years. I notice it has a fixed plate, which is harder to clean than one with a removable plate, especially when filtering something like gold powder and some of the powder goes through the paper and gets trapped in the vac chamber - I used to clean mine out with AR every so often. However, one with a removable plate costs about $500 more and, if you're not very careful, the plates are easily chipped when removing or replacing them.

All in all, if you can get it cheap ($200, say), I would snap it up. Make sure the side-arm, where you attach the hose, is intact - they get broken easily. It looks like its OK, though - click on the photo.

The large plastic buchners I have owned were made by Bel-Art. An 18" costs about $800. The fixed plate (perforated type. I don't like the porous plate type - very hard to clean) seal better but, here again, they are not as easy to clean as the removable plates. Unlike the Coors removable plate, though, the Bel-Art plate goes all the way to the edge and this makes it very difficult to seal the paper. They do sell a special ring to help seal it but its not cheap.

http://www.belart.com/shop/146253518-buchner-funnel-wmedium-fixed-plate-p-146253518.html

Many years ago, a guy I worked for had an all stainless (about 11 guage - 1/8") buchner (about 30" dia) that was only used to filter large amounts of silver chloride that had been dropped out of nitric. It was made in 3 pieces. The bottom table top vac chamber was open top, about 6" high, with a side arm near the top for the vacuum hose. I also think there was a valve near the bottom to drain it. On top of that was placed a plate with about 3/4"-1" holes in it. The plate set on a lip inside the top of the vac chamber. On top of the plate was an oversize piece of very thick spongy filter paper cut from a roll. On top of the paper was a stainless ring for the solution to be filtered, the same diameter as the bottom and about 8-10" high. The whole thing was held together with a series of toggle clamps around the outside. Very easy to clean. The only problem was that, if a vacuum wasn't constantly maintained when there was liquid in the top chamber, the liquid would wick through to the edges of the paper and end up on the floor. That happened to me once (only) and that's what got me to thinking about my wick filter.

I always thought this could be fabricated from thick plastic, probably PP. If I get a chance, I'll make a drawing.


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## NobleMetalWorks (Sep 1, 2012)

Thank you for the input, I am still waiting for a reply...

I'll post what I find out, if I get an answer back.

Scott


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## Geo (Sep 1, 2012)

someone post a picture of a homemade vacuum funnel made with pvc pipe and reducer fittings. it looked really good and ive been planning on making me one. you use a 3"- 4" reducer cap and cut a piece of HDP that will just fit in the cap,drill some holes, then when you push the pipe into the fitting. it pushes the plastic round with holes drilled in it to the bottom of the fitting making it all air tight.add a piece of whatever size pipe you reduced to as a nipple about 6" long. place a rubber coupling on the reducer cap and slide a "T" up the pipe and fasten the rubber coupling to the "T". use another rubber coupling on the other side of the "T" to fasten to your receiving container (a bottle). fasten a fitting in the "T" for the vacuum and your ready to vacuum filter for a few dollars and a little work.


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## NobleMetalWorks (Sep 1, 2012)

I saw this on eBay, is this what you are talking about Geo?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Gal-Plast...WDVW&rd=1&ih=004&category=159707&cmd=ViewItem

It's the same guy selling the fume scrubbing system that has the dust buster, coffee maker, etc thing...

It looked pretty ingenious at first, until I realized how large the holes were, I think he's using a PVC drain plate. I'm not sure what type of filters he's using either, but the look like cut cloth, and frayed. Not sure how long they would actually last, not even sure if the giant holes would make it impossible to really vacuum filter.

Scott


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## goldsilverpro (Sep 1, 2012)

SBrown said:


> I saw this on eBay, is this what you are talking about Geo?
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Gal-Plast...WDVW&rd=1&ih=004&category=159707&cmd=ViewItem
> 
> ...



It wouldn't take much vacuum to collapse that bucket.


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## Geo (Sep 1, 2012)

actually, it was a post here. its not the same as the receiving vessel i described would be a glass container and the whole thing is much smaller. i wish i had book marked it.


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## NobleMetalWorks (Sep 1, 2012)

goldsilverpro said:


> It wouldn't take much vacuum to collapse that bucket.



I felt it would have issues, I didn't even think about the bucket. I am going to get the right equipment, in the long run it will end up saving money. There are some things I feel very comfortable fabricating or proprietary equipment I built that I feel comfortable using because I can relate it to my salt water tanks I have been keeping for over 20 years. So in those instances I feel comfortable, but that set up, and being only a 1 gallon receptacle, it wouldn't help me much because I want to filter 5 gallon buckets of solution. 

I am going to stick with the table top buchner, and do as you described, wash it with AR after each run. I don't have the room, or funds to allocate for a filter press, not yet. :mrgreen: But hopefully at some point in the future.

Scott


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## jimdoc (Sep 1, 2012)

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=12556&p=128117&hilit=pvc+vacuum+filter#p124823


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## philddreamer (Sep 1, 2012)

I PM'd Ardibash back in march, didn't get a reply. I wonder if he's okay...
He hasn't logged in since February 16th, 2012, 1:36 pm.


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