So after some more research I’m starting to believe that the original pump is not enough for this task. Fortunately I happened to impulse purchase a huge Leybold 16cfm rotary pump from a person off Craigslist. It’s not exactly in good condition (It clatters a bit and probably needs a rebuild) but it pulls a good vacuum and it was dirt cheap.
I’ve always been interested in making my own freeze-dried food for camping or emergencies, and I’ve also been interested in the process in general. I picked up a small vapor trap capable of reaching -50C on eBay and a small vacuum pump off Craigslist. I don’t have any machine tools but I managed to drill and tap a 4″ disc of aluminum with a cordless drill and some tenacity. Despite NOT being designed for this, the vapor trap actually seals pretty well against the metal bucket inside (normally they use a glass jar) and reaches an absolute vacuum of about 30 microns.
