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furry arts discussion => fursuits, plushies, and costuming => Topic started by: Jacoby Quinn on November 21, 2015, 05:14:52 am

Title: vacuum drying
Post by: Jacoby Quinn on November 21, 2015, 05:14:52 am
Okay, so it's a well established fact that water boils at lower temperature at higher altitudes because of the lower air pressure
in  a vacuum we can make water boil at room temperature, would this be an effective heat-less way to dry fursuits?
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Kobuk on November 21, 2015, 11:05:36 am
Quote
in  a vacuum we can make water boil at room temperature, would this be an effective heat-less way to dry fursuits?

I've never heard of the concept nor have I heard of anybody in the fandom trying this for their fursuit. A few better methods can be found in my Cleaning & Care tutorial here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/kobuk's-fursuit-guides/fursuit-cleaning-care-tutorial/
Read item # 10 about "Additional Notes and Edits" about the fan I use. You may need to re-read the "Supplies" section as there is more info. about the fan there as well. IMO, it's the best investment I ever made for my fursuit. :)
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Jacoby Quinn on November 21, 2015, 11:43:12 am
You say the other methods are better, but that you've never heard of anyone trying this? How do you know they are better?
I've read the care tutorial, i'm simply thinking of new ideas, maybe it's something that will one day become the standard for no heat drying
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Storm Fox on November 21, 2015, 01:20:18 pm
It's a nice idea, but I foresee problems in the application.

When you create a vacuum around water, the water will evaporate and expand into a gas, raising the pressure until there is no longer a sufficient vacuum to support the evaporative state.
So you would need a vacuum pump that is sufficient enough to overcome this, and even more so do to the large volume chamber necessary to house the suit.

So not only would you need a fairly sizeable vacuum chamber which would be expensive, but you would also require a fairly powerful vacuum pump bordering on the industrial level, again, expensive.
Otherwise a more obtainable pump (like those used for vacuuming a/c systems) might do what you need, though I imagin it could take about 20~30 hours (I'm basing that on typical pumps used to service automotive a/c systems), at which point air drying might be faster.

Now assuming we can have an infinitely powerful vacuum pump to where the "if we can" issues don't exist, there's another problem.
As we remove the fastest of particles through evaporation (also removing the heat/energy), we leave the slowest of particles.
Assuming the pump is strong/fast enough to remove the gas and water vapor continuously, some of the water can actually start to freeze if the humidity is kept low enough.

Mind that conditions need to be just right for this simultaneous freezing/boiling state to occur (low pressure/humidity/temperature), but between forming tiny ice crystal (think of them as molecular razor blades), and the process of vacuuming out most/all of the moisture in the fabric, I would assume this would create a dry rotting effect for the material.

I can't be absolutely certain that the material would be damaged without actually performing such an experiment, but I do believe that exposing material/fabric/etc. to such extreme environments would not be good for its longevity.
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Kobuk on November 21, 2015, 02:29:58 pm
You say the other methods are better, but that you've never heard of anyone trying this? How do you know they are better?
I've read the care tutorial, i'm simply thinking of new ideas, maybe it's something that will one day become the standard for no heat drying

I only know the other methods are better because they are the "tried, tested, and true" methods that I as well as other fursuiters have used in the fandom. I can't put my trust or faith into a process that I've never heard of or seen before. I only use what works and what I am most familiar with.  Have any other fursuiters tried the process that you have described? If so, what were their results? Any links to information, pictures, blogs, etc.?
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Takanuva on December 29, 2015, 04:55:36 pm
I saw a drying rack design posted by Telephone on her youtube channel that was in effect, a hollow PVC frame with a electric air mattress pump attached to it. She drilled holes throughout the PVC in the drying frame, to completely air out her suits. I think that'd be a far more effective and inexpensive option for drying a fur suit, if you need to do it that fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ18Le6HUB8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ18Le6HUB8)
Title: Re: vacuum drying
Post by: Jacoby Quinn on December 29, 2015, 05:04:01 pm
I already know about this and it has nothing to do with the topic
it is also neither fast nor efficient