We all understand that vacuum pump oil is the lifeblood of our vacuum pumps. We know what the function of vacuum pump oil is and how it functions. But how do we apply that knowledge when choosing the oil best suited for our pumps? Many of us simply pick up what’s in the stock room […]

I got in one of these tiny torches the other day to experiment with brazing aluminum in tight spots, and one of the techs walked in and asked, “What type of torch is that?” I answered, “It's oxy/acetylene.” He picked it up and looked at it a bit, then asked, “Does that get hot enough […]

When I started in the field, I was a 17-year-old helper with one year of tech school under my belt. In other words, I knew nothing. As I've mentioned before, a few experienced techs took me under their wings at different stages, but the most influential was a guy named Dave Barefoot. For whatever reason, […]