leathermang,

Your best bet is to find an old abandoned refrigerator from which you can rob the compressor. It is already electric and easily converted to a vacuum pump. All you need is to solder a 1/4" inverted flare fitting onto the compressor inlet. My Dad made one of these in the early seventies and we used it for more than twenty years. It pulled a very good vacuum, about 27 or 28 inches.

The only reason ours finally gave up was that the capillary outlet from the compressor was left open when stored and it finally rusted or otherwise got contaminated. If we had just stuck a rubber plug over it when not in use, we would probably still be using it.

We welded together a little frame with a handle across the top to make it easier to haul around. It was heavy for it size.

Once it finally laid down on us about five years ago, I found a robinair wet vane vacuum pump in a local shopper. It was near new and I bought it for $100. In some ways, I wish the old refrigerator compressor still worked. It was quiet and I could leave it going forever if I wanted. This robinair pump gets warm, no, hot, if you pump a system down overnight.

Good luck,