How to estimate your personal maximum sucking vacuum in HG
My cylinder is 1 11/16" diameter so has an area of 2.23 square inches (radiusxradiusx3.14). I smeared a thin layer of vaseline on the lid of a jar of pickles which weighed 5.5lb (including the jar weight). I then sucked on the tube with the cylinder on the jar lid and I was able to lift it after only a bit of sucking vacuum. 1 inch Hg=0.49pounds per square inch. I was sucking at a vacuum of 2.47psi (5.5/2.23) which is equivalent to 5" Hg (2.47/0.49). I will have to find a larger weight to find out the max I can lift but I think I could lift 10lb. Somebody claimed to be able to suck to 27Hg. Say this was with a 2" tube. So to calculate the weight W as above
27=(W/{1x1x3.14})/0.49
27=W/(0.49x1x1x3.14)
W=0.49x1x1x3.14x27=41.54lb
just as mine was 5.5(lb)=0.49(psi)x0.843(R)x0.843(R)x3.14(pi)x5(Hg)
Being able to lift 41.54lb sounds a lot to me so maybe his quage was in cm Hg rather than inches Hg which means it is out by a factor of 2.54 meaning he lifted 16.35lb which sounds more reasonable. For larger weights I plan on trying a large soda bottle maybe full of stones, the rounded smooth tapered neck should fit most cylinders. If trying to lift weight make sure the weight’s centre of gravity is in line with the middle of the cylinder.
Here is some similar number crunching
Equating pumping and hanging?