Pressure canner questions

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Hi all! I have a pressure canner (cast iron, heavier than lead!) that I inheirited from my hubby's grandparents. I know this this is well over 40 years old. The pressure guage is cracked but it still works (at least it did in 2001 when I had it tested.) I'm on my way out to buy a new rubber gasket, so the seal fits tighter. I hope I can find one! Anyway, my questions are... pressure canning and cookers in general are foreign to me. I purchased a regular pressure cooker recently, and cooked the first time ever in it. I don't remember my mother ever cooking anything in a PC, and my grandma used her broken one to cook popcorn in it. (It didn't seal at all!) I do know that I need to use the cast iron one outside on a camp stove or grill as I have a ceramic surface stovetop. That's a big no-no. My biggest fear is having the thing explode on me, or break the glass jars that I put inside. Since it's been 6 years since I had it tested, and I hadn't done anything with it since should I need to test it again? Should I look for a replacement guage as well? Do you have any tips or hints for me on how to use it?