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- Newsgroups: rec.models.rc
- Path: sparky!uunet!mcsun!news.funet.fi!hydra!klaava!linkosal
- From: linkosal@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Tapio Linkosalo)
- Subject: Re: Vacuum bagging
- Message-ID: <1993Jan22.164650.18525@klaava.Helsinki.FI>
- Organization: University of Helsinki
- X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
- References: <19930122102151.Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu>
- Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 16:46:50 GMT
- Lines: 48
-
- > I am ignorant of the specifics of vacuum bagging. I assume it involves
- > placing a casting of fiberglass lay-up into a bag and sucking the air out -
- > along with air bubbles in the resin. But what is the set up?
- >
- > Are there any good overview, how-to and build-your-own articles on the topic?
- >
- > - Roger
-
- Don'k know about books...
-
- Just take a used fridge, cut & unscrew off the compressor (you
- might go to ask some place where they handle 'problem'-waste,
- as you propably dont want to let the CFC out to atmosfere
- (sp?). The compressor is a black thing about the size of a
- football. By its side it has a small box, which is the switch
- to turn the compressor off and on. The AC cabel runs into the
- box, as well as a cable from a thermostat. Opening the box,
- you should find three pins goind into the compressor itself.
- Remove all exceccive, and connect the AC cable to these three
- pins. One is ground, and the other two are the power leads.
-
- Plug in, and go to change the fuse :-)
-
- Seriously, there are not very many ways to connect the leads,
- so trial and error -method and a box of fuses should work. BUT
- BE VERY CAREFUL, AND ONCE YOU GET THE COMPRESSOR RUNNING,
- CHECK THAT IT IS GROUNDED, IE. HAS NO VOLTAGE. NO PLAYING WITH
- AC!
-
- If you get the comp running, it chould suck from one tube and
- blow from the other. Now just connect the vacuum bag to the
- sucking tube. You can check the amount of pressure by checking
- how much air the comp blows from the tube. One comp can only
- suck to about 0.5 atm, so you can let it run until it blows no
- air out. At this point STOP THE COMP, as it heats up rapidly
- if no air flows through it. But be prepared to start it again
- with 15 to 30 min intervals, depending on how tight the vac.
- bag is.
-
- Further improvements could be a vacuum tank (from truck
- brake-air bottle), a pressure meter, and even a
- pressure-activated on-off switch.
-
- Last word of warning: NEVER LET THIS KIND OF COMPRESSOR RUN
- WITHOUT OBSERVATION, AS IT MIGHT EASILY CAUSE ELECTRIC SHORTS
- AND FIRE. But it works, and is cheap.
-
- -Tapio Linkosalo-
-