Fast or slow infusion?


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67redrocket
67redrocket
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How do I infuse correct? Do it fast or slow?
Hanaldo
Hanaldo
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Depends on the size of the job and your stack. The thicker the stack, the more you will need to throttle it to allow the resin to saturate through the layers. But it's a juggling act, as slowing it down too much will cause issues as well. 

It's something you develop a feeling for. Most of the time you just let the resin flow and it will control it's own speed. I prefer to let the resin flow at its natural rate, but occasionally I find I need to throttle the first half of the infusion before opening it up fully as the flow front slows down. 





Short answer: try infusing slowly first. Get the feeling for it. As you learn the infusion process you will learn what works and what doesn't. It's generally more forgiving to go slowly. 
MarkMK
MarkMK
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In addition to Hanaldo's advice, I've found that using a resin break of an inch or so (a deliberate gap in the flow media positioned along the vacuum side edge of the stack) really helps with achieving a fully wet-out part and can allow time for the resin at the part edges to 'catch-up' as it really slows things down. You just need to ensure that you factor in sufficient pot life. 
Hanaldo
Hanaldo
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Yes, definitely use a break zone. Just remember (if you work out your resin requirements rather than just mixing batches) that this area will still wet out after you have clamped everything off. There's a few grams that gets lost in the peel ply and the through bag connector/vacuum hose. This can be enough to leave you with some pinholes if you don't account for it, so just allow a bit extra for this. 
67redrocket
67redrocket
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Thank you for answers, a resin break i need to look into, i have not seen that. 

When do I clamp of everything? first the resin and then let the vacuum run a while to suck out air, or first vacuum and wait for the carbon to get resin rich and then clamp of the resin? 
Hanaldo
Hanaldo
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I clamp the vacuum hose first and allow the resin to keep flowing for 20-30 seconds, but it depends a bit on how your infusion played out. Sometimes you may get a bit of resin pooling in the first part of the stack for whatever reason, and in this case you would want to clamp the resin feed and allow the bag pressure to equalise. 

You'll get a feel for this though. For the most part, clamping the vacuum hose and letting a touch more resin flow through will ensure a perfect cosmetic finish. 
GO

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