Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

1st infusion, and it leaked in air

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic20165.aspx

By LeeBrett - 1/9/2016 4:05:47 PM

Hi, I just started to practice resin infusion and I made my bag with pleats just like the video tutorials show, I then found a leak on one of the pleats when pulling a vac down and a simple squeeze of the bag tape cured the leak.  After a few seconds the gauge went to full vac and the pump noise changed, I then clamped the vac line to do a drop test.  returning 20 mins later I noticed that the catch pot lid had leaked and the gauge had dropped so I sealed the lid and then pulled vac on the catch pot up to the line clamp.  Then I switched off the pump and opened the clamp to drop test the bag and the gauge stayed the same.

I did the infusion and took it slow and when the resin started going up the catch pot line I clamped off the line followed by the feed line.  After returning an hour or so later the bag had lost its vacuum so am I missing something very simple or do I keep scratching my head.

I have no experience of fibreglass or carbon work so I am looking to make mistakes and learn from them before actually taking on the project that I set out to do.

Cheers Lee
By Hanaldo - 1/11/2016 9:43:15 AM

Yeh, always a risk to move the mould after the infusion. I always cut the hoses off just above the clamp, to limit movement.