I have been working on producing carbon parts for a 250 classic race bike, i used infusion and in total used 14 separate pieces of cloth due to the size and complex shape of the hump on the back of the seat. As it for a classic race bike it will have to be painted as no naked carbon is allowed and the pre trimmed weight is 208 grams.

You did a nice job there. Remember you can never have a bag too big, but you can have one too small.  Pleats will take up any excess and there is no danger of bridging then.

I think I bag different than most people. I learned a trick from John Burns. I lay my bag down on the table flat and then put the tacky tape all the way around the perimeter. I then flip it over and peel back the paper from a corner and stick it down to one corner of the mold. I the do the same with all 4 corners. I now peel off strips of the paper and work my way around the flanges pinching a pleat and then sticking it down and so on all the way around the bag. To put pleats in like most do is such a pain for me that i feel like it requires the skill of a brain surgeon. I can do a bag in minutes this way with confidence. google John Burns vacuum infusion and he does a youtube demo. I will never go back to sticking the tacky tape down first and then fitting the bag, its much too hard this way.

Once again, only my opinon.

Fred 

Hi Fred

Yes putting in the pleats was a pain, the size and shape of the mould did not help but the time taken was worth while as i had 100% seal first time. I do remember seeing a John Burns video using the method you described and will try that on one of my next jobs, every day is a school day

Chris

Thank you, this is really a great idea! It's such a pain to make the pleats, especially if the part is little!!


Alessandro