HI Everyone.

Here is a couple of videos of my first attempt at doing vacuum resin infusion using multiple different components in one bag. The videos are a bit long and a lot boring but enjoy :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwsK7OfaV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmv2aeuX1bk

Hopefully I have been able to put the links up above properly.

I took the components I made to Easy Composites today and Matt explained clearly where I had made some mistakes. First off, I had not allowed the resin to fully cure before removing all the components and he recommended that I should use a mix of fast and slow hardener with the epoxy to get a quicker release time or to leave everything in for much longer. As you can see on the video two of the laminates did not fully wet out to their centre and Matt explained that it was odd that it had run that far under the foam anyway. He has suggested that to do a laminate in this way using foam I should have put holes in the foam at intervals of 15mm and the holes about 1mm to1.5 mm in diameter so that the resin can easily flow to all of the materials. This is great as i am learning a lot very quickly and should hope to produce better results next time !

Any feedback would be much appreciated as it is important that I perfect the technique for doing large sized (2.30m x 1.10m) laminates of CF/Foam/CF before moving on to the next stage of my airship project.

Jim

Was it easy getting a large sheet of glass like that  ?

I have to make some large flat panels soon ,

Hi Daz.

Getting the glass was pretty straight forward I looked around local glass suppliers until I found the best deal (£250 negotiated), the one you see for the table cover is standard size 2.44m x 1.22 m x 6mm toughened glass so there was no need for any modifications to fit on a standard 19mm multiply ply-board and I was lucky to get the holes drilled for free so just ask your local company for a great deal and tell them it is for a project.

A much cheaper option is to use perspex sheet and the best deal around is from a company called MP Plastic Building Products Ltd www.plasticproductsuk.co.uk .I am going to get a top-sheet of 6mm clear perspex sheet for my table which is so much more lighter to handle on and off the table to make perfect laminate plates, and from this company and I was quoted £167.59 which includes VAT and P&P delivered to the workshop which is another bargin.

Good luck with your search and hoping you can get a good deal too.

Jim

Cheers Jim ,

Will try a local company ,

The only thing I would add would be to not use a metal paint scraper to de mould from the sheet, you run the risk of scratching the glass and/or the carbon. You can get plastic scrapers which a much softer

Another tip is if you find removing the mesh a pain in the backside, use perforated release film between the peel ply and the mesh.  Makes life so much easier.  Not necessarily a big deal for flat panels but IMO worthwhile for anything curved or with deep detail/recesses.

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

I always had trouble with flat panels bowing once they were fully cured... I would pull the part off the glass and it would all of a sudden not be flat anymore.... any ideas?

leave it to cure longer. Make sure your laminate is fully balanced.  That will help reduce warping.

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant