Hi, I've been trying to vacuum infuse basalt fibre using the EC infusion kit with an existing vacuum pump. The mould is made from aluminium, and the A side seems to be coming out really well, but the B side (peel ply side) looks to be aerated between the top few layers every time. I recently changed the direction of flow to run along the part rather than across it, which was an improvement but its still not coming out right. I've tried this 4 times now with various directions and layups but I can't seem to get it to work properly.

I wasn't able to order an EC epoxy as I'm in Australia so have used a local resin supplier. The vac pump pulls a strong vacuum, well under the -30inhg gauge minimum. I haven't degassed the resin.
Is there anything specifically that causes this type of failure?







The left one was resin flow across the part from left to right, and the right piece was flow from top to bottom, having to travel over the bends.

Thanks

Yeah - I have no idea where the idea of turning off the pump came from.  To me that just sounds crazy! 

I don't know any situation where anybody I know/worked for/have talked to has ever turned the pump off after an infusion fills.  Totally asking for trouble if you ask me.  If you were doing that I'd try it again and leave the pump on, just dial the vacuum level back a bit.  

My three big suggestions for all epoxy infusions are:

1 - pull as much vacuum as you can on the dry stack and let it sit (preferably in a warm room for several hours) before you shoot the resin.  
2 - reduce the vacuum from as much as possible to around 20" of mercury right before you clamp off the resin inlet hose.
3 - leave the pump on until the whole thing is cured - and post cure with the vacuum still on if you're going to do that.

Thanks for the advice, I'll give that a go over the weekend.

My pump is not variable and I don't have a regulator so will probably use an AC manifold gauge and open the hot side slightly to reduce some of the vac.
I also knocked up a quick ghetto degass chamber using a pot, a polycarb sheet and some adhesive rubber door seal...

We're in business!