Re: Carbon VP Screw holder, Vacuum bag?

From: Steve Fujikawa <steve.fujikawa_at_icloud.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2018 02:58:06 -0400

I made a curing oven from 1” Home Depot foam insulation. Get the kind with aluminum foil bonded to both surfaces. Assemble a box with an overlapping lid using aluminum foil tape. You’ve essentially made a super insulated thermal chamber. A 25 watt bulb with a dimmer switch is all it takes to get this to 180F. Rig up a thermostat and use a turkey thermometer to monitor the temperature. 24hr epoxy kicks in 20 min with this set up.

Sent from Steve's iPhone

> On Jun 29, 2018, at 11:53 PM, Tapio Linkosalo tapio.linkosalo_at_iki.fi [Indoor_Construction] <Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 30/6/2018 3:45, guyettevan_at_yahoo.com [Indoor_Construction] wrote:
> >
> > Is there a good place to get an affordable vacuum pump to make some
> > composite parts with? Also any tips on building a post-cure oven?
> >
> >
>
> For mot of lamination work a vacuum pump is not necessary, but clamps,
> wrapping with rubber strips or other means of making the pressure is
> sufficient. For instance the screw holder mentioned in the Subject, I
> use a male mold (for the curved shape), place the carbon/balsa/carbon
> piece over it, then add a sheet of thicker plastic or balsa to even out
> the pressure and wrap the whole assembly with 1/8" rubber strip, let
> stay until cured.
>
> The same for post-cure. I do not think it is necessary for indoor parts,
> as the slight increase in laminate strength is not relevant, but the
> strength mainly comes from parts dimensions. There is one use for oven,
> though. I use that ultra-thin carbon (from Creative Composites in
> Netherlands) for my wing spar and rib caps. It is pre-preg which does
> not cure in room temperature at all, but needs oven for curing. And
> while learning to use the material I also noticed that the material is
> so delicate, that it needs the vac bag to make pressure even enough to
> clamp the carbon skins against the balsa core.
>
> -Tapio-
>
Received on Sat Jun 30 2018 - 06:58:10 CEST