I can say I now have a lot of experience with making airtight vacuum bags. As a matter of fact, within this project this is big hull vacuum bag number 9 and I thought it would be a piece of cake. After all, it is not just a vulnerable foam hull but a foam hull with an airtight internal laminate. And the joins of the Port and Starboard halves are covered with a glass tape. So no worries about air tightness. I thought ……..
After some more changes in the bag and improvements of the hull integrity in the past two weeks it had to happen.
Last weekend, despite the fact the vacuum bag was still not perfect the infusion started at 3.00 PM in the afternoon. There were a few precautions taken to be able to solve possible problems during the infusion and this has worked out satisfactorily. Only the end counts and despite the troublesome preparations it was again a success, a big relief and another milestone in the project. After a evening and night watch during the cure of the resin I went home at 5.00 AM the next morning, tired but with a good and happy feeling.
Click in the video to see how it went.
Furthermore I made a new photo galery in www.fram.nl with the flow prediction simulation and photo’s of the resin infusion process. Please click here or in the simulation image below.
Congratulations! Super nice to see your huge layup progress. I only make RC models, so the sheer enormity of your scale is always fun.
i’m following your project for a few years already. you may consider me to be a big fan of your work.
so please take my congratulations for the succesful hull infusion.
… and happy sanding.
/markus
Hhmm, happy sanding? ….. still have mixed feelings about that
well, drop a line here and you will have a huge crew of supporters from all around europe.
Sanding party ?
OK, free beer (afterwards
Excellent job…WELL DONE!
Henny: Looks great! Do you stop the resin inflow after it was infused or do you wait until the resin has ‘kicked” before shutting off the resin inflow?
geoffrey
As soon as the resin reaches the vacuum tube the inflow has to be shut off.
i’d bring a kölsch!