How to vacuum this??

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

In my battle for some nice carbon parts, I want to try to make something like this:

Mine would not be self carrying :slight_smile: Just planned to make it from full carbon for the look

I already have the original polyester one. The mould would be a three piece mould (top piece and 2 side pieces) As you can see the object is hollow from the inside. How should I vacuum it?? Should I make the 3 parts separate from each other in a mould, and glue them together when they are dry? Seems to me an impossible job to vacuum it while the 3 piece mould is put together.

What would you do?

#2

I’d have to state 3x or more molds, sperate parts and bond them together…

#3

Ok, and then some carbon on the inside for reinforcement? What glue should I use to connect them?

#4

Man you sure are ambitious.

Id make each part, trim it in the mold then bolt the molds together and bond by laying in interior reinforcement. Then unbolt the molds and youll have to fill the gap lines with resin to make it look like one piece after you auto clear coat it.

Did you say you actually have a copy of this in poly/fiberglass?

Isnt that a moto gp tail? Where would you find that? I worked directly for Kawasaki’s race team and I cant call in any favors for copies of that stuff.

#5

No :smiley: :smiley: wish I had some of those parts! It is a MotoGP tail yes. I’ve build a few replica’s now (check my website) and planning for a new 2006 model now. Try to make it as much detailed as can be. For the tail I have a handmade (made by myself) polyester one. From that one I’ll try to make the moulds.

Did you work for the Eckl team then??

#6

No I worked for the MUZZY team.

I gave up on the “show” its too much stress, too much travel and not nearly enough money.

There is absolutely no glory in being the guy building the bike compared to being the guy riding the bike.

where is your web address?

#7

Hmmm… if I could work for a international racing team :wink:

my web: http://members.home.nl/arnoldlevinga

it’s in Dutch but there are a lot of pictures. I’ll update it when I have the 2006 model completed (in carbon ofcourse :stuck_out_tongue: )

#8

crazy assed dutch language!

Ive seen your bike before.

Some kids use it as an avatar for themselves. They are kawasaki nuts. I am a pretty loyal guy myself. Ive always loved them and Im partial to them but now I have a collection of all of them.

I see you used a 600RR or 1000RR tail and grafted it in?

We should chat sometime, I like your ideas and I may be able to help you improve some of your thinking. I have formulas for alot of the stuff you have or are doing.

My email is xcitebikes@gmail.com

#9

:stuck_out_tongue: lol…

As soon as I have finished this project, the site will be updated and also have a English version on it! It’s amazing on what site’s the pictures of my bike appears, I got emails and question about it from around the world :slight_smile:

Thanks for your offer to help me out a little bit! really apreciate that!

Got plans enough… The complete fairing should be in carbon fibre one day :wink: This will be a long winter job. Planning to make it replica-real as possible. Got a carbon tank already, and a carbon race airfilterhouse.

Got (from my job) a vacuumpump. I don’t know what type it is (can’t read it anymore) but when I put the vacuum meassure on it, it gives me a -0,5 bar vacuum. Is that enough? Will try this weekend to make a vacuum amchine, the same as this one: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ebb/kiteboard/html/handleiding/hl_24bou.html?page=eee Got all the components already, only I use a digital vacuumswitch.

Is your mail the same as your MSN? If not, you can ad me: groningen1000@hotmail.com , or mail at arnoldlevinga@home.nl . If you are interested in following the complete rebuild story, there will be a lot of pictures on the Dutch forum: http://www.motor-forum.nl/forum/topic.php/143727

#10

If thats a half bar. Then ideal would be -1 bar.

Youll have way less air in your parts the closer you get to negative one bar.

#11

I dunno, I get between 24-28 psi in vacuum according to my guage but mine starts 2 psi low due to my elevation.

So I get more than a bar of vacuum.

#12

Im assuming you meant inches of mercury.

24 to 28 inches of mercury is 12 to 14 psi of pressure. 24 inches is the minimum required for a lot of aeromotive tests/parts. So its a good thing. The closer you get to 14.7 psi, the less air youll have.

Although its impossible to get a true 14.7 psi with a vacuum bagging set up.

#13

yeah you are right…I just get stuck in PSI mode. I do alot of turbo stuff so its always boost or pounds of pressure in my head.

I regularly have my gauge showing 24-28"hg (thinking thats the right abbreviation) and like I said, I get a -2 start. At 5K feet elevation, I dont have the calibrated “0” or 14.7 psi that sea level folks get.

So what am I pulling for vac? 22 to 26 I suppose and Im alright with that. Id like to see more but I dont have the cash to find a badass vac pump yet.

Oh and I find that most of the air I do get in the part is introduced from leaks.

Im not the most patient person when it comes to sealing up my bags. I try to make sure they hold but they arent perfect and when resin hits the tape, it loosens up in areas and youll see some bubbles coming into the part. I just try to work the spots closed.

Someday Ill figure out the sure fire way to seal it up.

#14

Will hook up the pump tomorrow, let’s see if this works



#15

Man, what are you distilling there! :eek:

#16

lol

It was the easyest think I could think of. The tank creates a little buffer. There is a switch connected to the pipes that will shut off the vacuumpump when the level vacuum I need is reached. That way the pump won’t be running all the time, it only goes on when there is to many vacuum lost.

#17

Man Id love one of those switches.

I see you took a great idea and went over board too huh?

I hooked a couple portable tanks up for reserve as well!

Sorry I havent caught you on MSN yet. I will!

#18

Anyone might try looking for dead air compressors tanks (garage sales) for cheap large vacuum tanks!

#19

Mine was only $24 (U.S.). My pump ran for a whole 1 minute on sunday, and the part stayed under vacuum for 24 hours. Gotta love those things.

#20

Awesome! I wish ours could do that!