OKay so i have a slight idea on how composites work and the whole moulding process but are the best ways to make female moulds. I guess what im saying is what do i need to make a good female mould. I dont know much about those materials. Im also looking for a good vacuum for starting up my new hobbie any suggestions? I always been big into modification on my vehicles but im really looking forward to making parts for me and others as well. ALSO i think this forum is great, everyone is helpful and its a pleasure to be a part of it, Thanks.
It’s good to learn vac bagging right from the start. The materials that you’ll need will depend on what it is that you’re trying to replicate. Normally you can use polyester tooling gel coat with polyester laminating resin. A better quality would be vinyl ester tooling gel coat and resin. The best would be epoxy. The bestest would be high temp epoxy if you need to cure/post cure your laminate at high temp. As far as vacuum pump, your best bet is ebay. A small pump is all you need. I run a 3/4hp and a backup 1.5hp pump here, but that’s over kill for most people. When you’re looking for a pump, the most important thing to look out for is how much vacuum it’s pulling. CFM is not as important because there isn’t a whole lot of air to be sucked out once your bag is sucked down. I’ll start writing a few more articles hopefully soon to explain what you’ll need…
well ive been looking at some of the package deals online that come with all the bagging accessories for making composite parts. Like the bagging,peel ply and other stuff.
The basics are:
- peel ply
- breather
- bag
- sealant tape
optional but recommended:
- vacuum valve
- quick disconnect set
- vacuum guage