Well the time has come for me to upgrade my equipment. What venders/co’s out there carry this stuff?
I mainly want a new vacuum pump that can handle atleast 3 med. sized pieces at one time. If anyone knows of anything like this that won’t set me back $800+ please post it here.
Thanks
Bill
What size pump do you have now Bill? I am just running a compressor/vacuum generator setup with shut off valve. Once I get to the desired inches of mecury, I just disconnect the hose and check back once in a while for possible leaks. Other than that I don’t really leave the pump running the whole time.
I was using an old AC vacuum but its old and about to die.
anymore info on that attachment piece would be great. I have a 80gal and 30gal compressor in my shop so it should work great.
I got a vacuum generator from Vac Cube (model 180). It pulls a maximum of 30 inches of mercury so that’s plenty enough for me. They have it listed for $180 but I think you should be able to get it from any of their distributor for less than 1/2 of that.
http://www.vac-cube.com or you can just get the one from www.fibreglast.com. I’ve seen several different ones and they’re all in the same price range.
Hello!
I’m interested in getting started with a vacuum bagging setup. I’m a newbie coming to it all, but I have intentions of doing small to moderately large projects.
Projects could include…mainly automotive:
Door Panels
Dash
Engine Components
etc.
Do either of you have suggestions regarding what type of setup I should go with? I’m either looking for a stand alone unit or something that can use in conjunction w/ a air compressor. However, the air compressor wouldn’t be available for me 24/7.
To be able to complete the projects as listed above and like…
Kit?
Prices?
Air Compressor Parts Needed if that route?
Etc Info?
Thanks!
Jason
I started out getting an air compressor and a vacuum generator so I can have both. It worked fine but the compressor was just too damn loud and I don’t want to piss off the neighbors.
So now I’m running a smaller 2 way pumps that vacuums on one end and blow out the other. It runs much quieter and it seems to be strong enough for projects up to 5 sq ft. I don’t see a need to run anything bigger than that right now anyway.
Here’s a basic illustration on all the materials that you’ll need (taken from fibreglast.com). I’ll put up a better pic when I get home since fibreglast tends to get real anal retentive when it comes to using their stuff:
As you can see it adds up. But I can do a couple of write ups to make certain parts/valves/connectors yourself.
More later.
btw, if you decide to go the cheap route (aka compressor+vacuum generator), I have a generator that I’ll let go for cheap. It’s made by VacCube3 and pulls 30 inches of mercury. 27 inches of mercury is the ideal pressure for vacuum bagging. I also have a 2HP compressor also that I can sell. Not sure if it’s worth it after all the shipping though. They’re about $100 at your local hardware store or at Sears. That’s how much I got them for.
If you decide to get a pump, it’s really expensive new so try to see if you can get a used one. I went the used route and ended up doing the electrical wiring myself. I knew nothing about electrical stuff but I managed to get it to work without frying myself in the process.
How much is ‘really expensive’? 
I’ve went to fiberglast.com and read up on their literature available and also looked at their kits available. It seemed that the kits started around $300?..Does that sound about right?
Thanks again!
Jason
Yeah you can get a small pump for around $300. If you have a compressor already, you can get the vac generator for about $100. You’ll also need vacuum bag, breather ply, peel ply, release ply, sealant tape, and a vacuum valve.
A perfect setup should also have a shutoff switch so you don’t have to keep your pump running the whole time. A pressure gauge to monitor for leakage, and a collection cup to prevent excess resin to run back to the pump through the line.
Here’s a better pic, still kind of small. I know there’s another one so let me find it.
Ha! I knew there was a better one.
Right on, thank you for the illustrations! When you said 300 for a small pump - what type of psi/cfn am I looking for when I’m thinking about a dash / door panels?
Thanks!
Jason