sometimes I use peelply on the backside of envelope bags to make it easy to tear down. can you post pics of both sides of the mold?
did you reconfigure the vac & fluid lines on round 2?
you have a few things going on with pic #1
I would try to make the whole layup and bag larger so not to get resin near the tape.
Its not impossible that the mould may not be airtight, another reason why I suggest giving envelope bagging a go. If you can’t achieve a good seal, do not progress in infusing. I think it’s actually worth JUST bagging without any laminate stack, only a layer of peel ply, to test your full vacuum system. It won’t take very long and might make it much easier to find where your leak is coming from (mould, fittings, catch pot, hose clamps, sealant tape…)
Thanks everyone for the help and tips… When I get some more free time to mess around with the infusion process I will try all these tips out.
I was curious is it possible for the actual mold itself to not be air tight?
I did however spray the back of my mold with a rubber coating so it would not get beat up in storage and be better on the hands.
im no expert (have never vac bagged yet) but talking to shops about getting a pump and methods several have told me moulds can cause leaks.
Good luck and I hope to be doing this kinda stuff soon!
Definitely possible for the mould to leak. I’ve had a number of moulds that I’ve used for the first time and no managed to get a seal with a single bag. When I double bag and infuse, I often end up with at least one small spot of resin soaking through to the breather on the back of the mould.
Fortunately, the process sort of fixes the issue. You infuse a leaking mould once and the holes will get sealed up, so if it’s a part you pull more than once then you should be all good after the first pull.
Well the other night I did a hand layup in the mold just to see how the finish comes out of the mold. I will take another attempt at it now that I have had resin across the whole mold surface.
your problem was the direction of the resin front travel. the biggest risks for air entrapment were not accounted for in the recessed areas and as the resin frot travelled saturating the reinforcement it passed the recesses by without fully saturaating and leaving behind the air pockets.
also you have resin that was not degasses.
…also the possible air leak but even with a prefect seal you would have had the same problems if not accounting for the 2 above that I mentioned.