Hi Karl,
There are various ways of setting up an infusion (materials / tubes / placement, etc...) but the method I used is about as simple as it gets and (more or less!) uses the least amount of consumable items. The vac-bag infusion in the video was set up on an 8ft x 2ft section of Melamine covered chipboard (kitchen cupboard building material) - I reckon I could probably double the length of the infusion bag before needing to put in a second resin infusion line. That 8ft infusion took about 30 minutes to completely infuse, and the resin I'm using is good for nearly three times that at 25degC. In a cooler workshop, your pot life increases (my resin was still squidgy-soft 24hrs later (but well gelled.)
Another option open to me is to infuse across the width of the 2ft table rather than down the 8ft length of it. This would require placing the spiral infusion tube down the length of the table rather than across the end like I did. I will probably do just that when I infuse the main wing spars.
The roll of cloth at the vacuum end of the bag you saw in other videos is almost certainly a wad of 'breather' fabric.It is an open fleece type material that is normally used in wet lay-ups over a perforated bread-wrapper plastic film, over peelply. It is used simply to soak up excess resin. When used in conjunction with careful judgement in how much resin you allow into the bag, it prevents any resin going up into your catch pot... a skill I have yet to master!
Phil.
From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.] On Behalf Of KarlS
Sent: 27 March 2012 00:53
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Subject: [Carbondragonbuildersandpilots] Re: Phil's CD - resin infusion
Hi Phil,
Thanks for taking the time to film the video and post it on YouTube.
Very inspiring.
I've watched infusion videos before and actually have a test kit in the basement but have never done the infusion yet. Hats off to you!!
I do remember from one of the videos they ran the vac line completely around the parameter and had a roll of cloth in front of the vacuum spiral wrap that caught the resin and kept it from going into the vacuum line.
They had their feed line in the middle of the part and it was amazing how the resin flowed out to the parameter. I suppose you could do feed lines on each rib.
Great stuff Phil. Keep up the great work. Thanks again.
Karl
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