Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Vacuum leaks

Small leaks in the vacuum table may not have any effect on a wet vacuum lay up but it might have severe effect on the end result of a vacuum infused panel. My last panel seems to have gotten some air in to the bag somewhere in the process before gelling but after I left the building. Not sure how severe effects this has on the final bulkheads, some more curing and a few test will decide what to do. I need another surface on my table, that's for sure, and I have asked my fellow builders for advice. I am not able to source Melamine in Norway but I consider importing it . Help appreciated.

I have also received a few helpful hints about other materials useful as a vacuum table top and will explore the possibilities further.

8 comments:

Rolf Nilsen said...

If you find some good local substitutes, please do a small piece on it. Other interested parties wants to know.. :)

Anonymous said...

Always assumed that Melamine was the same as Respatex. Maybe you could try a Respatex-surfaced bathroom panel (preferably a balanced one, ie: with Respatex on both surfaces)

Cheers, Ari

Tor Rabe said...

I called "Fibo-Trespo" today,and the sixth person I spoke to knew what I was talking about. They can provide a laminate similar to melamine and Respatex, 0,6mm thick and i sheets up to 125cm x 305cm, I don't know the price. You can have your lokal "Byggmakker" call Kurt at Fibo Trespo to get this. I will have it in about a week and testresults will be published here.

The problem with ordinary panels is they usually come in 60cm with and 240cm height which is way too small for my use.

Anonymous said...

Hi Tor,
I head the same problems on my vacuum table. Since then I tray to use a big vacuum bag build of to sheets of vacuum foil. No more problems at all. For my big cockpit floor pannels I head to get once full vacuum, and then I was able to stop the pump totally.
Regards Roger

Tor Rabe said...

Thank you Roger! I did this as well, some with good result but also experienced the enormous forces involved in a full vacuum to twist the part. I will hence try to find a solution where the part is "vacuum-clamped" to a sturdy surface while curing

Anonymous said...

Hi again,

Respatex - a norwegian brand of melamine resin based high pressure laminate - was mentioned just because you wrote that you considered importing the stuff. Other well known brands are Formica and Arborite.

As for buying the laminate and bonding it yourself to an existing worktop, I believe a finished balanced panel would give a better result. These were commonly used in shipbuilding for making interiors and were avaliable in sizes like for instance 4 by 8 feet (122x244cm). Maybe you could ask at the Fosen shipbuilders or are they defunct ?

I remember visiting the home of yacht designer Jan Herman Linge (of olympic Soling fame) while he still was living in Oslo near the Vigeland sculpture park, and he had designed very nice kitchen units using surplus shipbuilding panels.

Cheers, Ari

Tor Rabe said...

Thanks Ari, lots of clarifications there!

I ordered the 125 x 305 cm (4,1 x 10ft), it is some kind of high pressure laminate used in the kitchen interior industry, as I have already the bench top and I assume but have not further explored that 244cm (8ft) is the longest standard length for panels but still too short and I would have to make an air tight seal...

Fosen is still building ships, as far as I know. And I guess Linge had some interesting thoughts on boat design;-)

GK said...

Hi Tor,
I had to zoom out to get a sense of where you actually are. You are north! I guess that is an ocean inlet you will be sailing in.

Grant