Discussion - Vacuumed Boat Mold from finished Plug

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by Breakwater, Aug 15, 2008.

  1. Breakwater
    Joined: Dec 2007
    Posts: 12
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    Location: Atlantic Ocean

    Breakwater Junior Member

    Hi All,

    I have a few mold creating questions specific to my application. Sorry, I know the topic has been covered, but I wasn't able to find much info searching.

    My plug is finished, and I want to make a mold of it now. (see attached picture of my plug.) I will be vacuum bagging the mold, and I'm curious how to make a gunwale flange, so that when a hull is formed in the mold, it will have a clear crease where it should be trimmed.

    if I were to lay a sheet of thin ply across the gunwales I would create a flange on each side, but a giant cavity in the bilge (or back-side of the ply) for the vacuum to crush.

    So, do I attach a 2-inch wide strip running the length of the boat, and use that as a flange? or are there better ways. Any help is appreciated since I am totally new to bagging.


    Also:
    How much time should the unit is left under vacuum pressure? (I usually allow epoxy 2-3 days to cure before working with it again.

    How much resin should be wetted on the composite before the vacuum is turned on? (So that it fully impregnates the composite, but doesn’t have an exuberant amount of excess bleeding through.)

    How many lbs Mercury or PSI should I be running inside the bag?

    THANKS!!!!!!
     
    Breakwater, Aug 15, 2008
    #1
  2. Landlubber
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Brisbane

    Landlubber Senior Member

    attach the pic and we might be able to help
     
    Landlubber, Aug 16, 2008
    #2
  3. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    Location: Australia

    waikikin Senior Member

    Breakwater, you have to use your contact molding surface as one side of the vac bag "envelope", dont pull down the vac on an air filled void or you will crush/deform it. Regards from Jeff.
     
    waikikin, Aug 16, 2008
    #3

  5. Breakwater
    Joined: Dec 2007
    Posts: 12
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    Location: Atlantic Ocean

    Breakwater Junior Member

    Breakwater, Aug 19, 2008
    #4
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