Vacuum bag for laminating to a curved surfaces

foamcutter

Has anyone used a vacuum bag for this process?
Does the vacuum pump run continuously until the glue cures?............Or is it easier to use clamps and a former?
We have a project coming up that requires us to laminate plastic sheet to a number of polystyrene formers and thought this might be a quicker way to do the job.
I have seen a couple of UK sites selling these and made a few enquiries but they won't tell you any of the potential problems.
If it speed ups the process it maybe worth the investment for this and other projects.

TIA

JoeB-

I know very little about vacuum bagging but I can give a little info.

Obviously for a random odd shape it will be the easiest way to apply a large even pressure to all surfaces, after all atmospheric pressure is very large.

You can make your own vacuum bag using something like a pool liner and the correct glue, some sort of PVC bonding contact cement.

You can create the vacuum by attaching a hose to the INLET of an air compressor, this will suck out the air. You may want to check this out a bit more though before you dive in and do it. It's definitely cheaper than a proper vacuum pump.

A good site for veneering and vacuum veneering is http://www.joewoodworker.com/

I only know about the site but I have never read much of the content.

Cheers
Joe

foamcutter

Cheers Joe,

the link you gave was very interesting. A lot of useful information. Thanks