Heya,
I work with friends who design and build Formula cars. They also build a lot of composite parts for other clients as well as make bodywork and parts for thier own cars. THe vast majority of parts they make are all bagged.
The setup they have is shockingly simple, and inexpensive, yet very very effective. I will get pictures of it for the board.. but I will describe it.
They went and bought a refigerator pump from a scrap appliance place.
Then they made a matrix of 9 Freon/AC containers.. they look like slightly smaller propane tanks for gas grills. The tanks all have the lines internonnected to a manifold with a valve that goes to the pump.
THe other side of the manifold has like 6 or 9 connections running from it with small valves on each one, and hard plastic flexible line, like used for a icemaker. slip fit connections also.
THey fire up the compressor, and open the valve to the tanks, and it pulls them down till it gets to wehre they want.. it takes 10 or 15 minutes to pull it down where they want. In the mean time they have all the carbon cut how they want, and the peel ply etc all sorted and ready to go on.
Lay up the part, put all the peel ply and plastic over it, and they have a thin clay roll around the border that it all sticks to. Then they have the tubes connected under the plastic in strategic areas as needed, and if they use 2 tuibes.... or 3.. or all of them.. thats fine.
When ready they simply open the valves on the ones they need, and the compressor keeps pumping.. but the tanks have enough volume to suck in all the air and clear things down real nice.
Scott
