Easy as pie vacuum bag

[Leftyprs]

Wouldn't a Spacebag or other type of vacuum bag that seals tight with a vacuum and is then plugged be enough clamping pressure to hold the bracing in place during glue up? You could also use your radius dish or other methods inside the bag during clamping to shape your tops and backs. I think I'll try it and see how it works.

Brad

[ken cierp]

Welcome!


I've seen that idea suggested several times in the past but never made aware of the results, so lets us know how it works out.

[Dave Bagwill]

I purchased one of these:
http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad22 ... C00292.jpg

From Thin Air Press - it works fine for clamping, the vacuum is achieved by first getting as much air out as you can with a shop vac, THEN using the hand pump that comes with the bag. The shop vac alone was not enough.

[Dave Bagwill]

BTW, my first vacuum was the frame on the KMG website, but instead of an electric pump of some sort, I found online plans to convert a good quality bicycle pump to remove air - it's an easy conversion - and it worked great. Plenty of vacuum.

http://www.instructables.com/id/make-a- ... y-convert/

[Dave Bagwill]

Here's two pix - I simply put an mdf piece and a few odd shapes into the bag, and took a pic of that and the new vacuum gauge I got from JoeWoodworker. There is also a vacuum control below the gauge, also from Joe.

The vacuum is satisfactory at 23Hg, in fact I may crank it up a bit. Too much vacuum and you starve the glue joint.



Edit: I meant crank it down a little bit. 18-21 Hg is what is recommended, though it is safe to go even a bit lower.