Do you have to make another resin separator for each time you use it? Or is the amount of resin collected not an issue? You would think the resin would harden in the hoses and collector making it a one use item.

Clayton

You can find small leaks with a stethoscope. It may take a little time; don't ask me how I know.

At least for me, ideally you don't get any resin back into the tubing. With a perforated bleed layer over the lamination coupled with a layer of felt, the excess resin should be captured within the bag. The felt performs double duty by first allowing full distribution of vacuum inside the bag (the bag / laminate would otherwise tend to seal itself) and absorb excess resin.

However, if you are infusing, you don't use the perforated / peel ply or the felt and you will most certainly get some resin back in the tubing. You throw away the saturated tubing when done. You can line the reservoir with a bag or place a small bucket/cup inside to catch the resin as it drips in (assuming you can open it once sealed). Mike's PVC reservoir is nice for this purpose - he can just cut it off and glue a new bottom in the reservoir with a union (though it would be nice to be able to see inside...but I'm not sure how you do that without some expensive acrylic tubing)

In the medical field we use a "water seal system" for chest tubes. It creates a negative pressure system for reinflating the lungs after puncture or surgery(The lung cavity has a negative pressure which keeps the lungs inflated as opposed to the notion that air inflates them positively), but anyway once suction is applied to the water seal system, it cannot bleed back thru the water to lose the pressure. I suppose a check valve does the same, but the bong with a water filled chamber between the pump and the seal may suffice for cheap.

I had the same question about bleed back of extra resin into the bong...does it collect there and harden, or is there a relief for the resin to pour out?

Thanks for all the info, keep it coming

One of the main reasons is to keep any extra resin away from my pump. Lay-up on a 20’ hull with two skins of carbon and some spots 4 skins in tropical heat will have to be fast so if a little extra epoxy goes on it will be bagged out into the felt, if the felt fills it will go into the reservoir. That is not the plan to suck epoxy into the reservoir like Jake says .........but when do things always go according to plan?

The resin that may go into the tank will just harden in the bottom. At some point if it clogs the reservoir you can cut the bottom off and add a new piece of PVC.

I used clear tubing from the manifold to the pump and resin checked the tubing to see if it melts. The tubing worked well and I actually peeled the resin off of it. I will also use the clear tubing from the mold to the reservoir so I can see if I have epoxy flowing out of the mold. The clear plastic tubing is about $5 for a 10’ roll and should be reusable because it will be in upwards bends so the resin will flow through it, not sit in it.

The water seal sounds good, and from what I hear, bongs had water in them but with the vacuum created on these systems it would suck the water right into the pump.

Thanks Pete I don't have a stethoscope but I use a piece of tubing. I use to tune twin SU's carbs on my MGA the same way.

The vacuum held for an hour then I opened it up because I went to bed and wanted to lock the pump up in the shop.

Now if the rain stays away this week-end. I've got two week-ends before my shoulder surgey to finish the mast and get the first lay-up on the TMS-20. Then I will be injured reserved for 1 - 2 months.

You're welcome. You do realize what you've started with this "ManShed" thing? So far I've thrown out two big bags of crap that were hiding my work bench and added three new sets of shelves. Soon, I'll actually be able to do some work!

Terrible mistake! You know exactly what will happen. You will immediately need something that you just threw out.

MANLAW: NEVER throw anything away that is remotely useful. (build a bigger shed, a ManShed!)

Carbon Uni repairs are notoriously difficult and with your method you will get a very unique bending of the mast under load. The repair chamfer angle for most manufacturers carbon Uni strand is 100:1 and not 10:1 and to maintain strength to adhesion correctly this should be attempted as well as possible. From a practical point it is nearly impossible to do on a round surface. Best of luck but do not be dissapointed at the bend characteristics of the repaired mast as from experiance it is very very difficult.

Thanks for the information Wayne. I have room for a 100:1 taper.

Pete is that a bad thing?

Not at all!