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Charlie Wolfe
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Darryl,Thanks for your help.What you say makes a lot of sense to me; especially the part about not worrying about leaks until the pump is cycling too frequently. After running through the thought process for my original post, I turned my attention to solving the system leak problem - i.e. finding the leak. Other than pressurizing it and using the soapy water trick on the fittings, nothing more practical came to mind. And, that didn't seem like much fun either, when I could be vacuum pressing another project, instead!Great forum!Thanks, again,Charlie: Dear Charlie,: All your ideas are ways to go but I find a vacuum switch the most practical and reliable. Even with a tank I would still want a switch, but with a switch there is no need for the tank. As time goes by and your bag gets older there will be more leaks which are always a pain to find, until you can actually here it hissing. A vacuum switch will always keep you in the right range and I dont bother looking for leaks until my pump is cycling less than every 5 minutes. Thats my opinion on the subject.: Sincerely: Darryl Keil: : I recently got into vacuum pressing and have built a system which has: : worked fine for me - until just recently.: : When first set up, I could pull 25"Hg, shut off my pump close the: : valve on the bag and my system would loose about 2"Hg per hour. That: : gave me about three hours of clamp time before I reached 18-19" Hg. : : Since I have been laying up flat panels using white glue, that has: : been sufficient.: : Now, I find that I am loosing vacuum at three times that rate. I know: : I can track down the leak, but this has me thinking about how to have: : a more automatic system. Also, when I start doing curved panels I: : will want to maintain a higher vacuum, which makes the current system: : even more manually intensive.: : My pump is rated for continuous duty, so I could certainly just let it: : run during the pressing. But, I'm looking for alternatives. : : A vacuum switch to cycle the pump would work, a simple timer to turn: : the pump on and off at certain intervals would be cheaper but less: : efficient. A reservoir tank, however, would seem to be another: : alternative, to be used with or without the automated switches. Just: : pull the tank down to vacuum and run the bag from it, using the pump: : to re-establish tank vacuum as necessary. And, there should be plenty: : of surplus air tanks around at reasonable prices. The issue at this: : point is, what size tank. Space is at a premium in my "shop." so I: : don't want it too large; but, having it too small will just put me: : back where I started. Obviously, the driving variables for the: : solution are the leakage rate and the desired press time. Is anyone: : using a reservoir with their system. If so, can you give me some: : details? Thanks...Charlie
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