Episode 17- A Pressing Matter

May 31, 2007 | Filed Under Blog, Video 

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In this episode, I show you the process of making your own vacuum bag. There are two materials to choose from, polyurethane and vinyl. My old bag is made from vinyl but this time I am going to try my hand at polyurethane, which is supposed to be more durable. My source for all for all of the materials and the instructions is one of my favorite sites on the web, VeneerSupplies.com. Not only does Joe provide detailed tutorials and information on making your own vacuum bag and making your own vacuum press, he also provides all the materials you need to do it. He even sells pre-made bags.

The results of this little project are not exactly what you might expect. It was quite a learning experience. If you are considering making your own bag, this video is a must see!

*Special Update*

Just for clarification, the sister site of JoeWoodworker.com is VeneerSupplies.com. Joe informed me that all e-commerce will be done solely through VeneerSupplies.com. And JoeWoodworker.com will be available for information and research on vacuum systems and bags. So bookmark it, remember it, love it!

Joe also let me in on a super secret hidden coupon code on his site. If you go to VeneerSupplies.com and hover your mouse over the tagline (under the title) that says “The Internet Source for Exotic Veneer and Supplies”, you will see a little coupon code pop up. Just write down the codes and click on the tagline. Now just enter the codes and you got yourself a 25% OFF coupon for a gallon of veneer glue in your choice of 3 colors. Now……that’s a deal!

Comments

12 Responses to “Episode 17- A Pressing Matter”

  1. nick on May 31st, 2007 3:26 pm

    i heard poly was better for curved pressing than vinyl is, true or false? and im so buying my bag after seeing that :).

  2. Vic on May 31st, 2007 3:45 pm

    yeah…think I’ll just buy a bag.

  3. david on May 31st, 2007 4:53 pm

    marc did you wait 24 hours between drying because i noticed you were wearing the same things when you un-clamped them

  4. Larry on May 31st, 2007 7:25 pm

    Marc, what do you use to seal up the unglued end when the vac is on? Just curious. Thanks for the vid.

  5. Joe on May 31st, 2007 7:28 pm

    Poly is definitely the best choice for curved projects because its much more elastic than vinyl.

  6. thewoodwhisperer on May 31st, 2007 8:47 pm

    Well, there’s an answer from the MAN himself! Thanks for stopping by Joe.

    To answer the other questions, I did wait 24 hours for the glue to dry. You will notice that I generally wear the same clothes throughout my podcasts. I do realize how funny this looks when the viewer knows that a day has passed. But I assure you, the shirt washed at least once while filming. lol. Usually Nicole makes sure my clothes are clean everyday but she was out of town. :)

    And from my initial experiences with the poly, the material is much more flexible than the vinyl bag I have. I could see this material conforming easily to just about any shape my little brain could come up with.

  7. Joe on June 1st, 2007 5:29 am

    Just one more follow up…

    You can also use the HH-66 to seal up any remaining leaks by brushing it onto the seams while there is vacuum pressure in the bag.

  8. Skee on June 1st, 2007 6:45 am

    Excellent episode Marc.

    Thank you for sharing this adventure. I’d love to see other content providers talk about and discuss some of their projects that didn’t go as expected. Most of the woodworking shows I watch make it all about “getting it right every time”. I’m positive they edit out the projects that got sideways on them. When filming, they just repeat a step that didn’t go as expected and the show makes it look like it was done right the first time.

    Think we can ever get the Yankee to do a blooper reel?

    Again, thank you.

  9. mot on June 1st, 2007 11:16 am

    Great video. I’ve been looking at making a bag and was wondering how the heck was I going to get that poly to keep from curling when the solvent is applied. I think I’ll just buy a bag. Thanks!

  10. Ray on June 2nd, 2007 10:20 am

    Hi Marc, I enjoy watching your video’s great job. As for sealing the polyurethane bag, maybe a different approach would be to tape the seams with something like 3M VHB 9473 (very high bond) style tape.

  11. Che on June 5th, 2007 6:20 am

    Thanks for the episode…

    I don’t know if Joe has it but I used to work in a boat shop and we used “Dum Dum” to seal vac bags and to seal the bag to the mold. It is like a long strip of stiff silly putty. It has some thickness to allow for minor misalignments and you can add “Darts” for major misalignment and curves. It can also be re-used a couple of times if your careful. The best part is that it is generally used to seal the bag to the mold even if the mold is a flat panel. This way you don’t have to try and slip your work into the bag. You simpally place the bag over the setup and seal it to the table. Of course you table needs to be air tight and you’ll need a breather cloth.

    A stethoscope with the end cut off can really help pinpoint leaks.

  12. Regnar on June 5th, 2007 3:52 pm

    Marc, I went to a school that taught us how to vacuum bag composites like fiber glass, and other materials. What we used to seal up the bags was a sticky play-do like material. We even used a play-do press to form it into long strings. It allowed us to change the size of the area to be vacuumed. I have photos of what I am talking about if you would like to see them. But the largest area we cover was 10′ x 5′ and it worked like a charm. Leaking areas only need to be pushed down and your done.

    Love the shows Thanks for all the helpful hints, tips, and knowledge.

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