Featured image (above): A typical vacuum bagging setup.
What is vacuum bagging?
Vacuum bagging is when a composite that is laid up and wet out by hand is then put under vacuum to compact the laminate and force out excess epoxy. Vacuum bagging has been a choice method of manufacturing and repairing composites for a long time. Continue reading
By Captain James R. Watson
Steve Taylor of Steve Taylor-Builder, Inc. contacted us before undertaking a rather interesting project. He was about to build a boat shelter on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The design called for a row of curved laminated wooden struts, or columns supporting curved laminated tapered beams that would cantilever over the boat. The 25′ tall, 60′ wide structure would support a weatherproof fabric that would shelter both the dock and the boat. Continue reading
Since 1983 the Walpole, New Hampshire sculptor Jonathan Clowes (Clowes Sculpture) has been creating mobiles that hang in institutions and residences across the country. He uses WEST SYSTEM® epoxy as an adhesive and a coating for the wood laminate that form these pieces. Clowes describes his technique:
“In general, the long sinuous parts are formed from stacks of veneers that are bent over a mold to make a rough blank from which the pieces are carved. The most consistently good method for making molds is to bend strap steel or aluminum to the desired shape and support it with sufficient wood scrap bracing to form a backbone. Usually the bracing is held with screws or fillets of epoxy paste. Continue reading