Vacuum

I got a vacuum to screw around with(and eventually make a balsa/EPS/epoxy board later on), but the problem is that it only goes to about 20 mm Hg on the regulator which doesn’t feel like much suction when I put my finger over it. For all you guys that do vacuum bagging how much do your vaccuums pull?

-chris

Eps doesn’t like much more than 12. If you preform the skins then the skies the limit (I pull about 22).

I’ve never pulled more than 16 and everything I’m doing is coming out fine…

Is it bad that I don’t even know what I pull when I do it?

I have the gauge… just never used it.

its not bad as long as it looks all pulled down

or not so much as to crush the foam

a guage is cheap and easy to fit

I turned a blank and bottom skin into a bannana, increased nose and tail rocker by like 4-5" each and decreased thickness by 1/4", by forgetting to dial back the pressure control after emptying a bag. Sucked it (1lb eps) at like 24"hg. Now I do it all at 10-13, no problems.

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but the problem is that it only goes to about 20 mm Hg on the regulator -chris

There are many ways to describe vacuum level. But you are saying “mm” Hg. 20 Torr is a fairly high level of vacuum. Everyone else that has posted to this thread seems to be talking about Inches Hg.