Shower Curtain at Work!

[Bill Arnold]

OK, folks. A thread a few weeks ago dealt with how to set up a vacuum bagging system. There are many ways to accomplish one's goals and I heard the snickers :) through the posts when I mentioned using a $6 shower curtain from WalMart. :D Well, to prove it works, I have pictures! Are you happy, Tyler :confused:

The photos below show the bentwood laminations I'm making for a quilt rack I designed. Also included is a graphic of the end view of the quilt rack. The legs of the rack are built up with seven 1/8" thick strips of mahogany, 42" long. After final dimensioning, the rack will be about 36" tall and 40" wide. Supports between the two sides will be five pieces of solid mahogany that are 3/4" by 1 1/4".

pic1 shows the bag in action

pic2 shows one lamination fresh out of the bag and another in the bag

pic3 is a closer shot of the piece just out of the bag

pic4 is a close-up of the lamination

pic5 is the design drawing end view

As always, your comments are welcome.

[Jim Dunn]

Bill,

That's a real neat idea you got there. Show's a lot of "Yankee Ingenuity". My only complaint is that you had to yeild to Walmart and not some small store down the street.;)

Counting your cross members I can only see 4. Am I missing something?

Jim

[Bill Arnold]

That's a real neat idea you got there. Show's a lot of "Yankee Ingenuity". My only complaint is that you had to yeild to Walmart and not some small store down the street.;) Counting your cross members I can only see 4. Am I missing something? Jim
Thanks, Jim.

Actually, LOML is the WalMart junkie. She has to get her weekly fix or life isn't worth living! ;) She picked up the shower curtain for me.

The fifth crossmember is centered in the scroll-sawn piece about halfway up. The scrolled piece ties the legs together, providing additional strength and a connection point for the center crossmember.

Regards,

[Jim Dunn]

My wife is the same way! :( Although she says she hates place, she can spend hours looking, mostly at plants.

[Jamie Buxton]

Bill --

Yeah, it is sometimes a little amazing how good a clamping system vacuum is, even with a shower curtain!

Two questions:
* What is your pump? Have you found a similarly low-budget solution?
* What are the details of your bag closure method? It looks like you're using PVC pipe somehow.

[Ted Shrader]

Bill -

Very ingenious! How did you get the "bag" sealed up (I refuse to call it a shower curtain :))? And what are you using to draw a vacuum?

Thanks for the info,
Ted

[Bill Arnold]

For you 'inquiring minds':

The pump I'm using is a Robinair VacuMaster designed for evacuating A/C systems. The cost of a new unit is several hundred dollars, but I got it for $60 from a friend who was selling most of his shop stuff because he moved onto his boat. I added a vacuum controller to switch the pump off and on to keep the vacuum in a good range (16-21" HG), a check valve and a vacuum gauge. Photo is in this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=128004&postcount=8

The 'bag' (ok, Ted) had the hanger holes and bottom seam removed. I folded it and sealed the sides with hot melt adhesive. The remaining side is sealed with a clamp made from two pieces of PVC pipe. I ran a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe through the bandsaw to remove about 1/4 of the circumference. To seal the bag, both sides of the bag opening are matched up and wrapped around a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe. The 3/4" PVC is then snapped around the bag & pipe combo to seal it.