Just wondering if anyone has found a go ... stically ?
I am also wondering where to get bagging tube. Vacuum bagging film needs to be edge sealed if one wants a bag. To make sides, the laminates are placed in a bagging film tube, then a vacuum formed, then the sides are clamped onto a mold in the shape of the sides.
Backs can be laminated using a flat sheet surface, eg recycled thick glass and a sheet of bagging film sealed at the edges onto the glass with the yellow seal tape which resembles blu tack in texture.
Aldi had a special on a vacuum bag for use with a vacuum cleaner and intended to store linen. I modded the connector on the ones I bought and have successfully used them for bagging, but they are a thick plastic and wont stretch the way bagging film will for compound shapes. Cheap as chips so good to try out and held full vacuum pressure from my Gast vacuum pump set up.
Bagging film is basically of two types. Nylon and PVC or PVC/Nylon blend. Nylon bagging film has to be ultrasonically welded but the PVC I have used can be heat welded, even though it has a little nylon in it.
The nylon film is more costly and has high temperature properties, so is not so essential for luthierie. I am about to purchase an el cheapo Chinese made 400mm heat sealer from eBay. $24 odd $$'s free delivery from a supplier in NSW. Not so good for the long edge of a bag made out of sheet, but from PVC tube it will most likely be fine for making a bag for doing sides. Here is a US supplier who sells the tube by the metre. I haven't found any supplier in Aus who sells tube in anything than huge rolls, expensive due to the quantity. The tube from this supplier is nylon, but can be sealed at one end with the yellow sealing tape and packaging tape, or someone with an ultrasonic sealer could do it. Haven't found any one in Aus except for an industrial distributor who can have them made by their supplier in the US for major$$'s.
special order. The other end is sealed in my case with a dowel and a clip made from electricians conduit. I run a piece through my band saw to take a little off to form a clip then round the edges so that it snaps on to the dowel. Leave the dowel longer than the clip otherwise it's hard to disassemble.
You will need release film and breather fabric inside the bag. I have used plastic film and shadecloth for a cheap successful project. If you have problems with the release film you can use the proper stuff which has holes in it along with , but if the resin quantity is applied as a minimum ala Craig Bumgarners post there is hardly any resin squeeze out into the release film. Cheers Ross