Vacuum Bagging Basics  Picture of Vacuum Bagging Basics I must
preface this entry with a citation for a homespun vacuum source
that saved my bacon in this exercise. DrCrash has a great
solution using nothing more than a hardware store bicycle pump
for this project, as there was no way I'd encumber my little
apartment with an unwieldy electrical unit.  Vacuum bagging is a
commonly used technique in composites, and for good reason. When
done correctly, your part will have a nice, uniformly
distributed compression about the surface of the layup. This in
turn helps to minimize any voids (e.g. bubbles and wrinkles) in
the buildup of layers. Also, when used with a porous substrate
made of peel-ply and breather-cloth as we'll see, it assists in
having the optimal ratio of resin to reinforcement (e.g
fiberglass, or carbon fiber, or Kevlar) by squeezing out the
excess.  The project is quite simple for illustrative purposes.
I'm making a small container from a mold of a nice tea container
lid. I'll go over the steps to