Getting closer!

You all remember this stuff...well, this is beach veneer that I have cut and layered in alternating grain directions. This allows the veneer to be strong and to bend in more than one direction.






After completing my vacuum mold, all the corners had to be rounded so not to puncture the bag.







Here we are putting the vacuum bag onto my mold with the veneer sheets and another steel sheet inside. All glued up and ready to go!






Getting the bag on correctly is tricky. You have to allow enough material in the back for the bag to fill in the cavities left by the mold.






We attached a vacuum to a valve we had previously installed on the bag. This sucks all the air out and forces the veneer into the form of the mold.






Et voila








Into the oven it goes!








And out it comes a few hours later.











Here is the piece removed from the mold








And here is a mock up of how it will look. Obviously this is being held together by clamps and the joints are not yet built but you get the general idea. Also there is still some shape work to do.