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No need. It is 'simply' a matter of making the bag long enough so it can be turned in on itself and passed through the airbox.

The inner tube idea isn't silly, however. I have used this method, but with a balloon, to pressurise the internal side of a hockey stick mold. This method can produce much more pressure than vacuuming can so it is more akin to a mini autoclave :-)

Hi

I am looking at buying a used Brian James RS5 shuttle trailer. It is in a very good condition, apart form the VIN plate, which is unreadable.

However, there is a sticker on the inside that says RS 288 on it.

Anyone know the possible legal ramifications of buying a trailer without a VIN plate?

Photos don't want to load for some reason, all I am getting is img /img


UPDATE. Spoke to Brian James Trailers and they can't provide a new VIN plate without a number. It is illegal, apparently, to tow a trailer on the highway without a legible VIN plate. If that is the case without getting a new plate and number the trailer would be worthless unless you are prepared to take the chance of getting it impounded, I'm not.

I wonder how many people realise this?

Vacuum bagging material arrived this morning so I hightailed it up to the garage to bag the aero stuff.

Bagged and pulling vacuum for first time. You usually have to play around a bit, letting air back in so you can reposition the bag so that no area is bridged, the bag must be in contact with the part otherwise proper compaction of the carbon will be compromised.

In theory, you should be able to make the back air tight so the pump can be turned off. However, I have never managed to get these large bags to be 100% sealed so the pump stays on for the duration of the curing process.



My oven, for those who haven't seen inside.



Curing process went to plan, but I had a bit of a panic when unwrapping the part. The two sides had bowed outwards away from the vertical. I guessed due to the different expansion and contraction rates of the aluminium and CF. I was working out how I was going to make new end sections as I puled the part off of the mold but I needn't have worried. When I separated the CF from the aluminium the CF sprung back into place. I must assume that the stresses of cooling distorted the aluminium but the CF was cured so it retained it's shape. Phew!



Part looks OK, with only a few pinholes. It also fits quite snugly so that is good. Nest job is to trim the Gurney flap and first fit so I can shape the end plates. I also need to cut into three pieces so the boot can still be opened. That is what the angle strips are for. It weigh in at just over 1.3kg. That is heavier than my doors! However it is three layers thick, rather than the doors' two. This is due to the large flat section that would tend to sag with only two layer and it also has higher loadings on it than the doors. I added two 30mm wide strips made from 2 layers of CF lengthways to add extra stiffness.

Cheers, I will look this stuff up.

Thanks, good idea. I will do a TER check. Brain James keep a record of registered owners.

Yes, I have put on a couple of Kgs recently so back on the treadmill :-)

Going to view this little beastie next week. Looks the part and Elan will easily fit.

Once the paint had dried the imperfections in the surface became apparent. I had hoped that the paint would fill the, what I thought were fine, scratches but no such luck. So, once the paint has fully hardened I will sand them all out and try again. Learning process.

Not bad for first attempt. A rub down and then a thin coat.

I have started to get ready for next year and that means, among other things, sourcing a trailer. I am looking for a twin axle covered tilt bed, sort of like this:
Minimum internal floor length 4.5m



If anyone can help, please let me know.