[ATM] Tooling Up For Carbon Fiber

["Rod Shea" <RodShea@comcast.net>]

This may be a little of topic, if so, I apologize, and please fell free to reply off list.  I'm setting up a vacuum press to make a 13.1" CF travel dob.  Can someone point me to a resource for troubleshooting a vacuum setup?  I have cobbled together a pump, check valve, vacuum gauge, vacuum switch, and glue trap.  If I plug the input (where tubing would go to the bag)  I can pull -23T, which drops to 21 in about 3 minutes, with or without a vacuum reservoir.  

Is this reasonable, or do I need to find and fix leaks?  If so, what is a good way to do this?    I have made sure the pipe joints are tight.  Most ways I find online to detect vacuum leaks seem to depend on detecting, in some way, stuff, like starter fluid, leaking into your engine by the idle changing, or looking for a new peak in your mass spectrometer.  There must be a way to do this with a simpler setup like this, Or am I left with "Make a joint, check it with a vacuum gauge." for each joint?

Thanks,

Rod
_______________________________________________
ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/