Alright, noted - no sucky sucky bag 
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Vac bag can help with strength for your parts.
It’s a bit of a mission but prob worth it if you have all the bits needed for the setup.
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I’ve heard that all you really need for vac bagging is one of those vacuum packing bags for clothes and a shopvac… Would that be functional or is a proper setup necessary?
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I believe there are proper bags that stretch a bit to help eliminate crinkles
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Could be. How good are you with sealing the bag?
I used a pump and control valve which turn it on and off, on which you can also adjust the pressure. It can hold plenty of vacuum for as long as needed to cure.
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That’s how the roarockit kits work and people seem to get decent results with them.
(I have no experience with those though, and all my bags seem to leak air from somewhere! - the pump I use cycles on and off to hold vacuum)
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I guess the question then is is the improvement from just regular laminating worth the extra effort of bagging?
I know the guys who do fiberglass for boats don’t use vacuum… Plus I’m not too keen on spending extra bux on equipment I’ll probably use once 
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Some boatbuilders do.
It is extra cost.
If you get a result you are happy with on the first time , you will be a lot better than me 
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if you’re serious about doing it I’d say yes… the propensity of weight of a composite deck is the resin, and vac. bagging the board will allow you to use less resin, and make a stronger lighter safer better laminated board…
if you’re just doing it to do something… just do it…
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Dunno if this link will work - old forum. You’ve probably seen this, but if not - Whitepony inspiration
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=81928
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I’ll have something on this soon in a write up for easy bagging. It’s worth it
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Good reads…
Looking like vacuum bagging is the way to go atm.
Fortunately, a fuckwit friend has experience with vac bagging carbon fiber laminates for auto parts, so that will be helpful.
I’m not too worried about surface finish because I’ll be sanding everything anyway to prep for coatings (ruggedized rubber roadside and maybe glass frit topside?)
Also, here’s some very crude cad of how I’m thinking it’ll look…
The shape of the inner compartment is definitely going to change, along with most of the curves being softened to a more organic shape…
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Why go with the lid on top? I don’t understand why so many integrated decks have the lid on top. To me it makes much more sense to have the lid on the bottom.
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This was a two-fold decision for me…
- fiberglass is much stronger in tension than in compression, so the bottom is doing more of the load-bearing.
- water has to go farther to get inside
Give the shape some rocker? Boom, under tension.
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Since the weight is in the center and being supported from the ends of the board (trucks), the bottom will always be the part under tension… It doesn’t matter how you change the shape of the structure.
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I see 2 reasons, lid on bottom needs to be much stronger to support all components, and wants to open instead of close during use. During assembly lid on bottom means all parts needs to be secured upside down firmly to deck or it will fall onto lid, alternatively parts are built onto lid and secured to deck, also annoying. Lid on top means drop parts in, close lid and done.
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I hear you but i disagree. All of the components should be secured to the deck in my opinion and merely supported by the enclosure/ lid.
Lid on top means water ingress and looks stupid. My two cents.
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I’d argue water ingress is easier with lid on bottom?
The seam would be way more exposed to splashback from the wheels.
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