Molding Process

[JoeBro44]

I have a question. Does Cobra do any Resin Infusion (vacuum bagging) or is it all hand lay-up? The reason I'm asking is because I work in the composites department at a pump factory and my manager is all hyped up about eventually doing Resin Infusion. In addition to pumps and some other odds and ends we started making parts for performance dragsters and this is one area where he wants us to apply this method. If you do resin infusion... do you allow tours?

[Brad254]

I have no idea but i bet one of these guys does. It's a topic I'd like to know though, I've often wondered about the major boat manufacturers. When you ask about resin intrusion are you talking about a wet lay up then vaccuum bagging or dry lay up and pulling the resin through the fiber with the vacuum? My first large fiberglass body making adventure will be this year, I've done carbon fiber but no fiberglass as of yet...

[Tx 201]

I don't think they do, Backlash put up a post about a year ago that showed the process from start to finish, pics included. Maybe you can do a search and find it.

[JoeBro44]

The process we are trying (or want to try) is a dry lay-up and then pulling the resin through. Backlash, do you have a description of the process?

[AlanW]

I don't want to speak for Cobra, but I don't think they do any vacuum bagging, unless it is perhaps part of their transom making process they don't want to publicize.

However, Bass Cat Boats, also in the Mt. Home, AR area, is big into vacuum bagging construction. I know they are a competitor, but they are nice people over there also, and they offer plant tours which I sure would cover much of the vacuum method. The head guy at BC, Rick Pierce, not only knows the history of bass boats from about day one, he is glad to help anyone, and is usually willing to talk about the vacuum bagging process. They apparently studied the vacuum bagging processes used by some off-shore boat makers like Fountain as they developed their method.

[JoeBro44]

Thanks for the info Alan, I'll try to get in touch with them. I hope this works out! This is a process that we need to learn and it is so much easier to learn something by seeing it done as opposed to reading about it. Plus I really wanna see a bass boat "come to life"!

[Backlash Ar]

JoeBro, Cobra's are made with a space material called DIVINYCELL which is a closed cell medium to high density foam which has high compression strength, durability, and excellent fire resistance. Divinycell can be vacuum formed to compound shapes and can be bent using heat. It is compatible with polyester, vinylester, and epoxy resins. Divinycell is similiar to a PVC foam material that is stronger and lighter than the AME 4000 and AME 5000 resins that were previously used. The glass is all hand laid at this time.