Hello all,

I have only made it through the first halfish of the semi-official EG thread, but I would like to offer up a handful of ideas I have had in the matter for constructive criticism (Or to find out if they have already been tried and if so, the results)

In the past I have done work with composites in the realm of carbon fiber and fiberglass. For bigger layup jobs where it isn't feasible to hand wet everything, we use a process of vacuum infusion. In its most basic form, fiberglass or carbon fiber is laid up dry in its intended mold and then sealed with a very stretchy plastic film, allowing a vacuum to be pulled. Resin is then introduced from an external resivor and with the assist of the vacuum is infused throughout the part.
Things quickly grow more complex beyond this simplistic explanation, with carefully thought out flow paths, resin injection points, the use of what amounts to perforated tubing to introduce resin to specific areas of the mold, etc. Here is a brief video of a the process successfully accomplished with a large part.
Blah blah, boring, thats all great but how can it be beneficial to EG machine bases? In the composites world, this process allows compaction of the fabric pilings against a molding surface, 'automatic' impregnation of the correct ratio of resin into the part.

Imagine for a moment: Begin by filling your mold to the brim with the largest particle size (1/5 the size of your overall thickness). Vibrate/agitate until absolutely no more can can be added without overflowing the mold. Move down to the next size of particles and repeat the the process. Continue the cycle, down to your smallest particle size; As long as you are adding material into the mold without increasing its overall volume, you are increasing density and approaching the ideal formula of size ratios (with smaller particles filling the voids left behind by the larger, etc, down to a fine flour particulate size).
Seal the mold with a plastic film and pull a vacuum (compacting the filling in the process at a maximum of 14.69 psi). Introduce a thin, sow setting epoxy into strategic points of the mold, allowing the vacuum to distribute it evenly throughout the mold into whatever voids remain. Perhaps some of the metal reinforcement I have seem many people using in their castings could be hollow, used to help distribute the epoxy throughout the mold like veins in a biological body.

Some issues I foresee: ideal ratio of particle sizes may be too finely packed to allow for resin to freely impregnate/flow throughout the mold. Perhaps mixing of the aggregates would need to be pre-rationed and mixed outside the mold and pre-wetted with epoxy.

Thoughts, constructive criticism?