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[Jarrod]

Don't let this happen to you folks...   

Total newb mistake, one that I knew not to do.

I had the deck and bottom skin on a great looking board and just put on some balsa/cedar layered rails.  I threw it in the bag and dialed up the vac pressure to evacuate the bag well.   

Then I forgot to dial it back down.

I was in the midst of making dinner when I snapped to it and ran out to the garage.  My vac gauge was reading 20, and my core was crushed.

Fuck.

[Bernhardt]

I had the deck and bottom skin on a great looking board and just put on some balsa/cedar layered rails.  I threw it in the bag and dialed up the vac pressure to evacuate the bag well.   

We use a wetdry shop vac with the skinny narrow nozzle or the adaptor to fit on the nipple to do the initial draw down.

We zip close the bag leaving just a small opening for the narrow nozzle placing it against the shade cloth and yanking it out and finish sealing when the bag is tight. 10-15 seconds is all you need to collapse the bag.

The adaptor is in the kit they sell to blow up inflatables from your shop vac.

if you use 5 minute epoxy or PU glue you probably could get away just with the shop vac as a pump.

[Jarrod]

Yeah, I use a shop vac too, but then I like to draw it down nice and tight before backing it off...   Might have to reevaluate that habit.

So, follow-up, I just used the bandsaw to cut the rails off, then stripped the skins.  The bottom skin is getting vacced on another homedepot blank right now (using your rocker-copying method Bernie), and I'm sure I only have it set at 7 pounds or in/hg or whatever this time.   I'll have to make the board a little narrower, but I'm hoping I can salvage the wood.

Fingers crossed. 

[Ian]

Ouch!!

I cut my agave rails off and got my top skin on today with only some minor cracking edge drama.
After hand milling the stuff and bending & gluing on a solid 1" rail I thought the hard part was over.
The agave is like shaping oak and balsa at the same time. I wonder how Linden does it.
Going to use bending Ply & some left over cork tiles from work now.Free stuff .

[fostachild]

I recently had to cut the skins off a screwed board myself schwuz, such a painful experience, I'm bummed for you.

[Bernhardt]

Ouch!!

I cut my agave rails off and got my top skin on today with only some minor cracking edge drama.
After hand milling the stuff and bending & gluing on a solid 1" rail I thought the hard part was over.
The agave is like shaping oak and balsa at the same time. I wonder how Linden does it.
Going to use bending Ply & some left over cork tiles from work now.Free stuff .

Speaking of Agave
this is what happens when you glass and hotcoat wiliwili ( a form of hawaiian balsa) the wood came from the grounds of iolani palace (sad story on sways). thickness planed to 1/8"  the bottom was 1/16" balsa.  2 layers of 4oz on each side still super light. gonna make some wiliwili glass-on quads to match..
This stuff really pops with all kinds of colors.. Can't wait to make some with mix and match koa, mango. milo and ulu(breadfruit).

sorry for the camera phone pics..