Fiberglass Mold Making and Fabrication How To – Project Blog

For my friends purpose, this is going to be a display only model. I will definitely make mine radio controlled. The differences in the two models should be minimal with the RC version simply allowing for easier access to the underside of the deck.

The full scale 11 meter RHIB is approximately 36 feet long. The first this that needs to happen is we need to decide on a size. My buddies wife would be happy if it were no longer than a foot from stem to stern. I think that making it 1/6 scale to fit GI Joe would be the way to go. Obviously we are pretty far apart on this so we decided on 1/10 scale making it about 43 inches long. This sized boat will allow me to buy some off the shelf detail pieces such as guns, ammo boxes and maybe even the 50 caliber machine guns (hopefully, I would hate to have to make these!)

Scale is important with a project like this. To make sure that I get as close as possible, I scour the internet looking for photographs and drawings of the 11 meter. I was able to get my hands on a digital owners manual which was of great help as well. The first thing that I did with my photographs and drawings was to use my copier to blow up a drawing of the 11 meter from the top and from the side. My copier has a function that lets me resize a picture up to 200% with each pass through the machine. I did the math and ended up with side and top perspective drawings that give a length of exactly 43 inches long and 16.5 inches wide.

This series of blog posts will be done in real time and will follow my project as I make progress. Stay tuned!! I will post pictures as I progress.

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

Its funny how we do things that we think are not only the right way but the only way only to find out later that there are better ways. Years ago, when I first discovered the use of dry foam as a medium for plug construction, I thought that I had found the perfect plug building material. I easily carved out complex structures in a fraction of the time that it used to take when I used plaster and wood.

Then my bubble burst. I finished carving the foam for my new plug, covered it with resin and sea glass from the hobby store and let it cure. To my surprise, when I was applying bondo and glazing putty to level the surface of my plug, the plastic putty knife that I used easily went through the surface of my plug. It was then that I realized that the outer skin of this plug was too weak and needed re-enforcement. I fixed this problem by removing the thin layer of glass that I used to cover the foam and applying a 1/8 inch layer of bondo over the entire surface of my now less than pretty plug. Since this episode, I have always used foam in my plug construction but I always took that extra step with shaving down the foam and covering it with a layer of bondo before I start the final finish.

Recently, I began to evaluate my plug building procedures. While my tried and true method described above never failed me, I wanted to try something new. I recently was building a plug that I wanted to move quickly with. After carving the foam, I went ahead and decided to cover it as it was with 1 ½ ounce chopped mat and resin. I remembered when I had my bad experience with this method I had used very light material from my hobby shop. The 1 ½ ounce mat worked perfectly. It provided a very solid surface to work with without adding excessive size to the plug that I had carved from the foam.

I basically did two things differently with the foam. The first thing that I did was thoroughly saturate the surface with resin. The second thing that I did was use a much heavier chopped mat to cover the plug.

I always read and research fiberglassing techniques. I had not really researched or evaluated my plug construction techniques for years. This “new to me method” saved me a TON of time and materials (bondo). I don’t believe that this way of plug building affected the quality of my final product at all.

I would recommend trying this method for your next project.

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

I just finished building a new mold for a 1/10 scale radio controlled car. One of the great things about making radio controlled car bodies out of fiberglass is the detail and the undercuts that can be formed using multi-piece molds. The realism is much greater than that which can be found in a vacuum formed body.

Multi-piece molds are always necessary for building three dimensional objects – whether those objects are hobby related or not. With the exception of very simple molds, multi-piece molds are almost always required or at least preferable. The obvious reasons for the use of a multi-piece mold are driven by the ease of extracting your parts from that mold. Molds that are very deep are difficult to lay-up parts in and can be very difficult to pull your parts out of.

The draft angle of your plug is a major determining factor that will determine the need for a multi-piece mold. Smaller parts may require no draft angle while larger parts that are deeper than 12 inches will require a draft angle of up to 5 degrees.

Automotive parts other than hood scoops, fender flairs, spoilers, etc are often done with one piece molds. Larger parts, such as doors, hoods, entire bodies and the like are almost always done as two piece molds.

I was looking at my first and main Fiberglass Mold Manual in which I outline the procedures for building a simple one piece mold. The funny thing about this manual is that the project that I follow in this manual ultimately required 3 separate one piece molds. A project requiring 3 separate one piece molds can also be labeled as a multi-piece mold.

Multi-piece molds do give many benefits to the builder, but there are a few drawbacks. Multi-piece molds do produce a flash line that must be dealt with. Flash lines require filling, sanding and refinishing. Flash lines are created by imperfections in the edge of the mold and in the general alignment of the pieces of the mold. In my opinion flash lines are a minor trade off for the many benefits of a multi-piece mold.

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

I have written blog entries in the past in which I have shared my experiences with new techniques and new products that are available for construction with composites. This is another one of those.

Whenever I am building the surface of a part that is being made of chopped mat, I end up with a fairly course surface that will need a final finishing.

I have employed various means to smooth out a fiberglass surface. Some of these finishing methods include the following:

For some applications I use veil over the final layer of chopped mat. This method hides most of the course fibers of the chopped mat without adding an excessive amount of extra weight to the final product. In fact, when I add a final veil covering I very rarely have to add any extra resin to the finish. Usually I can use a small roller to press the veil onto the surface of the still uncured mat / resin underneath it forcing the resin to seep into the veil and provide adequate saturation on the surface. The individual fibers of veil are much finer than those of chopped mat so the final surface is smoother.

For other applications I mix a putty-like consistency combination of resin and cabosil that I use to smooth over the surface. This has been one of my favorite methods for finishing a fiberglass surface. The cabosil / resin mixture can be made as thick or thin as your project requires. Once this mixture is spread over the surface and cures, it can be sanded smooth and finished.

Sometimes I will simply skin the surface with bondo. I like bondo because it sands so easily and cures so fast. You can smooth out a surface in a hurry with bondo. The drawbacks to using bondo are that it is easily chipped / damaged and it almost cures too fast. I have wasted a good amount of bondo over the years by mixing more than I could use in its working period.

The other day I went to my local fiberglass supply store and asked for a ¼ pound of cabosil. The gentleman that helped me asked if I wanted something that would sand a little easier. I said “sure” and he suggested microballoons. The microballoons mixed into a nice white paste and spread easily on the surface of my project. It also sanded easily as promised. In addition to easy sanding, it also seems durable as it passed the hammer tap test that I performed on the tip to the bow of my boat project. It didn’t hit it full force but I hit it hard enough to crack bondo and the microballoons didn’t crack. I was impressed.

In the beginning of this article I said that I was writing about a new product. Microballoons are not “new”, they are simply new to me. Once again, we tend to get comfortable with methods and materials that are known to us and close ourselves off to other products and procedures that are available.

Fiberglass Deep Vee Radio Controlled Boat

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

There are several ways to join fiberglass halves. Fuselages, boat hulls and car bodies usually require joining of at least two pieces in order for the project to reach a point of completion.

With some applications, a sleeve can be built into the plug with will allow the second part to slip into which will result in a nice joint that can be epoxied together. An application that comes to mind in this circumstance would be the deck of a model boat to the hull. This technique needs to be planned well in advance since it requires integration into your plug. This technique also is only applicable to those projects that won’t be visually hampered by a visible seem or joint on the final product.

Most of the time, in order to obtain a clean joint that can be filled, sanded and finished in a way that produces no visible joint on the final product, you will need access to the inside of the joined pieces in order to produce a clean union. The best way to do this is to align the halves and use masking tape to hold the pieces together. I like to use thin strips of resin saturated fiberglass mat that I can lay across the inside of the seem. Depending on the strength of the bond that my project requires, I like to have about ½ inch of mat overlapping each side of the seem. Once this cures, your joint is complete. The only thing left to do at this point is finish the exterior.

Another method that I really like for joining fiberglass halves that don’t have to be water tight or incredibly strong is by using what I like to call “chemical applesauce”. “Chemical Applesauce” is a mixture of resin and cabosil that has been catalyzed with MEKP that has the consistency of applesauce. I use this mixture by taping the entire outer surface of the seem, making sure that the pieces have proper alignment. I then use a gloved finger to apply this mixture to the seem line from the inside. I use my finger to push and work the mixture into the joint. This makes an excellent filler as well. Once the mixture has cured, I can remove the masking tape and I am left with a strong, clean joint that requires only minimal sanding and finishing.

These are some of my favorite ways to join two halves of a fiberglass project. I do have a challenging project on the table now that will require special consideration when joining. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Fiberglass AH-1G Cobra

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

I have received many questions from those who purchased my manual set regarding mold releases. Especially when preparing the plug. The bulk of the questions seem to come from the use of PVA as a mold release.

Let me start by saying that I like and prefer to use PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) mold release at all stages of my projects – both to release the plug and my parts. I like the security it provides. I have never had a part or a plug get stuck in mold when I have used PVA.

The problem that some people have with PVA is the orange peel appearance that is left on the inner surface of the mold after you have separated the plug from the mold. More often than not this orange peel is visible but can’t be detected by touch. Unfortunately, sometimes the orange peel appearance can transfer to the parts that you will make with your mold.

For me, this orange peel appearance has never been a problem because of the type of projects that I like to build. If you are planning on painting your finished pieces, as I do, the orange peel look of the gelcoat is of no concern. You will be at the least priming and painting the parts so you will never see the gelcoat. Even with R/C boat hulls that I have made I always plan on painting them for the final finish.

If you want to produce finished parts that have that glowing perfect gelcoat surface you will need to take a different approach with the plug. You will have to rely on mold release wax alone to allow for the separation of the plug from the mold. With this approach, you will want to follow the waxing procedures outlined in my manual. Use great care with applying and polishing the plug.

Another consideration with an approach that doesn’t involve the use of PVA is that more than likely you will damage (if not destroy) your plug when you de-mold. This is another reason why I like using PVA – I work hard on the plugs that I build and I like to save them.

I hope that this helps with your PVA questions

1/10 Scale Radio Controlled Fiberglass Mach 5

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

When I first started working with fiberglass, I found it a fascinating yet frustrating material. While I enjoyed the fact that it was water proof and could be formed into any shape, I was often frustrated by my attempts to finish it in a way that would make my final product look presentable. Over the years I have come to the realization that a nice fiberglass finish requires a little preparation and a little improvising.

Obtaining a nice smooth finish can be obtained on a consistent basis when using a mold to produce your parts. Even so, thought and preparation are still necessary. A nice thick gelcoat layer that is covered with a layer of veil that is then covered with a layer of chopped mat will create an end product with a nice finish and no pattern transfer to the final product. The gelcoat layer should be thick enough to allow light sanding without getting into the mat.

When repairing a broken piece of fiberglass, getting a smooth finish takes a little more work. On painted surfaces, I like to remove the paint around the damaged area with sandpaper. Depending on the size of the damaged area, I like to remove enough paint around the damaged area to give me a couple inches of working room. I will then tape over the finished side of the damaged area and apply my repair to the backside of the repair.

Once the resin has cured, I remove the tape and access the exterior of my repair. If the repair is flush or depressed, I will smooth over the surface with either bondo, finishing putty or a thick mixture of resin and cabosil. Once this has cured, I will sand it smooth, primer it, inspect it and go from there. If there are defects in the surface, I will refill them with the medium that I find appropriate and repeat the sanding, inspecting and primering that I had done before. This process continues until the finish is right.

You should not be afraid to sand fiberglass. If you happen to sand it to the point that you expose glass fibers, clip the long ones off and brush more catalyzed resin on. Let the resin cure and re-sand. You may have to repeat this process several times to get your repair right. If your sanding continues to expose fibers, you may want to cut the surface down an 1/8 of an inch or so and fill over the surface with either gelcoat, resin mixed with cabosil or even bondo. Once this has cured you will have plenty of room to shape and sand without exposing fibers.

The bottom line is that many people feel as though the final outer surface of a fiberglass repair must be fiberglass. This is nice if possible, but there is nothing wrong with smoothing over the outer skin of a fiberglass repair with gelcoat, bondo, resin mixed with cabosil or body putty.

Fiberglass Shooting Star Body (Speed Racer) For RC Car

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

I have received many questions from those who purchased my manual set regarding mold releases. Especially when preparing the plug. The bulk of the questions seem to come from the use of PVA as a mold release.

Let me start by saying that I like and prefer to use PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) mold release at all stages of my projects – both to release the plug and my parts. I like the security it provides. I have never had a part or a plug get stuck in mold when I have used PVA.

The problem that some people have with PVA is the orange peel appearance that is left on the inner surface of the mold after you have separated the plug from the mold. More often than not this orange peel is visible but can’t be detected by touch. Unfortunately, sometimes the orange peel appearance can transfer to the parts that you will make with your mold.

For me, this orange peel appearance has never been a problem because of the type of projects that I like to build. If you are planning on painting your finished pieces, as I do, the orange peel look of the gelcoat is of no concern. You will be at the least priming and painting the parts so you will never see the gelcoat. Even with R/C boat hulls that I have made I always plan on painting them for the final finish.

If you want to produce finished parts that have that glowing perfect gelcoat surface you will need to take a different approach with the plug. You will have to rely on mold release wax alone to allow for the separation of the plug from the mold. With this approach, you will want to follow the waxing procedures outlined in my manual. Use great care with applying and polishing the plug.

Another consideration with an approach that doesn’t involve the use of PVA is that more than likely you will damage (if not destroy) your plug when you de-mold. This is another reason why I like using PVA – I work hard on the plugs that I build and I like to save them.

I hope that this helps with your PVA questions

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

In general, epoxy resin laminates are considered to be superior when compared to polyester resins. That being stated, epoxy does not produce as hard a surface as polyester tooling gel coat so it is not quite as suitable for mold making. If you are planning on turning out even a small volume of parts, you really want the mold to carry the harder surface provided by polyester resins and gel coats.

Epoxy is also not compatible with ordinary mat so needle mat has to be used in the build up instead. If you don’t have needle mat, you could use cloth but cloth always carries the risk of pattern transfer to the surface of the mold.

I like to spray my resin on larger jobs. While epoxy resin does not carry the foul odor that is associated with polyester resin, it is much more toxic and therefore should not be sprayed. If you are not spraying epoxy you are rolling or brushing it which can be quite time consuming.

Epoxy resins also take longer to cure. Increased cure times combined with the excessive cost of epoxy results in slow production times with increased costs.

The only times that epoxy molds would be preferred to polyester molds are when the production pieces will generate extreme heat during curing. Epoxy is more heat resistant than is polyester. The other situation in which epoxy molds would be preferred over a polyester mold is when fumes are a concern. If you are sharing a shop with others or if there is exposed flame in the shop epoxy would be the better choice.

Keep in mind that many times we default to the more expensive material thinking that using a less expensive material will degrade the quality of the final product. In this case, your mold. That is not always true. I think that by describing the cons of the more expensive material we have show this to be true in this case.

I hope this clears up some of the many questions that I have had regarding the use of epoxy resins for mold production.

Fiberglass Radio Controlled Model Boat

Happy Glassing

Steve

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com

After the PVA dries, I brush in a nice healthy layer of gelcoat. Once the gelcoat cures to a tack, I begin to lay resin and mat. Since this is a fairly large item, I do two layers of 1 ½ ounce mat to provide a little strength without the part getting too heavy.

Once this fiberglass gels, I trim the excess with a sharp utility knife and let the mold cure to its full hardness. Since I will be joining the two halves of the helicopter, I don’t pull the pieces from the mold until I am ready to join them. This is because any shrinkage / warping will wreak havoc with my attempts to line up the two halves of this copter during the joining process.

Removing the parts from this mold is done just as described previously. I slip a putty knife between the mold and the part. Using several putty knives, I work the perimeter of the mold to loosen the piece. I progressively dig the putty knives deeper and deeper until my parts pop out of the mold.

Once the parts have been removed, I can clean / flatten the edges with a sanding block, align the two halves and use masking tape to hold them together and seal the seam. To finish this project I catalyze about 4 oz of resin and pour it along the inside of the seam that divides the two halves of this copter. The resin is poured into the fuselage through the opening where the exhaust port would be. I then tilt the copter forward and backward to cover the seam with resin. Once this cures, I can remove the tape and deal with filling any defects in the seam.

With this post, the helicopter project is done.

Happy Glassing

Steve

Fiberglass Huey Model

www.fiberglassmoldmanual.com