Now it is time to break out the fiberglass. Fiberglass resin and 1 ½ ounce mat is applied over the foam surfaces and allowed to cure. When I fiberglass over this kind of foam, I like to brush a nice thick layer of resin directly on top of the foam and then lay resin soaked pieces of mat on top of that. Like with all my projects, I allow the mat and fiberglass resin to Read the rest of this entry »
Once I realized that my sponsons were too large (had I been paying better attention I would have figured this out prior to covering them with fiberglass!) my attention turned to what to do about them. Read the rest of this entry »
Now, I move forward with creating buck stations. A buck station is a guide that ensures that your plug is going to resemble what you want it to in the end. For this project I use the same 1/8 inch mahogany that I used for the initial profile pieces. My strategy for placement of buck stations is simple, I put one anywhere that I am concerned about maintaining the correct lines of my project. Usually I am of the opinion that more stations are better. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve received some more questions about Fiberglass Mold Making Gelcoat and how to end up with a high gloss shiny finish.
Sonic 1 High Gloss
When constructing a mold for duplication of parts, there are several considerations that must be addressed. The main reasons for using tooling gelcoat versus finishing gelcoat have to do with the hardness of the finish and the shine of the finish.
The finished surface of your mold should be abrasion resistant. Polyester gelcoat is used for making tooling masters and molds where good gloss retention of the surface is of paramount importance. A high gloss finish of the molds surface allows for easier release of your parts and thus extends the life of the mold. Read the rest of this entry »
First I want to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! ! !
I hope your new year celebration was safe and enjoyable.
I have covered the following information in a post quite some time back before the last time this blog was hacked.
I have been getting some more question I think this will address regarding Epoxy Resin for Mold making. Read the rest of this entry »
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
In my last post I addressed an issue that I was having with the plug that I am building for this fiberglass project. At some point after the sponsons were covered with mat and resin I realized that they were simply too big in diameter. To correct this problem I cut the fiberglass covering off with a Dremel tool and then used a chisel to scrape the building surface clean of foam. After rebuilding the sponsons with foam and fiberglass I begin to follow the … Read the rest of this entry »
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
Preparing the plug is the next stage of this build. I begin by mounting the two halves of the plug to a piece of inch thick MDF board. I attach the plugs by using screws from the back side of the MDF. Some people glue or epoxy their plugs to the parting plane. I prefer to use screws because I can remove the plug from the MDF after the mold is finished with out destroying it.
Once I have the plugs securely attached to the parting plane, I need to go around the base of the plugs looking for gaps between the board and the plugs. Any gaps are filled with clay. This is just a matter of forcing the clay into the gaps in order to prevent resin from getting under the plug. When the gaps are filled and all excess clay is removed, I can apply mold release wax to the plugs and the MDF parting plane. I like both McGuire’s and Part-All mold release waxes. It is important to apply at least five coats to the plugs in order to ensure adequate coverage. The plugs should be polished to a shiny smooth finish.
PVA is now sprayed onto the plugs and the parting board. The PVA is an excellent barrier between the mold and the plug. I like to spray a coat, let it dry and then re-apply. Applying two coats of PVA can result in lost detail but that is not a concern for me with this project. An additional coat of PVA will ensure an easy release when I de-mold the plugs.
I apply the PVA with my spray gun at about 60 psi and a distance of 8 to 12 inches. PVA is cheap and valuable at the same time. This set of mirror image plugs is now ready for molding.
For the molding process I need my air compressor and dump gun along with: tooling gelcoat, fiberglass resin and chopped mat, MEKP, rubber gloves, disposable brushes and a respirator or fume mask.
Happy Glassing
Steve
With the keel and the hull sides attached, I can think about filling the hull with foam and carving out the bottom of the hull. As I study the hull bottom as it sits, I notice that the hull sides have some waves in them. Since it is much easier to fix this now, I go ahead and glue then clamp some thin pine strips along the inside of the hull sides about ½ inch below the upper edge. This strip will also help me with the construction of the hull bottom. Once these extra hull pieces are secure, I measure and cut Read the rest of this entry »
5 Fiberglass "How To" Manuals
