Plastic Female Mold Making for Fuselage -- Advice Needed
07-26-2017, 11:22 AM
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Plastic Female Mold Making for Fuselage -- Advice Needed
Hey RC fans,
I'm brand new to the RC world, so any help is appreciated.
I'm trying to make a carbon fiber fuselage using the wet lay-up method (not pre-peg). I've made a silicone female mold but after multiple trials inside the vacuum bag, the mold has shrunk considerably. So, I ordered some SmoothCast 385, which is a hard and brittle liquid plastic. I can't seem to find any info on how to make a female mold out of the 385. For my previous silicone female mold, I 3D printed my fuselage, embedded half of it in clay, poured MoldMax 40 over it, let it cure, poured mixture over the cured side, etc. etc. I want to know if this is the same procedure that I can use for the plastic, or if there are any unforeseen complications.
Also, if there are any tips on how to effectively put together the two molds during lay-up without crinkles or terrible seams between the carbon fiber cloths, I would love to know them.
I'm brand new to the RC world, so any help is appreciated.
I'm trying to make a carbon fiber fuselage using the wet lay-up method (not pre-peg). I've made a silicone female mold but after multiple trials inside the vacuum bag, the mold has shrunk considerably. So, I ordered some SmoothCast 385, which is a hard and brittle liquid plastic. I can't seem to find any info on how to make a female mold out of the 385. For my previous silicone female mold, I 3D printed my fuselage, embedded half of it in clay, poured MoldMax 40 over it, let it cure, poured mixture over the cured side, etc. etc. I want to know if this is the same procedure that I can use for the plastic, or if there are any unforeseen complications.
Also, if there are any tips on how to effectively put together the two molds during lay-up without crinkles or terrible seams between the carbon fiber cloths, I would love to know them.
07-26-2017, 01:33 PM
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There is a forum dedicated to this sort of stuff. I would read through some of the threads there.
Composites Fabrication And Repair - RCU Forums
Composites Fabrication And Repair - RCU Forums
07-28-2017, 05:57 AM
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New to RC planes, yet wanting to make a composite fuselage using what sounds like your own design? What are you trying to accomplish exactly?
The classic method is to make a wood plug, coat it with PVA, then apply several layers of glass to it. 2 oz goes on first, then 2 layers of 6 oz. That will give you a stiff female mold with a good finish inside to work with.
The classic method is to make a wood plug, coat it with PVA, then apply several layers of glass to it. 2 oz goes on first, then 2 layers of 6 oz. That will give you a stiff female mold with a good finish inside to work with.
