zack.v

question for the "glass gurus" as well is their an alternative house hold item i can use as a mold release agent ?

martno1fan

Nothing i know of,why not just buy some mould release wax ? its not expensive and available over the internet if you have nowhere local but living in Malta im sure you have boat yards arround who will almost certainly have it if they build boats .
Mart

zack.v

yes yes thats true we do butttttttttt trying to convince my mum to take me to buy some and spend money on "thiat stupid hobby" as she calls it might be a bit difficult plus im down with a bladder infection at the moment soo thats why i want to find a good house hold alternative i can find at home i heardof people using packing tape?

martno1fan

It depends what your moulding ?i wouldnt use packing tape inside a mould.Id work on your mum some more and convince her its the only way to make you feel better ,i hope your feeling better soon .
Mart
ps call into your local boat builders when your feeling better and im sure they will give you some wax,they will sureley have a half used tin you can have .

samuelmerry

Before reading this you should know i am not a "glass guru" but have been speaking to work colleagues who make components for F1 cars as i am looking at doing some moulding myself.

In theory any form of oily substance may work, mould release stops the part being made from sticking to the mould by separating them with a thin film. Basically you are doing the opposite of when you bond parts together, instead of de-greasing you are greasing.

As for household items you could try WD40, or some furniture polish. You could also try rubbing any kind of oil (3in1, motor oil, olive oil!) into the surface to prevent it sticking.

Dont blame me if it all goes wrong though!!! mould release would still be your best bet.

Dreamin Hemi

I've seen people using packing tape over a plug, or an "exterior" mold. These type still need lots of work to get smooth on the exterior of the part being molded........expecially the interior of the part where it rests on the tape, could never recommend that.

I made my first mold of an r/c airplane cowling and wheel pants when I was 12 and I actually had no idea what release wax was. So I used paste car wax since people kept saying "Put at least 4-5 coats of wax on there first......" Well, it actually did work quite well (perhaps I got lucky). Not sure what brand that was....over 24 years ago! That was also a very small part.....mabye 6 or 7 inches long about the same wide and deep.....my first split mold! .

When I went through a trade school before college and actually was taught the skill of glassing, I realised how much EASIER things are when the right products are used and to listen to the voice of experience.

My advice.....get well first. Then do as Mark suggested and call around or even visit a few boatyards and ASKTONSOFQUESTIONS!!! You will be suprised how much people like to talk about their trade to youth. You will most likely walk out of there with a full supply of materials for your project that they have "donated for the cause".

Good luck and I do hope you get well soon!

Dreamin Hemi

Yes oils prevent sticking. All these products will do the job HOWEVER will also prevent the glass and resins to properly adhere to the mold's shape!

We use wax which is basically pure Carbuba because it releases easily when it builds up however allows the glass to stick to mold allowing you to tool the material around. If you use any kind of oils for this purpose you'll never get it to work into shape.

This is not like cake baking!

zack.v

haha thanks guys yeah i heard about using WD-40 for that purpose but don't think my mum will let me use her kitchen ingredients haha i do have some kiwi shoe wax might try all i want to do is just make a mold for some clam shell vents using a peice of pipe as my mold actually probably i'll just try convince her when im better and she prob might seeing as iv got to get all the materials first but thought id ask this question first by the way is 4oz glass cloth good enought for what i want to do ?

zack.v

by the way dreming hemi i saw and read your post on the hull you made your self and i learnt ALOT from that

Dreamin Hemi

With a part that small, apply that cloth (I assume) about 3-4 layers thick one at a time....but in the same resin batch so it cures together.

zack.v

same to you mart really cool apach

Dreamin Hemi

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the thread, There are a several I've made in the last few years. Slightly different techniques in each one.

I'm a construction and manufacturing instructor at the high school level and I teach this stuff at a trade school part time in the evenings. I've referred to my threads in my class multiple times as I do lectures with my students.

zack.v

ok will defiantly doo that and that many layers you think im gonna need ? ok so if i use 4oz ill do that but u think im better off using 6oz? again asking because 4oz seems more common here.

zack.v

yes yes i know you did mention that in your thread boy do i wish we had a class like that here :/ id be getting A+ all the time lol

martno1fan

Zack if you want to make clam shell vents you can use good old modeling clay and glass straight onto it,it takes a bit of washing the mould after once its set but for small parts it works very well.I made a few naca ducts this way,painted my gelcoat onto it then added my resin and cloth and they came out very nice.Glad you like my Apache im making one as we speak for a forum member who lives in the Greek islands ,maybe your mum will buy you one for next Christmas .
Mart

zack.v

haha nahh im in the middle of paying for an ac lazor (cant go as big as ur apachi ) a guy here has its a bare hull so i can build it up as i want (plus dont want my family to buy me the stuff since they didnt do the research i did on stuff) i want to get the best running gear i can not the chinese stuff , although i wouldnt mind 1 since nobody at my club has oneand its a really nice hull

zack.v

mart you have a pm thanks again

martno1fan

No probs m8 one thing i will say is regards the Chinese hardware ,where do you think most hardware comes from .There are good Chinese outlets for nice hardware and its the same gear many other companys sell so all you have to decide is which is the cheapest to ship to you and from where .
Mart
I use Franks gear,its decent too.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Promise-Hobby

zack.v

regarding where to get hardware im torn between cc -racing or WHH or bonzi

dicko

the Bonzi hardware won't work well with your Lazer, the hardware used on the WHH Silex or hardware from CC will work. Also have a look at top secret.

I would recommend getting the hardware recommended for the hull.

Eagleburger

Water down some PVA glue 50%. Works brushed or painted and let the mold finish determine how much you need.

zack.v

actually to be honest i was thinking of those for like the interior and exterior (hatch,deck) im going to be using a ballentine drive(no skeg version and if its too short i'll make a spacer from some box section and a couple plates) a S.M rudder with 'T' bracket (mounted right over the drive to give even and adequate steering both left and right ) plus some miscellaneous hard ware from a hard wear package im going to get from a friend here

martno1fan

For a quick simple clamshell vent mould,take some modeling clay and a spoon,push the spoon into the clay and theres your mould,paint in your gelcoat and glass it,afterwards it will need trimming and sanding etc but thats about as simple as it gets and no need for any wax just soap and water to wash out any clay from the parts after.You can leave a flange arround the part to either glue the vent on or drill and screw it on your choice.Just repeat it as many times as you like using different sized spoons if you like,easy .
Mart

zack.v

ok thanks i'll try that definatly

zack.v

ok so you guys are probably going to kill me with all these stupid questions but newbie to glass ahh i dont want to have my part gelcoated in any color soo will epoxy stick to the wax or will i have a problem if i apply resin directly to to the wax and then cloth ?