Making Fiberglass Molds, Fiberglass Parts and Vacuum Bagging

[Big Al]

Another Must Have Book



This is another must have book for a fiberglass mold and part maker. I first featured this book in the Vacuum Forming thread but it covers many subjects on prop making and mold making and is definitely a must have.

The Prop Masters Molding and Casting Hand Book by Thurston James[attachment=0]Prop Masters HB.jpg[/attachment]

This book is $13.95 at Amazon (Book)

[Big Al]

Resins and Epoxies


There are alot of different types of resins and epoxies available for doing this and every supplier has their own. I will cover the two that I have used and if anyone here has other recomendations I would welcome them and fully list them here for reference.


Sig Polyester Glass Resin

Glass Resin
This is a general purpose polyester resin for applying fiberglass cloth or for sealing balsa wood. Glass Resin is a perfect match with Sig Glass Cloth for molding your own cowlings, wheel pants, fuselage shells, boat hulls, and many other items.

[attachment=2]yy1SIGGR001.jpg[/attachment]

I have been useing this resin since I'm 10 for different applications mostly for fiberglass reinforcement over wooden wing joints. I can tell you that I would never use this resin for making a mold or a molded part.

Some of the Sig drawbacks I dont like about this resin,

It Stinks! It has that Polyester smell and it never goes away! If you made a helmet with it , all you would smell is polyester resin.

It Shrinks! I found with time it contracts and shrinks.

It's hard to sand and shape! It's very hard to sand and shape unless you mix it with a very high ratio of microbaloon filler.

So I wouldn't recomend it for this application.

Sig Finishing Resin

Finishing Resin
A brush-on surfacing resin for sealing balsa and creating a glass-smooth durable base for epoxy or enamel paint.
It has a thinner viscosity than regular Sig Glass Resin for maximum penetration into the wood.

I have used this resin quite a bit and I would not recomend it for part making although I would use it to seal certain parts Like when working on a master plug.

[attachment=1]yy1SIGFR001.jpg[/attachment]

Both of these Resins use a catylist

Sig Resin Hardner

The catalyst for Sig Polyester Glass Resin and Finishing Resin. These resins will not cure unless Resin Hardner is added! Follow mixing directions on resin can.

[attachment=0]yy1SIGGC001.jpg[/attachment]

[Big Al]

Resin and Epoxies Cont.


I found this on the Fibre Glast site and it is a good explination of different Fiberglassing resins.


Choosing the Right Resin
by daldrich@fibreglast.com

Resin selection is based on fabric compatibility, service conditions, and the desired characteristics of the finished part. There are three common types of thermosetting resin to choose from: epoxy, vinyl ester and polyester.

Moldmaking, molding and laminating operations can be performed with any system. Epoxy is the higher performance and higher priced system. It is used in weight critical, high strength, and dimensionally accurate applications. Vinyl Ester resin offers corrosion resistance, heat resistance and is blended for toughness. Polyester resins are less expensive, offer some corrosion resistance, and are more forgiving than epoxies. For this reason, they are the most widely used.


System 2000 Epoxy Resin

Uses:
Structural application,
High-strength projects,
Adhesion to metal.

Pros:
- High strength properties
- Superior to other room-temperature epoxies
- Maximizes the physical properties of carbon fiber, Kevlar

[Big Al]

West Systems Fillers



403 Microfibers

403 Microfibers, a fine fiber blend, is used as a thickening additive with resin/hardener to create a multi-purpose adhesive, especially for bonding wood. Epoxy thickened with microfibers has good gap-filling qualities while retaining excellent wetting/penetrating capability.

Color: off-white.

[attachment=5]403fillers.jpg[/attachment]



404 High-Density Filler

404 High-Density filler is a thickening additive developed for maximum physical properties in hardware bonding where high-cyclic loads are anticipated. It can also be used for filleting and gap filling where maximum strength is necessary.

Color: off-white.

[attachment=4]404system.jpg[/attachment]



405 Filleting Blend

This strong, wood-toned filler is good for use in glue joints and fillets on naturally finished wood. It mixes easily with epoxy and lets you create fillets that are smooth and require little sanding. Its color is a consistent brown, so 405 can be used to modify the shade of other WEST SYSTEM fillers.

[attachment=3]405-single.jpg[/attachment]



406 Colloidal Silica

406 Colloidal Silica is a thickening additive used to control the viscosity of the epoxy and prevent epoxy runoff in vertical and overhead joints. 406 is a very strong filler that creates a smooth mixture, ideal for general bonding and filleting. It is also our most versatile filler. Often used in combination with other fillers, it can be used to improve strength, abrasion resistance, and consistency of fairing compounds, resulting in a tougher, smoother surface.

Color: off-white.

[attachment=2]D-406-Filler.jpg[/attachment]



407 Low-Density Filler

407 Low-Density filler is a blended microballoon-based filler used to make fairing putties that are easy to sand or carve. Reasonably strong on a strength-to-weight basis. Cures to a dark red/brown color.

[attachment=1]D-407-Filler.jpg[/attachment]



410 Microlight

[Big Al]

West Systems Additives


Additives for special coating properties

Additives are blended with mixed epoxy to alter the physical properties of epoxy when used as a coating. Additives can be used to alter the color, abrasion resistance or moisture resistance of cured epoxy


Coloring epoxy

For colors other than white or gray, powdered pigments (tempera paint, colored tile grout, aniline dyes) and universal tinting pigment can be added to the epoxy mixture. Acrylic paste pigments (available from marine chandleries) are also used to tint the mixture, as long as they are specified for use with polyester or epoxy resin. 423 Graphite Powder will color the epoxy black or impart darker shades to colors.

Generally, coloring agents can be added to the mixed epoxy up to 5% by volume with minimal effect on the cured epoxy's strength. Always make test samples to check for desired color and opaqueness and for proper cure. None of these coloring additives provide UV resistance to the cured epoxy, so limit their use to areas not exposed to sunlight unless additional UV protection is applied.


420 Aluminium Powder

Abrasion Resistance

[Big Al]

West Systems Misc. Accessories


Surface Prep

A two-step treatment for preparation of aluminum surfaces for bonding with epoxy. Our research shows adhesion to aluminum is significantly improved with this process. Also improves paint adhesion.
860-8 two

[Big Al]

Misc. Chemicals

Just a couple of Chems I didn't mention but you will need for making Fiberglass Molds


Black Tooling Gel Coat

Extend the Durability of Molds. Tooling Gel Coat is an abrasion resistant gel coat for making molds where gloss retention, superior hardness, exceptional craze resistance and minimum distortion are paramount. The life of a good polyester mold may be extended considerably by the use of tooling gel coat. For best results, build the film thickness to 20 -25 mils. #1040 Hi-Gloss Additive can be added to further upgrade the gloss. Formulated for 1.5% - 2.5% MEKP.

[attachment=1]186 Tooling Gel Coat.jpg[/attachment]


188 Orange Tooling Gel Coat

[attachment=0]188 Tooling Gel Coat.jpg[/attachment]

This is very important when making your mold as it makes a very hard very glossy surface in your mold.

[groupleaderzeta]

I vary strongly recommend Fiberglast and their products. I have been using them for years. If you have questions their tech engineers are vary helpful.

[Big Al]

I vary strongly recommend Fiberglast and their products. I have been using them for years. If you have questions their tech engineers are vary helpful.

Thanks Zeta for the Recommendation Reinforment!...I personly have never used the Fibre Glast products but I have friends that use it and the same from them, Very good product, Very helpful staff, That's why I fetured their products here.

[Skullbeast]

Trick or tip:
Spray Lysol in the curing helmet after it's set but still "green" and the smell will be dramatically reduced.


---
- Die human!

[Big Al]

Trick or tip:
Spray Lysol in the curing helmet after it's set but still "green" and the smell will be dramatically reduced.


---
- Die human!

Thanks for the tip skullbeast!

Are you refering to the stinky polyester resin?????

And since I got you here, If you were going to make a fiberglass hard mold like what I'm about to get into here, would you use the polyester or the epoxy resin?

We have made hard molds for airplanes and used the west systems epoxy and it seems to work great..

What would you recommend and why??

[Skullbeast]

Depends on the budget and the required # of castings. Best case epoxy hardmold for making soft parts. Or polyester and silicone for hard parts. And yes


---
- Die human!

[Big Al]

Depends on the budget and the required # of castings. Best case epoxy hardmold for making soft parts. Or polyester and silicone for hard parts. And yes


---
- Die human!

Excelent! Thank you for your imput

What would be concidered a "SOFT PART" or a "HARD PART" ?

[Skullbeast]

Foam rubber like an arm or silicone skin, or casting resin and fiber glass helmets


---
- Die human!

[groupleaderzeta]

If you drop it and it bounces, its soft. if you drop it and it leaves a hole or explodes in millions of pieces, then it hard.