Hull-making, resin and fiber..

[Robse]

Hi guys. :-)
I have almost completed the plug for a mold for my 1:220 scale model of Emma Maersk. Now (Well, real soon) I need to put wax (?) on the plug, and then cover it in a thick layer of glassfiber. This way I should get an inverted version of the hull; a mold. In this, I can make hull after hull. (I hope)

However.. Do I just apply mold-wax (Seen in shop selling different things for boat repair) to my hull (or call it 'plug') and then put layer after layer of resin and cloth on top of that? I need to be "pretty sure" that the two parts do come apart once the resin cures.. :-O Any tips, idears or warnings? Anything welcome..

Thank you in advance, guys. :-)

[jerryj98501]

Robse. Go to the http://www.fiberlay.com/ site and they have the tutorial for mold making and materials to use. It is a great help and will take you through the whole process. Jerry J.

[AndyKunz]

After you wax (and polish, and wax, and polish) the plug (what you made), you apply PVA (polyvinyl acetate - aka "white glue") BEFORE you apply resin and fiber to make the mold.

A little googling will provide you with many references, likely even quite a few in your native tongue.

Andy

[der kapitan]

Robse, If you work carefully and follow instructions, you can make a mold with very little trouble. :)

First, apply several coats of wax to your master, polishing between coats. ;)

Next, mount the master to a sheet of plywood, or sheets, if there are several decks. ;)

Once mounted, spray on several coats of PVA (polyvinyl acetate, (also known as polyvinyl alcohol) allowing to dry between coats. A hair dryer or heat gun helps in accelerating the drying. ;)

Apply the gelcoat or tooling resin, whichever you're using, and allow to cure. Allow the gelcoat to overlap onto the mounting base. This will form a flange to reinforce the edge of the mold. I always put on two coats. ;)

Once this has cured, you are ready to begin building up the layers of fiberglass to make the mold. I prefer using mat rather than cloth, as it conforms to the surface better. :)

Attached are some umages of the process. :D

(for some reason these did not come up in order)

[pompebled]

(for some reason these did not come up in order)

When managing the attachments, you can give the pictures numbers in order to make them appear in the order you want.

Nice molds BTW!

Regards, Jan.

[der kapitan]

When managing the attachments, you can give the pictures numbers in order to make them appear in the order you want.
Nice molds BTW!
Regards, Jan.
Jan, I did number them, and added annotations to each image, but all this disappeared in the process of getting them up on the screen. :confused:

Perhaps electronic gremlins? :o

[graphixman]

Trust Der Kapitan on fiberglass molds, and hulls. I have one, and seen many others. They are first rate and he knows what he is doing. :)

Cheers

p.s. Kapitan, what is the hull you have the photos of just a couple posts ago? I like her lines.

[Aerominded]

...They are first rate and he knows what he is doing. :)




Having a few of his hulls, I agree completely!!! :)

[der kapitan]

Kapitan, what is the hull you have the photos of just a couple posts ago? I like her lines.
Graphixman, that is a 110' WWII subchaser, for which you can find the details listed on my website. ;)

[der kapitan]

Having a few of his hulls, I agree completely!!! :)
Aw shucks, Aero---. :o

Flattery will get you everywhere---. :D

[Robse]

Hi guys :-)
Thanks for all your replys :-)

One question though: Do you guys use epoxy or the smelly stuff.. polyester?
I plan to use epoxy (West systems) cause I know this from building my sub. (One-off, no mold.)

Sincerely,
Robert.
www.robse.dk

[pompebled]

Epoxy.

Regards, Jan.

[der kapitan]

Robse, I use polyester rather than epoxy, as it's less costly, and for commercial work, one must stay within a budget. Also, from my experience, polyester cures faster. ;)

A well-ventilated workshop is a must, however---. :eek:

[pops52]

Excellent site Robse! Just spent the better part of an hour enjoying your Ohio.

[Robse]

Thanks, Pops. :-) Please notice, that the site will be updated shortly, as I'm currently rebuilding the inside modules to be quite simpler. :-)

-and yes, polyester DOES smell a lot, but isn't it havier too?

Sincerely, Robert :-)

Submarine freak that went topside...