Another molding questions

P

Phoenix

Ok here's a couple Qs:

1- How much time I need to wait after the PVA release agent is sprayed , before I paint the part with the gel coat.

2- How much time I wait between the gel coat is applied and the time I start fiberglassing over it (I have heard multiple stories here) to produce a mold.

Thanks
 
Been a long time since I did mold/laminating and I haven't done a lot of it.
The PVA is water base so temperature and humidity will decide that. A thin coat is you need and it dries quick.
I waited untill the gel coat set, it stayed sticky and I used the tack to hold the mats where they needed to be. Then I applied the laminating resin and succeeding layers. The laminating resin hardens but doesn't cure at the surface exposed to air. So if it sets in the process of building layers the next round of resin and matt will bond and that sticky surface under will cure. A coat of PVA over the last layer makes the resin cure to the surface and that washes off easy with water.
I'm no fiberglass expert but got the info from the folks a LBI at the time.
 
I asked the guys that do fiberglass for a living how they deal with the fibers irritating the skin. I know it affects some more than others.
Thier answer was "BABY POWDER"! They said they cake themselves with it because it goes into your skin pores and helps keep the glass fibers out. I tried it and it made a big difference.
 
metalman;18542 said:
I asked the guys that do fiberglass for a living how they deal with the fibers irritating the skin. I know it affects some more than others.
Thier answer was "BABY POWDER"! They said they cake themselves with it because it goes into your skin pores and helps keep the glass fibers out. I tried it and it made a big difference.
Click to expand...

The Union insulators I have worked around always wear long sleeves and always have baby powder with them, they say it makes a big difference .
 
The baby powder tip is a great one!

Metalman is spot on on his advice, you want the gelcoat to be "kicked" but not totally hard, it should still have surface tack. Where I worked the boss had a chop gun that made pretty short work of the glassing process. If you are working by hand you should get out ahead of it and make sure the gelcoat is not too cured, painting all the gelcoat with a thin coat of laminating resin will help ensure adhesion of the areas last to be covered with mat.
 
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