Help! looking to try my hand at making fiberglass shells

OdysseySlipways · Post by **OdysseySlipways** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:50 pm

yup, I need help and Lucy can't help me here.

I'm looking to find good help for everything relating to making fiberglass shells.

anyone who actually does this kind of work and can help talk me through this kind of work could be my new friend

I'm looking to use rubber molds, so i have that area covered faily well (if i don't by now, i do have problems).

the needed larger masters will be produced by Bill (has a wood shop out back of here - up the road going over the hill through the woods to Bill shop we go...).

now for the areas i don't know anything about............

prepping the mold with mold release - i know there is a few different kinds that can be used prior to the gell coat, but don't I know anything, so anything here will be new to me.

I know at this time i won't be spraying the mold with the prep (unless it comes in a spray can ready to use now) so i'm guessing it'll have to be a brush-on type.

so who sells what? how hard it it to use and what is required for cleaned-up?

I'll be calling Smooth-On this coming week for supplies, so i'll ask their tech dept. if they can help me out in any way.

Gell coat - I know nothing about this stuff either. again as like the mold release, i won't be spraying it (unless it now comes in a spray can) so i guess ill be using a brush with this stuff as well.

so who sells what? how hard it it to use and what is required for cleaned-up?

again, I'll be calling Smooth-On this coming week for supplies, so i'll ask their tech dept. if they can help me out in any way.

epoxy/resin - i don't recall what one is the better of the two so i need help here as well. I know one is better all the way around but don't recall what one (epoxy or resin).

I am not sure where to get it from either. i know it'll have to be shipped to me.

so again, who sells what? how hard it it to use and what is required for cleaned-up?

also, does one bond better to itself than th eother as i plan on using at least 4 layers or so of glass.

no, this isn't going to be for anything sci-fi (at this time), but if i can manage with my new endeavor and find it's not that bad to do myself, i am looking at a couple of sci-fi projects later on.

and if you really must know, i'm looking to get into 1:6 and some 1:4 scale Tank hulls.

so i guess i can also post this as well:

anyone knowing where i can find good tank plans that include technical spec's - i'm interested, and also if your near a real tank museum/vfw/park that wouldn't mind helping with pictures and possibly pulling some measurements of parts, nothings better than getting info from the real thing

this does not mean i am thinking or planning of getting out of the sci-fi stuff. not by any means, i'm just getting to the point were i want to get my fingers into another part of the hobby field.

I am currenly planning about 15-20+ tank hulls. at this time i am not planing to make parts for them as i am finding on the military boards i am currently viewing the builders either like to scratch build their own stuff, or there are some that offer some of the parts needed (one part i see lacking is in the drive sprockets, road wheels, and idler wheels, all i'm looking into and in metal - not by me)

DennisH · Post by **DennisH** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:03 pm

Chris, poke around this website:
http://www.fibreglast.com/

http://www.fibreglast.com/category/Learning_Center

Joseph Osborn · Post by **Joseph Osborn** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:13 pm

That's a lot of questions!

I can tell you about the mold release: You may not need one. But if you do, use PVA. It's a green liquid that dries to a very thin film and it's best to spray it so that you don't get brush marks. I've sprayed it with an airbrush but I used a big nozzle so that I could cover a lot of area. It dissolves in water so it's really handy. You can also use regular Mann mold release since you are using rubber molds.

Smooth-On sells all the stuff you'll need. You can go cheap and use old-school polyester resin that you can buy at Wal-Mart, but it stinks to high heaven and can be tricky. Epoxy resin is much more friendly. And expensive. Speaking of expense, you will either spend a boatload of money on rubber or learn really quick how to make mother molds with a thin rubber blanket.

OdysseySlipways · Post by **OdysseySlipways** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:03 pm

DennisH - thanks for the links and i'll try to get to look at them here shortly

Joseph Osborn - ya, just a few questions, and never a dumb one (the dumb one is when you never ask it).

I have heard about a green colored release and that it can make for ugly if brushed in thick streaks. but as i don't have spray equipment, brushing will be my only option.

BUT

since i do deal with Smooth-On i will be inquiring this coming week about products and prices. I'll even inquire as to what rubber to use, as i think maybe mold-max 10 might be a bit too soft all the way around as i'm not planing to have any real detail on the hull, so there won't be any kind of under cuts or recesses in the molds.

as to release sprays, it would be nice if they do have something i can use as a release agent that can be washed off with some soapy water.

as to the material to bond the glass fabric together, i'm going to probably look into the epoxy resin as if it doesn't smell (mom will say it does regaurdless and not allow me to use it in the basement durring the winter months) i might be able to do some work with it in the basement (but as the basement is some what cool durring the winter, i might not be able to).

as to the molds for this Hetzer tank, as it has flat sides all the way around, i could probably have the mold form made so it's 3/8 to 1/2" away from the hull. i don't want to go too thin as i need to make sure the rubber will flow down between the hul and form with no problems.

modelnutz · Post by **modelnutz** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:56 am

PM sent

WarpeD · Post by **WarpeD** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 11:08 am

Listen to everything Ed has to say. The 1/72nd scale Typhoon submarine he made for the Pima Air & Space Museum remains one of the coolest large scale models I've seen. The guy knows what he's doing!

modelnutz · Post by **modelnutz** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 1:33 pm

Wow...thanks Steve !

Say, what's the next project ???????

OdysseySlipways · Post by **OdysseySlipways** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:24 pm

got the PM, just haven't had a chance to call (the boiler guy was just here telling us it would be about $7,500 to replace the current system if we wanted to have it done, so i'm loking over the list now of things that still need to be done - tomorrow isn't looking too good either).

BUT i did manage to call Smooth-On and place an order for my regular stuff and then talk to a tech

they told me for rubber i could use:

Mold max 20
or
Mold Star 30

for the glassing they said to use:

Epoxy Lite 100

if i wanted to use a gell coat, they offer:

Epoxy coat - a red base coat

and that he didn't expect that i would need any kind of release agent, but if i were to want to use one to use Universal mold release, but said that to wash it off to use Calgon (sp?) liquid dish washer soap to help break down the silicone in the release spray.

Mr. Ed - i'll see if can can call shortly (depending how soon i get off of here)