Posted By: 340B5
Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 02:05 PM
When making fiberglass parts; What should be used to help release the glass from the mold?
Making Fiberglass Parts
Posted By: dynamite
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 02:15 PM
It's called mold release wax...many many coats..and there is another water soluble liquid that you spray on the mold first ,then when the glass is cured it can be washed away and separated. It's almost like a spray wax..,,,and I forgot what it's called...but a site on the web I found while looking where to buy larger amounts of fiberglass had it..
Posted By: dynamite
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 02:19 PM
Go to a site called Fiber glass warehouse...then click on mold release..there it is
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 02:23 PM
There are a few releasing agents you can buy... I
made the hood on my car(no products made for a P body
so I made a fiberglass hood first, then made a carbon
fiber one thats on the car now
made the hood on my car(no products made for a P body
so I made a fiberglass hood first, then made a carbon
fiber one thats on the car now
Posted By: 340B5
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 03:04 PM
After doing a search, it looks like I could just buy a good carnuba wax and wax the mold heavily?
How do you work w/ carbon fiber to get bends if you buy a flat sheet?
How do you work w/ carbon fiber to get bends if you buy a flat sheet?
Posted By: jcc
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 03:11 PM
Not as a professional fiberglassed part maker, but one who has fiberglassed for 40? years, wax is my least favorite release agent. Sprayed on water soluble "PVA" is my favorite. Rebuilding a mold because of insufficient release will make one hang out in the "cuss" thread. 
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 03:32 PM
Quote:
After doing a search, it looks like I could just buy a good carnuba wax and wax the mold heavily?
How do you work w/ carbon fiber to get bends if you buy a flat sheet?
Carbon fiber looks just like fiberglass.. its a soft
material that comes in rolls but black... it uses a
resin like fiberglass but you put it in a special
baggy and apply a vacuum to it to get all of the excess
resin out of it
Posted By: 340B5
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 04:33 PM
Ok, so then the thin flat sheets of carbon fiber are easily workable to make a front air dam or spoiler?
Jcc; point taken on the wax.
Jcc; point taken on the wax.
Posted By: dustaboy74
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 05:00 PM
Mcguires makes a really good mold release wax that I have used. Also check out Soller Composites as they carry a range of material. The hardest part is the mold that you make as that requires the most time to make sure it is what you want and is set correctly to release the product out of it. I have used hairspray on top of the wax as a release agent as well but you have to use the cheap stuff that doesn't have a certain chemical in it. I forgot what it was maybe someone else knows.
Posted By: astjp2
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 06:12 PM
The mold needs draft and draw, the angles of the part must allow it to release. I have the equipment to bag parts, it is not always necessary, the thing it does do is remove the excess resin and thus reduce the weight without reducing strength. Another factor on composites, 100% of the load/stresses goes through the stiffest fiber (carbon) until it fails, then it transfers the load to the glass if you are using a multi fiber composite structure..... The grain direction of a unidirectional is critical, 4* off of the direction of the grain can lose up to 99% of the stiffness in that direction 
. Tim
. Tim
Posted By: jcc
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 06:43 PM
Quote:
The mold needs draft and draw, the angles of the part must allow it to release. I have the equipment to bag parts, it is not always necessary, the thing it does do is remove the excess resin and thus reduce the weight without reducing strength. Another factor on composites, 100% of the load/stresses goes through the stiffest fiber (carbon) until it fails, then it transfers the load to the glass if you are using a multi fiber composite structure..... The grain direction of a unidirectional is critical, 4* off of the direction of the grain can lose up to 99% of the stiffness in that direction
That 4Deg comment is surprising, and why bother with fiberglass when using CF, unless its Kevlar or nomex? i also would make sure everyone understands the resin/glue adds almost no strength to the the item, mainly adds weight, its all about the fiber, but it must be held in place by the resin.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Making Fiberglass Parts - 03/29/13 06:57 PM
Quote:
After doing a search, it looks like I could just buy a good carnuba wax and wax the mold heavily?
How do you work w/ carbon fiber to get bends if you buy a flat sheet?
Is that what your trying to make... the pre made flat
sheets arent what you want... they will always be
flat unless you bend it(but it will go back to flat
as soon as you take off what is making it hold the shape)..
your better off using the raw cloth and using a mold...
the mold is the hardest part to make unless you have
a part to mold off of