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Im ttying to make a fiberglass console....its pretty much done but the problem is that I cant get the mold off of the original part that I made the mold from. What should I do? What should I do in the future so that the glass mat doesnt stick to the surface?
Posts: 8 | From: DE | Registered: Sep 2003
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How did you prep the original part before you laid fiberglass over it? Did you wrap tape around it? Wax it? Use Pam spray or Crisco or vaseline? Did you use any mold release, like PVA?
These are all things that will help make releasing molds much easier.
depending on the size of the part, you can use a rubber mallot and smack the snot out of it on the back of the mold. The flexing and vibration helps to separate the mold from the part. If it's something you can twist, kinda like how you break ice cubes free from the tray (before there were ice makers in fridges hehe), that can help as well.
You can also try jamming a wood or plastic wedge between the mold and plastic part, then work it all around the edge and as deep as you can get it.
If you have an air compressor with a blow gun/blow nozzle, sometimes seperating an edge then forcing air into that space will pop the mold free.
What happens when you mold something like this is there's usually a static charge formed between the mold and part, there's also a vacuum formed (air is forced out while laying up) so these two things can make it hard to release parts, aside from the shape and surface area of the part.
-------------------- Mike Pipes "High on resin and high on life" Posts: 431 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ | Registered: Jun 2000
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Thanx for the help! I got it out alright by using a piece of wood like you said. I wrapped the piece I molded it from in tape and I guess there was a vacuum created. Thanx!
Posts: 8 | From: DE | Registered: Sep 2003
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The tape sticks the the fiberglass pretty good if you don't use some sort of release agent on top of it. This means that the fiberglass is now taped down. So you have to pull it up, working against the tackyness of the tape. Usually you want to work from one corner, slowly lifting it up. Then hit other corners, until there is very little holding it in the middle. Then it will finally release. As long as you layed down a couple layers of glass, it should stay rigid and keep it's form.
In other words, been there; done that.
-------------------- There is a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.
Sony ES CDXC-910 -- Sony XDP-4000X -- Adire Audio Koda components -- Adire Audio Brahma 10"-- Arc 1500dr -- Soundstream Reference 300 Posts: 191 | From: Lynnwood Washington | Registered: Jun 2002
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