Uploaded August 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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In this easy tutorial I quickly go through the steps of making a mould.
I use a flat board of plexi here but you could use any shape/part to make a mould from!
______________________________________________________________
STEP 1:
Make sure your part is clean, wash it with some degreaser to remove any contamination.
STEP 2:
Wax the part with some mould release, it's a greasy substance that will enable a good removal at the end.
STEP 3:
When the wax is dry (after +/-15min) you polish it with a fresh soft cloth.
---- Repeat step 2 & 3 five times to be sure ----
STEP 4:
Use a soft brush and apply the gelcoat, apply it like you would paint a part, may be a thick layer but not to thick.
-----Let it cure till it gets tacky, tacky is when you put your glove against the surface and there is no print of the finger left on the surface and you'll hear the surface is sticky -----
STEP 5:
Once tacky you prepare a new batch of gelcoat and apply a second coat to be sure the entire is fully coverd
STEP 6:
Once the 2nd layer of gets tacky again, prepare a batch of resin (I've used a tooling resin from Vosschemie) you put a first layer of resin onto the gelcoat an then add some lightweight fiberglass (30gr/m²). this will ensure there is no printthrough of fiberglass in the gelcoat. Then you can use a heavier fiberglass to build up some thickness/stifness/weight.
STEP 7:
Use a light fiberglass again to have a good finish on top without sharp strands of fiberglass with resin.
STEP 8:
Let it cure for several hours: most polyester resins cure after 4hours, but its always better to give it more time and let it cure overnight!
OPTIONAL STEP 9:
-Post-cure your part into an oven, this will give the part better chemical resistance, as well temperature resistance (for prepreg carbon fiber i.e)
-Polish the surface of the gelcoat to get a higher gloss
Materials used:
Maguire Hi-Temp Mouldrelease
Vosschemie Trennspray
Vosschemie Gelcoat (vinylester)
Vosschemie Toolingresin (polyester)
matthieulibeert.webs.com
Twitter: @matthieutje65
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/MAT2-Composites/223877301088916
CLICK "SHOW MORE" TO READ A DETAILED INFORMATION
Like my page on FB: facebook.com/MAT2COMPOSITES
In this easy tutorial I quickly go through the steps of making a mould.
I use a flat board of plexi here but you could use any shape/part to make a mould from!
______________________________________________________________
STEP 1:
Make sure your part is clean, wash it with some degreaser to remove any contamination.
STEP 2:
Wax the part with some mould release, it's a greasy substance that will enable a good removal at the end.
STEP 3:
When the wax is dry (after +/-15min) you polish it with a fresh soft cloth.
---- Repeat step 2 & 3 five times to be sure ----
STEP 4:
Use a soft brush and apply the gelcoat, apply it like you would paint a part, may be a thick layer but not to thick.
-----Let it cure till it gets tacky, tacky is when you put your glove against the surface and there is no print of the finger left on the surface and you'll hear the surface is sticky -----
STEP 5:
Once tacky you prepare a new batch of gelcoat and apply a second coat to be sure the entire is fully coverd
STEP 6:
Once the 2nd layer of gets tacky again, prepare a batch of resin (I've used a tooling resin from Vosschemie) you put a first layer of resin onto the gelcoat an then add some lightweight fiberglass (30gr/m²). this will ensure there is no printthrough of fiberglass in the gelcoat. Then you can use a heavier fiberglass to build up some thickness/stifness/weight.
STEP 7:
Use a light fiberglass again to have a good finish on top without sharp strands of fiberglass with resin.
STEP 8:
Let it cure for several hours: most polyester resins cure after 4hours, but its always better to give it more time and let it cure overnight!
OPTIONAL STEP 9:
-Post-cure your part into an oven, this will give the part better chemical resistance, as well temperature resistance (for prepreg carbon fiber i.e)
-Polish the surface of the gelcoat to get a higher gloss
Materials used:
Maguire Hi-Temp Mouldrelease
Vosschemie Trennspray
Vosschemie Gelcoat (vinylester)
Vosschemie Toolingresin (polyester)
matthieulibeert.webs.com
Twitter: @matthieutje65
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/MAT2-Composites/223877301088916
