Release agent woes - unimould resin infusion

Author	Message
moonpie	moonpie posted 6 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 34, Visits: 94	Having made about 8 medium sized carbon fibre parts now, I am less sure of release agent approach than when I started. I spent a year of part time plug making to build my most recent plug, coated it with 5 coats of easy-lease and on demoulding it destroyed the plug and severely damaged the mould. I have had one successful easy separation from a mould on the smallest of my parts and that was using meguiars wax x 10 coats. Easy-lease just doesn't ever seem to work for me and when I've asked about problems with it I'm told it's got a shelf life (of what I don't know) and even in a sealed tin it goes off - bad news given the price it is and the lack of confidence that induces when using it! What combinations/approaches can I use to get the best release when resin infusing using the uni-mould system and epoxy? Can I lay down some P120 sealer on the moul sand then add easy-lease on top or even PVA? If I look at Meguiars gold, PVA, P120 and easy-lease, what combinations give the best part release based on your experiences please? Grateful for any advice as this is a complex mould and I can't afford the time to go back to the start...
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f1rob	f1rob posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 237, Visits: 4.8K	+x moonpie - 9/26/2019 4:35:37 PM Having made about 8 medium sized carbon fibre parts now, I am less sure of release agent approach than when I started. I spent a year of part time plug making to build my most recent plug, coated it with 5 coats of easy-lease and on demoulding it destroyed the plug and severely damaged the mould. I have had one successful easy separation from a mould on the smallest of my parts and that was using meguiars wax x 10 coats. Easy-lease just doesn't ever seem to work for me and when I've asked about problems with it I'm told it's got a shelf life (of what I don't know) and even in a sealed tin it goes off - bad news given the price it is and the lack of confidence that induces when using it! What combinations/approaches can I use to get the best release when resin infusing using the uni-mould system and epoxy? Can I lay down some P120 sealer on the moul sand then add easy-lease on top or even PVA? If I look at Meguiars gold, PVA, P120 and easy-lease, what combinations give the best part release based on your experiences please? Grateful for any advice as this is a complex mould and I can't afford the time to go back to the start... Depends what your pattern is made from and is it porous Even tooling block has to be sealed, either painted or even better 2002 sealer Then released If it inst sealed use wax release
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Hanaldo	Hanaldo posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 28K	Yeh, need more information on your plug and mould materials. LOADS of combinations that just aren't compatible together. Easylease and other chemical release agents do have an official shelf life, but that won't be the problem. I've got about 6L of various chemical release agents here in my shop, I think only 2 of them are still within shelf life. The oldest 'expired' in 2009. All of them still work like the day I got them. When they actually expire it is obvious - they go somewhat cloudy.
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Fasta	Fasta posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 468, Visits: 3.5K	I think that when things really stick/bond like this that it is likely an undercured material on your pattern. Also if the unimold gelcoat is a vinylester resin?? then these are also more aggressive than polyester resin gelcoats so your materials on the pattern need to be suitable and fully cured. I have thrown a small boat hull in the bin due to a vinylester stickup. Best for patterns is a polyester based coating as they cure better than faster than epoxy. Then use the semi permenant release agents including sealer and release, plus a few wax coats too. No PVA needed. http://www.rexco-usa.com/why-molds-stick/ Fastacraft Facebook page
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f1rob	f1rob posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 237, Visits: 4.8K	The only people who say chemical release has a shelf life are the people selling it ! Using stuff from caterham f1 expiry date 2011 Works perfect
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moonpie	moonpie posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 34, Visits: 94	+xi H Fasta - 9/27/2019 5:42:13 AM I think that when things really stick/bond like this that it is likely an undercured material on your pattern. Also if the unimold gelcoat is a vinylester resin?? then these are also more aggressive than polyester resin gelcoats so your materials on the pattern need to be suitable and fully cured. I have thrown a small boat hull in the bin due to a vinylester stickup. Best for patterns is a polyester based coating as they cure better than faster than epoxy. Then use the semi permenant release agents including sealer and release, plus a few wax coats too. No PVA needed. http://www.rexco-usa.com/why-molds-stick/ Thanks for the link Fasta that is really good reading. When this net mould is finished I'll pull two glass rough versions out first and then look to go for the third one in carbon. Makes a lot of sense to me especially as a friend has made 3 things in the same mould recently and the third virtually dropped straight out. Thanks everyone for the advice. F1Rob - I hear you - my experience exactly...
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f1rob	f1rob posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 237, Visits: 4.8K	+x moonpie - 9/28/2019 3:31:28 PM +xi H Fasta - 9/27/2019 5:42:13 AM I think that when things really stick/bond like this that it is likely an undercured material on your pattern. Also if the unimold gelcoat is a vinylester resin?? then these are also more aggressive than polyester resin gelcoats so your materials on the pattern need to be suitable and fully cured. I have thrown a small boat hull in the bin due to a vinylester stickup. Best for patterns is a polyester based coating as they cure better than faster than epoxy. Then use the semi permenant release agents including sealer and release, plus a few wax coats too. No PVA needed. http://www.rexco-usa.com/why-molds-stick/ Thanks for the link Fasta that is really good reading. When this net mould is finished I'll pull two glass rough versions out first and then look to go for the third one in carbon. Makes a lot of sense to me especially as a friend has made 3 things in the same mould recently and the third virtually dropped straight out. Thanks everyone for the advice. F1Rob - I hear you - my experience exactly... This is the best stuff on the market Works 110% Apply it properly and you will have a mirror Finnish as smooth an hard as anything Even pre preg tooling which has 55deg an 90psi cure wont mark it Once this has sealed your pattern or mould any release will work perfectly on it 1st time
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scottracing	scottracing posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 460, Visits: 5.2K	I totally agree with Rob, we moved from Frekote to Chemtrend then after lots of my mates saying they only use marbocote we used that and I wont use anything else now!
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moonpie	moonpie posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 34, Visits: 94	+x scottracing - 9/30/2019 8:45:01 AM I totally agree with Rob, we moved from Frekote to Chemtrend then after lots of my mates saying they only use marbocote we used that and I wont use anything else now! Do you have a good source for it Rob - ironically the manufacturers are only up the road from me but I can't find a supplier anywhere near...?
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scottracing	scottracing posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 460, Visits: 5.2K	+x moonpie - 9/30/2019 9:05:01 AM +x scottracing - 9/30/2019 8:45:01 AM I totally agree with Rob, we moved from Frekote to Chemtrend then after lots of my mates saying they only use marbocote we used that and I wont use anything else now! Do you have a good source for it Rob - ironically the manufacturers are only up the road from me but I can't find a supplier anywhere near...? ami-con sell it but they have a minimum order quantity of 5 litres. I think EC fibreglass sell marbocoate but the HP2002 and HP7 arent on there sales list.
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