Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Newbie Question About Epoxy "Beading" in Mold

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic20855.aspx

By Tango - 3/20/2016 10:05:43 AM

Hi guys, sorry for the Newbie Question,  but this is really giving me some grief.
I made a mould with the Easy Composites mould kit, which came out really well, and I'm using wet lay to make parts from it. I've coated the mould with easylease, but when I put a coating of epoxy into it as a kind of gel coat the epoxy beads like water on a waxed car panel. I've tried using release wax and PVA release agent, but they all do the same thing. I did try a gel coat, which was slightly better as it was a bit thicker, but I had to keep brushing it until it had virtually cured to stop it leaving gaps. The part is going to be used near a motorbike engine, so I was using high temp epoxy, which has a longer cure time, so it's harder to keep brushing it to maintain the even coverage.
So, I'm at a loss to know what I'm doing wrong? The mould was thoroughly cleaned before applying the release agents. The part is cosmetic, so the finish is really important. 
Any ideas please?
Cheers.
By Zebra - 8/5/2016 5:39:40 AM

You could try not adding the clear coat to the mold and spraying it on the part later.