By arjon - 3/5/2018 1:51:16 PM
I was hoping to get a recommendation on the type of plastic to use as a mould/ baseboard.
I'm making a few large panels (about 1700 x 600) via resin infusion. The panels are mostly flat with a few features, e.g. one has small fold along the middle and curve near the edge, one panel needs a gentle dome in the centre. I need a baseboard plastic that:
- is heat formable, ideally with a heat gun
- leaves a great surface finish
- is easy to release, and
- inexpensive
Was thinking maybe 3mm polypropylene glued to some 12mm MDF to give it some dimensional stability and ensure it stays flat under vacuum. There are so many types of plastic I'm sure some are more suited to the task than others.
Will I still need to wax and/or use a release agent?
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By arjon - 3/18/2018 12:43:15 AM
Thanks people.
I've tried the polypropylene and so far so good:
- 3mm sheet. Hit one side with some 80 grit paper to key it to allow me to contact cement it to some 12mm chipboard to give it dimensional stability.
- epoxy resin infusion method
- left a beautiful glass-smooth finish.
- I did not use any release agent or wax and it released perfectly and left no residue on the polypropylene (but this was just a small, flat test piece. Will wax for a larger more complex shapes.)
I haven't tried thermo-forming it yet but will report back on how that went.
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