Gelcoat not fully hardened


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LaxFriedrichs
LaxFriedrichs
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I started a second mould (Unimould system) a few days ago, and the gelcoat is not hardening as it did the first time.

The second coat's surface area seems to be 95+% hardened, however there are little patches where it hasn't. In these places the gelcoat is no longer a shiny 'gooey' fluid, it's matte and some what pliable.  

Is there any way of recovering this?

Tomorrow is going to peak at 27 Deg C, could I put it in the sun and use the exotherm of the coupling coat and tooling resin coat to harden it?
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LaxFriedrichs
LaxFriedrichs
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Thanks Matt - I'll give it a go! For completeness, I'll post some photos tomorrow.

Out of interest, does the gelcoat's effectiveness decay over time or with time after the lid seal is removed. 

My project required two moulds, using half of the unimould kit on each mould, and the first mould was made about a month ago. 
carboncactus
carboncactus
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Is the rubberiness around the edges? It tends to be as this is where oxygen can get to it, from the sides.

Also, is the rubberiness in concave areas? Styrene is heavier than ambient air and will pool in concave areas. Turn the mould upside down for a couple of hours to drain it.

After that I would just carry on and laminate.

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Uploads/Images/db628ad5-e0e7-47b9-873a-3d84.png
Edited 11 Years Ago by carboncactus
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