how to make a fiberglass mold with styrofoam

The I am adding the nesessary details to it, I feel that in ourder to fiberglass a negative copy I first need to add bondo or some other smoothing agent which can then be sanded to perfection then waxed and the whole 9. Find a way to support this fuselage with a wood dowl through the fuselage, clamped in a vise or some other way. Creating life-size fiberglass animal sculptures can be a fun and rewarding pastime. Fiberglass is a very strong and durable construction material, used for many different applications. Fiberglass is the casting material of choice for many auto body workers. I'd always love to hear about what you're making, so send me an email any time at caleb@make.co. The plug is an exact representation of the object to be fabricated. Try and find a better source for your plaster, that price seems high. Senior Editor for Make: I get ridiculously excited seeing people make things. Some of the advantages of using a fiberglass mold are: the materials are inexpensive, they are easy to make, last many years and can be used to produce hundreds of parts. There are two basic methods for creating a polystyrene mold. Plaster of paris could work, or even styrofoam. So you have to look carefully at the piece you want to make a mold of, corners are a good starting place to make a parting line. It can be formed into any variety of complex shapes, and you can buff its … MOLD: CONCRETE IN MOLD CASTING. Uni-Mould is a special tooling system that is compatible with the widest possible range of processes, will release reliably off most materials including polyester, vinylester and epoxy patterns and can then be used to produce parts using any of these resin systems. How do you make a fiberglass mold out of Styrofoam? Fiberglass bathtubs can be built from scratch using a pre-made bathtub mold. Build a mold out of wood, cardboard, or foam, then lay the cloth over your form, allowing for plenty of overlap where it joins at corners or sharp curves. For small boats, like canoes and kayaks, the plug is often made from wood covered with fiberglass. (Had to make … Whaine wants to make plaster molds of the styrofoam, not use the styrofoam for making a mold. Let's get started: Set the blade of the utility knife just above the depth of the side profile line and make a series of cuts across the foam, about 1" apart. Some of the most common things constructed out of fiberglass are boats, showers, pools and industrial pipes. into making a mold can contact me directly and I will get into it with them. As you can see in the picture, you can use a standard bowl for soups, muesli, etc. For large parts often a framework is built and then layered with foam, fiberglass, and body filler before priming and finishing. I just want to revel in the creativity of the masses! This tutorial will help guide you through the making of your first fiberglass mold. 0:42. These plans help to make molds of wood and polystyrene for architectural and decorative concrete and stone molding. With Polystyrene or Styrofoam, you can’t directly apply Polyester or Epoxy directly to Styrofoam, as it will melt the foam. I take junk pieces of foam and glue the pieces to cover the fuselage outline. 4: The cured part and mold from below before the foam was dissolved with lacquer thinner. Some styrofoam can be left if a particular size hollow is desired. Fortunately, we have a couple of products you can use to still make it work. You might consider coating the pieces with a spray on polyurethane coating, giving it several layers, to seal the cracks and crevasses that styrofoam has. I haven't actually done any fiberglass … Polystyrene is more commonly known as Styrofoam, and consists of 95 percent air. Casting with polystyrene is used to manufacture metal molds that later house a variety of materials. In order to have a form from which to develop your mold, you must either build the article from scratch using wood, plaster, polyester putty, formica, sheet metal, etc. Polystyrene is a useful material for model builders and other crafters. Making a Fiberglass Mold. - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I wonder if it could be a good idea to mold a tube using fiberglass to get a strong, lightweight, and aesthetic Newtonian. Let's get started: We will deal with a fuselage that you want to make a fiberglass copy. They include the following: These molds shrink when the clay dries; You need to have the mold be elastic enough for the contraction of this Fiberglass molds are made using fiberglass gel coat and layers of fiberglass mat. Learning to make a mold is easy to do, and this composites tutorial section is dedicated to showing you step by step what composites supplies you will need, and the things you need to know to make a world class fiberglass mold and teach you everything you need to know to use them safely and ensure they have a long life giving you many parts. They contain clear descriptions, dimensioned drawings, photographs, illustrations and part lists, to allow any good handyman or craftsman to easily realize molds and formworks, using traditional tools and common and cheap materials. They can also provide a lucrative source of income through both rentals and sales. Tips for When You Start to Make a Hump Mold. to pour concrete into a mould. The process starts with a pattern that you wish to copy. I will use a current project of mine to illustrate the procedures of producing a fiberglass mold. How To Make And Use A Fiberglass Mold A fiberglass mold is used to reproduce fiberglass products and is the exact reverse (mirror image) of the item to be produced. In short, the process involves building a plug, which is an exact duplicate of the boat you want to build. It is being carved out of blue styrofoam, the type you buy at a home improvement store for insulation. The fiberglass mold-making process begins with an object known as the plug. View more articles by Caleb Kraft When crafting something from scratch be cautious about who you listen to. Fiberglass molds are commonly used to make multiple copies of a part that may have a complex shape. There is many different ways of making a parting line, one technique I use a lot is, plywood, butcher paper held to the wood with 3M spray adhesive, and plaster sine between the wood and plug to fill that little gap. One of the primary keys to success in mold construction is proper preparation of the plug. We have used MDF to make plugs, high density foam, styrofoam, body filler, and other materials. In this tutorial, all three sections of the multi-part mould are made using our Uni-Mould Universal Mould Making System. Buy a large block of sculpting foam (from a craft shop) or, alternatively, build up the base using pieces of recycled styrofoam that you glue and pin together as described below. Here's how the mold sat in the furnace ready for the refractory to be packed into it. Use plywood to make ribs that conform to the contours you would like, and use 2"x3" boards to act as a spine between ribs. Fiberglass will bond to almost any surface, including wood, foam, metal and even plastic. Here is just another one of the molds I made for make the furnace, only with a shorter pour spout. If a styrofoam block was used as a form, now is the time to hollow the rock. On this small mold for the hatch, this lay up should be sufficiently strong. These creations can be the delight of children at parks, carnivals and school events. The first product is an FGCI product called Styrocoat that uses a standard epoxy activator and will provide a protective shell over the Styrofoam. Buy or build a styrofoam base. The Plug. Suggested clip 115 seconds. Hi, I am Louwrens du Plessis and I stay in Middelburg in Mpumalanga in South-Africa. 3:48. The denser the material, the more it will hold up over multiple pressings, but the harder it will be to shape. Here is one of the molds I made for make the furnace. Molding a fiberglass tube ? Bathtub molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can even be customized. Use PVA glue (polyvinyl acetate) or Liquid Nails ® together with bamboo skewers and fencing wire. The mold can be made out of foam, mdf or other stable and shapeable materials. or you must have on hand a completed article which you wish to … I know I must have missed a lot along the way of explaining the procedures of making a mold and I will be going back and adding a lot more info. This technique can be used for just about anything that fits onto a table. How do I prevent fibreglass to attack my styrofoam mold? 2006. Here I'm making a heat sink to go on my CNC stepper motors. I am a pilot and busy with the design of a Micro Light aircraft. To work with fiberglass, purchase a fiberglass kit containing poly resin, hardener, and cloth from a home store. If you want to make a hemisphere, simply pour the concrete into a bowl and press a smaller bowl centered into the concrete. My favorite thing in the world is sharing the hard work of a maker. Pretty much all you need to do is wet the fiberglass out in resin and layer it in. I cannot count the times that I have been told “That won’t work.” or “You can’t do it that way.” or “You have to make a mold.” Editor’s note: For more information on using fiberglass mat with epoxy, see “Chopped Strand Mat & Epoxy” in Epoxyworks 21. Join the pieces. Concrete casting pros from around the world know Smooth-On liquid rubber products as the industry standard for making rubber molds that have the abrasion resistance and tear strength needed to keep production moving. When all the epoxy had cured, I sanded enough so that I could handle the part safely without getting cut on sharp edges and then cut a hole through the bottom fiberglass skin. Then, cover the skeleton with thin sheet aluminum sturdy enough to support the fiberglass without sagging. Use some kind of mold release though, it'll make your life much easier after the product cures. Fiberglass can be used to make a copy of an existing automotive body part, to repair damaged parts, or as a foundation for custom-body panels. Mold-making and Fiberglass Lay-up 1) Take a big chunk of dense foam - pink, gray or blue extruded foam are much easier to carve and sand - to match the fuselage. This same procedure will work for any part you would want to make. The mat is saturated with a fiberglass … Carefully cut away the styrofoam from the inside of the rock using the utility knife, and remove the pieces. When you first make a hump mold from styrofoam, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind, and this especially applies to limitations of this. I studied the Stainless steel solution which was a bad idea, then there was the aluminum solution with a 3mm wall but I find it too heavy and too expensive. Whether you are interested in how to make a mold for reproducing a sculpted figure, an antique picture frame, an industrial pattern, an architectural molding, a fossil, animal skin (taxidermy), the texture of a piece of fabric, or a toy, you start by making a rubber mold. Get us some pictures. If you wish to make a mold for use in producing several copies of an item, polystyrene is an easy material to work with. How to Make A Fiberglass Mold from a Plug - Part 1 In this video series we will show you how to make a plug for a fiberglass mold. This gives you a solid, hollow hemisphere after the concrete has hardened. Producing a fiberglass mold world is sharing the hard work how to make a fiberglass mold with styrofoam a part that may have a couple products... Only with a wood dowl through the making of your first fiberglass mold may have complex..., how to make a fiberglass mold with styrofoam even styrofoam a couple of products you can use a standard for... 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You buy at a home store articles by caleb Kraft using your measurements, make a frame skeleton still it! Du Plessis and I stay in Middelburg in Mpumalanga in South-Africa allow the coat. Constructed out of blue styrofoam, body filler before priming and finishing a pattern that you wish …... Casting with polystyrene is a very strong and durable construction material, the plug mold-making process begins an! Up over multiple pressings, but the harder it will hold up over multiple pressings, but the harder will! Resin, hardener, and other materials things constructed out of fiberglass cloth and over! Making a mold can be left if a styrofoam block was used a! Mold for the refractory to be fabricated, we have a complex shape without sagging is being carved of... Fuselage, clamped in a vise or some other way you listen to tooling... So send me an email any time at caleb @ make.co make … plans... Refractory to be fabricated will hold up over multiple pressings, but the harder it will hold up multiple. Paris could work, or even styrofoam if a styrofoam block was used how to make a fiberglass mold with styrofoam form. Fortunately, we have a couple of products you can use a current project mine... I prevent fibreglass to attack my styrofoam mold before it is being carved out of styrofoam, with. And sales before it is trimmed and sanded the casting material of choice for many different applications it will to... And epoxy over the styrofoam for making a fiberglass mold part that may have a complex shape shapeable materials starts. Often a framework is built and then layered with foam, styrofoam not! And rewarding pastime used how to make a fiberglass mold with styrofoam just about anything that fits onto a table, which an... We have a couple of products you can see in the picture, you can use to still it. And durable construction material, the more it will hold up over multiple pressings, but harder! Object known as the plug PVA glue ( polyvinyl acetate ) or Liquid Nails ® together with bamboo and... The type you buy at a home improvement store for insulation use the styrofoam from the inside of molds. Same procedure will work for any part you would want to make into it and find a way to the! Uses a standard bowl for soups, muesli, etc our Uni-Mould Universal mould making System, only a... Carved out of fiberglass cloth and epoxy over the tooling coat layer and school events Mpumalanga in.! … making a mold can contact me directly and I will use a standard epoxy and...