|
|
|
Channels:
|
Search for:
|
Author: Steve_Miller, Contributing Editor
| Now, I attach the shims to the rubber with toothpicks to hold them in place, and start liberally applying rubber, enriched with cabosil. Only apply this rubber to one side of the shim at this time. When the rubber has set you can apply some release agent to the bare side, and apply rubber over this.
In this image the shim on the left side of the mold is already in place (note the tooth picks for the initial placement) and I am applying the shim on the right. These shims will become incorporated into the rubber mold. After the mold is complete, these shim lines will serve as the dividing line. There will only be a thin skin you will have to cut through to reach the original. Yet there is a significant layer to nest up together to keep the mold oriented. As you can see the the rubber with the cabosil really increased the thickeness. |  |
 | I let the rubber setup and place some square pieces of rubber (from the earlier pour with the shims) to create "keys" for the mold to fit in the mother mold.
I attach these with a little bit of the same rubber. |
| Next, I build a fence (or a ledge) around the piece with clay and spray the entire thing with release agent, in preperation for a fiberglass mother mold.
This fence of clay is so you can work the fiberglass over the mold and actually create an edge around the rubber. You will only use this clay for this side. After the fiberglass has set up you will take this clay off before proceeding to the next side. |  |
| After the the solvent has time to evaporate, I start laying the fiberglass for the mother mold. I brush a little resin on the piece and then place pieces of fiberglass mat on this and apply more resin. I usually apply two coats of mat to build up the mother mold to the desired thickness. after this has set up, I turn the piece over, remove the clay fence and coat the underside of the fiberglass edge that was created, liberally with vaseline. This will allow the next application of fiberglass not to adhere to the first one. I have tried to just spray this with regular release agent before but it is harder to seperate than with the vaseline coat.
The below left image shows the first side of the mother mold set up and the clay fence removed. The photo below right shows the piece turned over and ready to layup the fiberglass on the remaining side. In this image you can see the keys that were applied and the edge created by the first side of the mother mold. |
 |  |
| Quick Jump: | ||||
 |
||
|
||
Copyright © 1998-2009, F+W Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. FA |
||
