First plug. 4th attempt. Need mold help please.

[fg1]

Skip the silicone! Clean it all off and start over with a mold release wax or PVA, but not both. Why 2 coats of tooling gel? One should be enough, you should have 24 mils, cured - that's about the thickness of 2 business cards. But if you have to have 2 coats, wait 5 hours between coats. And be absolutely certain you're using unwaxed gel coat. You shouldn't be having so much trouble.

[gofastsandman]

Skip the silicone! Clean it all off and start over with a mold release wax or PVA, but not both. Why 2 coats of tooling gel? One should be enough, you should have 24 mils, cured - that's about the thickness of 2 business cards. But if you have to have 2 coats, wait 5 hours between coats. And be absolutely certain you're using unwaxed gel coat. You shouldn't be having so much trouble.

So true.
Thanks Dan. I had to break the mold all the way down.
I used unwaxed gel coat. Here`s where I am now...again.





I put the pieces together with 2 part epoxy after scuffing w 60 grit and wiping w acetone. I then faired with patching plaster, not joint compound which has a lot of vinyl in it.

I then painted it with the primer and clear. Wet sanded and buffed w/ perfect it. Clean w/ alcohol, washed w/ soap, then the silicone, gel, and the dreaded second coat of gel. There were areas on the granite which had only one coat of gel and it fell right off. Not so much on the rest. I brushed the gel on and it`s a challenge to get even thickness with no low spots. The boat builder said go w/ 2 and make the second coat hot. I think it would have been fine, IF I had let it gas out properly on the first coat.

I want to get back after it ,but now it`s too cool.

Still %#$@&,
GFS


Sam,
Need more cheerful pics please.

I know the plaster and paint sounds weird, but it worked well.

[fg1]

With the depressions in your part and the high shrinkage of curing polyesters, I think the silicone is too slippery. Even if the first coat of gel is cured enough, the second coat may pull the first coat up when it shrinks (alligatorring). And your part will likely pre-release, leaving voids. Do yourself a big favor and use a normal mold release wax. Any possibility of spraying the gel coat? When you brush gel over some release agents, they can "drag" the release agent into the gel coat, causing trouble later.

[gofastsandman]

With the depressions in your part and the high shrinkage of curing polyesters, I think the silicone is too slippery. Even if the first coat of gel is cured enough, the second coat may pull the first coat up when it shrinks (alligatorring). And your part will likely pre-release, leaving voids. Do yourself a big favor and use a normal mold release wax. Any possibility of spraying the gel coat? When you brush gel over some release agents, they can "drag" the release agent into the gel coat, causing trouble later.

I wondered about pulling with a brush. After your first post, I was going with wax, but I appreciate the extra push. My forehead is flat enough right now. Would you like to shoot it on a Friday so I can watch. Your work on the 21 was restaurant quality!

Thanks all!
GFS
655-5080