Z Frame Bike: Video 6 of 13- Building the Female Molds

[HAMMERxHCA]

Another trick to laying up corners in molds (where the cotton flox was brittle) is to buy some thick woven roving, remove some individual strands, and then lay those down first into all the corners/straight edges after wetting-out. The csm will lay over the roving holding it in between the gelcoat and csm. If a mold edge ever had the gelcoat chip or get hit, it would provide strength and "material" backing, where as csm could lift and leave hollow spots behind those corners. A+ vids, favorited!

[TheProjectJunkie1]

@HAMMERxHCA

I've got some woven roving so I'll have to try that on the next mold I do. Thanks for the advice.

[HAMMERxHCA]

@TheProjectJunkie1 No problem man! I cant believe how cool your projects are. You are very brave too for jumping in to them so extensively and finishing them with such cool results. Really are a Project Junkie LOL.

Oh, and there is a YouTuber whith a fiberglass channel that makes the best fiberglass tutorials, check him out @ GasserGlass on YT. I leaned almost everything from him years ago. That roven woving in the corners was a killer tip for me, it just adds that extra 'meat' needed in corners

[TheProjectJunkie1]

@HAMMERxHCA

I'll have to check his stuff out. I'm getting better with composites but still have a lot to learn. Thanks for the info.

[hpvhomebuilder]

The trick to eliminate gelcoat edge undercut is to push, with a modelling tool, a bead of wax or plasticene into the corner where the mold meets the base board. Remove excess for a flush finish. All the best!

[TheProjectJunkie1]

@hpvhomebuilder

You're 100% correct. In fact I knew that before going the way that I did. I tried "cutting corners" and got burned. It wasn't that big of a deal to fix the edge of the mold but I think it would have been faster just adding the Plasticine to the plug before-hand. Good comment.

[TheGulubdur]

what would you use for stiffiners?

[TheProjectJunkie1]

@TheGulubdur

Good question, it could be anything that doesn't get eaten by the polyester resin. (e.g. wood, Divinycell, polyurethan, etc), I'd probably just use wood though because it is cheap.

[TheGulubdur]

carbon goes inside the gel coat right?

[TheProjectJunkie1]

@TheGulubdur

Once the mold is finished, yes the carbon fiber will go inside of it. You'll see the layup in the next video # 7.

[NathanTouring]

Nice! Turned out looking very slick..

[Thehiphopsolidier]

Soooo coool!