Tooling gel coat vs gelcoat reddit The life of a polyester mold may be extended considerably by the use of tooling gel. I’m a bit more than halfway through both Essie "Gel Setter" and "Gel Couture" top coats, so figured I’d share my experiences with both! For context, I typically use Orly Bonder base coat, 2-3 coats of polish, then one coat of top coat. DC800 base coat and DC900 top coat are awesome! These are professional UV gel polish from DND. The other thing that makes tooling gelcoats so good and critical for use is their gloss retention and the ability to impart a high gloss to the gelcoat. TOOLING GEL COATS HK Research Corporation's Isophthalic Tooling Gel Coats are designed to provide the hard, durable, high-gloss surface required in a superior grade polyester tool. has anybody tried it? Makes your tooling gel coat is epoxy compatible if you are going to build the mold out of epoxy. For small projects not worth setting up for a spray application, I apply 5 rolled coats of gelcoat, cure it with PVA, wash PVA off and then sand it. A subreddit dedicated to gel nails and all gel-adjacent products. We are a family business and we would love to help you with your next project. Any tips for wet sanding gelcoat? I removed some decals from my 19' bowrider and wanted to wetsand the area where the decals were to restore the shine and get rid of the outline where the graphics were. Ventilate or fan the gelcoat while it is curing to remove the styrene vapor which can cause the gelcoat to cure unevenly and pull away from the mold creating unwanted waves, “Heat Sinks,” in the finished part. Sold as a kit (resin and hardener). Hi! I’m looking for a top coat that super glass like. Gel coat is thicker and denser than clear coat . Perfect for professionals seeking unmatched performance and durability. e. Then after wax coats and some pva, a fiberglass laminate was applied and the part pulled off without any problems. You will have to do at least 3 coats (sanding in 120g [if needed] and 220g in between coats) because you will have burn throughs/ not enough thickness. For best results the mold should be considerably heavier and stronger than the part which it produces. Color EarthGuard Tooling Gel Coats have many high performace features: High gloss and superior chemical resistance High heat distortion temperature. They are used where the end product will be submitted to constant vibration, such as boats and car bodies. Jun 11, 2010 · After blending, catalyze at the rate suggested by the tooling gelcoat manufacturer. This rapid development of physical properties allows the mold Gel is better appearance wise as it provides that superior glossy finish that you will not get from dip top coats, I don’t care what brand you use, no dip top coat comes close to gels. In-mold gel coats protect the mold from abrasion and chemical attack during the remainder of the production process, and provide a releasable coating to aid in demolding operations. The most common gelcoats are thermosetting polymers based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. For production runs doing in mould gel coating reduces the need for sanding and polishing to get high quality finish. Oct 30, 2015 · Tooling gel coat wrinkled and blistered Discussion in ' Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building ' started by aaronhl, Oct 30, 2015. I buy at a auto paint store. The brand and shade names/numbers are required of ALL gel products used. The wool pads provide far more cutting ability. Tooling Gel Coat is a scratch resistant gel coat for making molds where gloss, hardness, and craze resistance and minimum distortion are key. Tooling Gel Coat, is formulated specifically for mold making. You'll need 4-6 coats. Gelcoat is formulated to be low in hide, so that imperfections can easily be spotted. Any recommendations? I’m looking into the Beetles brand. Base gel is “regular” base coat that just applies a very thin layer of product to your natural nail for other products to adhere to. Best tools for restoring gel coat? I’ve never done this before so it’ll be my first time. My understanding is that if you don't have a structural issue with the fiberglass - no cracks, bubbles, or visible breaking down of the fiberglass itself, you just need to replace the gel coat. Dump guns are the best for spraying Gelcoat. Gel coat is actually a two-part tintable resin. I prefer a thicker “plush” gel-like formula that can smooth out glitters, stickers, or other toppers. Because gel coat isn't glue, it works well sprayed into a mold, because it can be separated later easily. 8K subscribers in the GelNails community. ISO Gel Coat Polycor 944 Gelcoat This brushing gelcoat is a resilient, isophthalic gelcoat that provides a good quality finish and delivers good chemical/water resistance, gloss retention, and resiliency. The bottom line, in practical terms, is that tooling gel coats and regular gel coats are chemically similar but tooling gel coats can take advantage of the fact that they won't be flexed and don't need to be clear or easy to pigment. Anyone notice a difference between "Tempered" gel top coat vs regular not tempered? If yes, what's the difference? Archived post. Sometimes adding a high degree of fillers can affect these properties. No other Tooling Gel Coat compares. What are people's tried & true top coat choices for regular (non gel/acrylic) manicures? Unless the gelcoat is just completely trashed, you can probably bring it back with a buff, polish and wax much easier than wet samding. High quality brushing gelcoat Suitable for marine and sanitary applications Mar 28, 2015 · Gel coat, since it is against the mold, does not have this surfacing wax. 5 percent and mix very well and you should be right. Offers excellent contrast allowing you to gauge the gel coat coverage and tell the difference between your finished part and the mold Formulated to create a surface capable of yielding hundreds of releases, resist The Apres Presto Gel X all-in-one series is one which immediately comes to mind. If you're going to shoot the entire hull you should totally grind off ALL the old Gelcoat and get her down to fresh Glass. They can also produce a glossier finisht han a rotary. Make sure your catalyst is at least 1. using a general purpose one, you might only get a few parts before it breaks down. It was a game changer! But the shrinkage drives me crazy. What did I do wrong? Discussion/Question Share Add a Comment Sort by: Top Open comment sort options Best Top New Controversial Old Q&A LeanaCecelia • Do you all think that it would be a good idea to seal up a 3d printed split mould - at least the composite facing surfaces - with a gelcoat? Are there alternatives to gelcoat for this purpose? My reasoning here is that gelcoat, or the like, would seal the 3d printed surfaces, and also provide a hard polishable surface facing the parts in the mold. I’ve had very poor performance from wool bonnets on gel coat. Can't speak for Couture. Tooling gel coats utilize selected resins that exhibit high heat distortion, high gloss and a hard durable surface to withstand the repeated mold cycles anticipated from a mold. DA's are capable of having an affect on gel coat but only on the lightest defects. The thing is i want to use it on my next item and i dont have enough at the moment. When to Use Waxed Resin/ Gelcoat? Gelcoat or 'Gel Coat' is a material used to provide a high-quality finish on the visible surface of a fibre-reinforced composite. Sep 19, 2013 · You can get tooling gelcoat from our site. It's a nice QoL top coat to have for those extra thirsty polishes like full coverage glitters, but if you don't have one then you can always do a second layer of top 1 active, 1 guest, 0 members, 0 anonymousNo members currently viewing this topic! The "paint" on a fiberglass boat is actually gel coat. The toughness and chemical resistance of these tooling gel coats will develop within 24 - 48 hours after lamination and removal from the master or plug. My question is, is there an altenative to gelcoat that i can make with epoxy resin? I have some fumed silica, i was thinking may be i can use it to thicken the epoxy and use it instead of gel coat. Their pricing was less than 1/2 a specialty marine Doing large areas of gel coat is going to be extremely labor intensive. To my experience the foam works orders of magnitude better. There are two common types of gel coat, all-purpose and tooling; it’s normal for both types to be found in use, but where you find Gel coat is formulated to remain tacky after cure for chemical bonding to the resin/fiberglass layer. When the resin cures, the wax rises to the surface, forming a tack-free layer. Application Procedures - Tooling Gel Coat Upgrade Spray as recommended by the tooling gelcoat manufacturer. The wax in solution rises to the surface of the gel as it exotherms so it takes on a dull non sticky surface appearance. I think he may have a point, and im quite happy to save maybe $2000 on the gel, but I want to get it right. Once cured, EG60 is hard-wearing, chemical resistant and a suitable tool surface for the production of epoxy-based parts. Asp brand. Let’s discuss them. For top coating with I know it is ideal to skin the tooling gelcoat as soon as it is tacky for a mold, but is it okay to leave overnight amd skin in the am if you did your second gelcoat layer at 7 pm? Making a bumper mold amd not sure I can do the CSW skin tonight. If you spray the gel with out the wax you can use a lot of acetone and rags and you can remove the sticky coating as well. You can prevent this by using a fender when docked. Oct 2, 2011 · Tooling gel coat application Discussion in ' Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building ' started by jiggerpro, Oct 2, 2011. 4 oz gel 4 oz duratec 48-56 drops MEKP) so even if I am under catalyzing with the additive I should still be at 1%. Dura-Kote Super Tooling gel coat “all colors” is a premier tooling gel coat for critical fiber glass mold applications. A tooling gelcoat might be harder, and tougher so you can get many parts from the mold. It's does dry quickly tho and is super plush and looks like glass. Not too much of a difference between these 2 from my personal experience. Gel coat is air inhibited and cures tacky on the surface to bond with the lamination. Nail tech student here. Most boat owners have a dilemma about a better choice, gel-coat vs. I use the foam pads from 3M or comparable. Tooling gel coat is harder and does not scratch as easy as a general purpose gel coat. My natural assumption is that being an epoxy, it might not make that much difference? Obviously I’m looking for the strongest possible bond. 8mm thick to judge this if you don't work with gelcoat everyday is to get a comb . Another document recommended Duratec 707-002 primer, tooling polyester gel coat, top coat, polishing compound, and finally release. The projects are about 1 year old, but they haven't had any issues. Gel coat is typically the first layer of a part to be applied. blow by or what Fiberglass Supply Depot is the premier one stop store for all your marine, auto and aviation fiberglass and related supplies. We take you through the basics of gel coats as well as tips for applying. I found it best to just put on plenty of material to sand off. They market themselves as a "weekly gel", but they tend to last about 3-5 days on my nails before I compulsively pick them off. Gel Setter has shrinkage problems, and I can barely get to half a bottle before it becomes super thick and gloopy. EG160 high temperature tooling gelcoat is an advanced epoxy gelcoat designed primarily for use in the production of high temperature moulds/tools for prepreg and resin infusion. Made a huge difference, and I don't think wet sanding would have made it any better. The wax is available at most polyester resin supply . As long as the tooling gel won't get through the wax and pva to bond with the plug, it doesn't matter what the plug is made from. It showed details as fine as tiny nicks in the blade of the adze as it cut the wood. Heard online it’s best to add the next layer of fiberglass before the tooling gelcoat completely cures but I have conflicts that won’t allow me to work on this for the next few days. Same with the chop if you are using powder-bound mat (stitched mat will not have these concerns). Jun 24, 2024 · Our Orange Tooling Gelcoat is designed to maximize precision and durability. Jun 11, 2019 · Doing Gelcoat in a Mold and On an exterior hull are Totally different animals. Which is your favorite? GP gel coats are softer and more flexible than tooling gel coat. A wide range of resins and gelcoats to cover composites processes including hand layup, resin infusion, tooling, coating, casting and more in stock. I recently did my own boat, a 2000 model sea pro, with the Maguires kit from Amazon and an inexpensive buffer from Walmart. There are definitely issues with degradation in certain areas, but a lot of that has to do with problematic geometry more than anything. I always use the same top/base coat, but the gel in the middle is always something different! If you want to check if your lamp is curing your gel all the way through, get a thin piece of plastic (like a plastic container lid or something), paint some gel on, cure, and peel the gel off (after cleansing if necessary). Painted on tooling gelcoat to make a mold out of fiberglass. . If you are just trying to get a few parts out of your mold regular tooling gelcoat is fine. Due to the lower viscosity, an extra wet pass may be required to achieve wet coat total film thickness. This precision-formulated gelcoat utilises selected resins to exhibit high heat distortion, to withstand the repeated molding of FRP laminates. As soon as the gel coat is cured (so that it doesn’t come off on your fingers) its time to back up the gelcoat with a laminate. Also add wax in styrene and once cured you will need to wet rub to get a smooth finish . Whether you're working on a small project or gearing up for industrial production, understanding polyester gel coat, tooling gel coat and how to effectively incorporate pigments, can significantly impact the quality and longevity of your finished product. 19 votes, 31 comments. The wax floats to the surface while curing and creates a barrier between the surface and the atmosphere. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Cured 120 seconds between layers and still tacky. Tooling gelcoat is specifically designed for mold making. Oct 28, 2021 · Tooling Gel Coat is an abrasion resistant gel coat for making molds where gloss retention, superior hardness, exceptional craze resistance and minimum distortion are paramount. 15 cc’s of mekp per quart would be 1. There are two main types of gel coats - general purpose gel coat and tooling gel coat. You can buy flowcoat (topcoat) which can be painted on. Been having some trouble with delamination between the gelcoat/coupling coat and tooling reinforcement (Image 2&3). Flowcoat is gelcoat with wax added to the mixture. This includes base gel, builder gel (hard or soft gel), full coverage tips, acrygel, color gels, and top gel. 1 active, 1 guest, 0 members, 0 anonymousNo members currently viewing this topic! 1 active, 1 guest, 0 members, 0 anonymousNo members currently viewing this topic! Gelcoat is a resin system that is filled with colorants and thickening agents and applied to a mold surface to form the cosmetic and weathering coating of a composite part. Are You Spraying A Master Or Mold ? Using gel coat or body filler really doesn’t save you much time either once you get good at using glass. Tooling Gelcoat requires MEK-P Catalyst I've also used Zoya Naked Manicure Base Coat, Glisten & Glow's Top Coat, and Essie Good to Go Top Coat and liked those as well, but those are more just good alternatives vs what I prefer. Tooling gelcoat is an abrasion resistant polyester gelcoat for making tooling masters and molds where good gloss retention is paramount. Will the surface finish be as good as if I had used a tooling gel coat? I already have the plug and want to make the female mold Thanks My favorite peely brand is Homei, but they're also the only peel-off gel that I've ever tried. 9. Slippery when wet. As mentioned you can buy drums of Tooling Gel Coat is an abrasion resistant gel coat used for fabricating molds when gloss retention, superior hardness, exceptional craze resistance and minimum distortion are paramount. What are the purpose of primers, gel coats, and top coats and how do they all differ? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Gel coat is used within a mould and cures due to the lack of oxygen between a mould and the fibreglass. You’ll be able to get a perfect finish on your tool without a gel coat but it won’t last as long. Easy application and extremely low porosity make these products suitable for those applications where a higher level of performance is needed than with our standard tooling products. These resins provide a high gloss and hard, durable surface. If you use epoxy in a mold, you have to wax it perfectly, because the tiniest spot of epoxy touching will stick like crazy. As you can see in the photo, A illustrates, grinding off all of the gel coat, and in figure B, he is just laying straight over gelcoat. If you get new fiberglass, you will be getting a new gel coat as well - your choice isn't gel or fiberglass, it is gel only or fiberglass and gel. I do a fair amount of boats. EG60 is a thick, brush-applied epoxy tooling gelcoat for use as a surface coat when making epoxy based composite moulds/tools. Image 2 Image 3 Do you guys have any suggestions (if possible) how to fix this issue without starting Mar 20, 2024 · Although most new boats come with gel-coating, you have two options when it comes to repairing your vessel, re-painting or re-applying gel coat. I catalyze with MEKP at 2% (12-14 drops per oz combined i. If you press oh, the side of a key onto the nail after it's all done, there will be no flex in the surface. On a boat, marine gelcoat paint is used as a protective coat on fiberglass hulls. General purpose gel coat is softer and more flexible than tooling gel coat. Our Orange tooling gel coat offers excellent contrast allowing you to gauge the gel coat coverage and differentiate between your finished part and the mold. Been using Revlon’s Color Stay “Gel Envy” topcoat for years because it has a nice gloss, no shrinkage or bubbles, and doesn’t seem to get thick and stringy as quickly as other brands. For the compound, do I really have to get a rotary? Can I get away with something a bit weaker since I’m new? What would be the best tool for a newbie that’s also effective? Can I use epoxy to make a composite tool/mold? I know it is more expensive than using polyester or vinylester resin, but I have some left over and want to start immediately rather than order other products. Rotary polishers use rotation wothuch more power. Gel coat is used as an in mold coating on composite parts to produce a durable part surface. Sep 4, 2024 · Waxed vs. Dec 26, 2005 · How many pulls do you want from the tooling? And the finish required on the part or do you paint? If you like to rework the finish or paint no big deal, But if a first rate finish is wanted/desired by all means use the tooling gel coat. I’ve been using and enjoying Essie’s good to go top coat and I love how fast it dries but I feel like I’ve been needing too many coats to get the smooth glassy finish I want. Or will it bond just the same? (West System epoxy resin + hardener). Using Tooling Gelcoat enhances the life of the mold significantly, allowing for cleaner pulls and less mold maintenance. RAM Gel coat technology significantly reduces styrene emissions, shrinkage, and costly overspray. To catalyze 1 quart of gel coat ( tooling or production) it takes 20 cc’s of MEKP catalyst to activate 1 quart at 2%. Excellent cure with good barcol development User friendly If you want the highest quality finish for your FRP molds the EarthGuard Diamondback Gel Coat is the answer. Sep 26, 2010 · Just wondering which gelcoat would be best ? Ive used tooling gel for small moulds, but Ive been advised by the designer to use normal gelcoat on this mould as it wont be as hard and will allow flexing without cracking. I tried 4 coats but I got very thin in some places with print thru and literally sanded all the way thru in some spots. Polyester resins in general, and specifically gel coats, are naturally UV resistant, and properly cured parts can be submerged in water. Lilly-Ram produces quality gel coats, tooling gel coats, and marine clear gel coats. You put the effort into making the tool surface good and then you’ll be able to get multiple parts to the same finish. trueI really like Essie Gel Couture top coat and Essie Gel Setter. You can buy laminating polyester resin, and then add your own wax to it. I’d like to try something new and I see all of these Essie ones recommended. Gel coats are often the exterior coating for composites parts, providing both the color and texture of the part. It comes with chemical and UV resistance which are important for a boat. I spray gelcoat out of a 2mm tip spray gun . Our main concern is that this specific prepreg requires a 350F curing cycle, and we were wondering if tool gel coat (specifically orange tooling gelcoat from fiberglasssupplydepot) could withstand those temperatures. Builder base is the strongest, thickest and hardest of the three. Using a marine rubbing compound and foam allowed to take off in one pass what took me 2-3 with a wool bonnet. Sep 23, 2024 · There are various formulations of gel coat for specific applications such as Tooling Gel Coat and Clear Gel Coat, but most gel coat is a high gloss, opaque solid color. if you plan on building hundreds of parts out of your mold we do recommend a Vinylester tooling gel. My plan is to wet sand it by hand, use the compound, polish it then wax it. I tried finding comparisons of good to go vs gel setter to see if I would like it and I haven’t been able to find anything. We use young nails gel top coat and an unknown brand of gel base coat. We seal and coat them with Duratec (I forget the exact products off the top of my head) and use chemlease release agent with paste wax between pulls. Glitter grabber/glitter smoothing top coats are pretty optional. A design report recommended only using Chemlease MPP 712 EZ, priming wax, and PVA. Feb 19, 2017 · Laminating gelcoat is hard in 16 hrs?? Discussion in ' Materials ' started by burke, Feb 19, 2017. It shouldn't be painted on as it won't cure. Image 1 Using the Unimould set from EasyComposites. This makes it ideal for molds that will be used many times. Tooling resin vs coupling resin vs infusion resin what is the difference, can I use infusion resin for all of the above? Gelcoat vs tooling Gelcoat can I use regular gel coat for the surface of the mould? Can I use resin? The first layer of reinforcement, should this be ultra fine as to not impart any impressions on the Gelcoat surface? Gelcoat is cheaper (any polyester base is cheaper), but also there are differences in application. Tooling gel coat comes with out wax. We stock a wide variety of colors in marine and tooling gelcoat. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Chemical resistance is one of its features to prevent chipping, allowing gel coat to last up to 20 years. This prevents the resin from remaining sticky and allows for easy sanding and finishing for the final layer. Can anyone recommend a super glossy, gel like top coat that doesn’t shrink or chip/peel within a day? Tia! Extra Points if you also share your best kept secret in nail strengtheners! Currently using Butter London horse power and I’m not impressed BUT…I also have an autoimmune disorder where brittle, soft nails are just a part of. Sep 27, 2023 · Many tooling shops do a blow coat on everything first, worst case if a few places stick you only need to sand off the gel coat that stuck, no fractures in the mold from wedges and pounding. High quality. Correct application of gelcoat is critical to get the optimum performance from it. I still use a base and primer with Presto extend gel, but this is something specific to my natural nails' requirements. Here’s some tips that helped me speed up the process. I have a Porter Cable random orbital. Not a great idea having un- dispersed fillers on the surface of a mould. The life of an otherwise good polyester mold may be extended considerably by the use of a tooling gelcoat. If I’m going to use epoxy resin with the carbon fiber finished product, does the gelcoat of the mold need to be epoxy or can I use polyester resin in the mold and epoxy for the part? Speed setter, gel setter, or good to go? I’m really bad at waiting for my nails to dry, and actually hated painting them until I discovered Seche Vite. 5 to 0. When making molds, can i use regular gelcoat or do i need to use gelcoat for moldmaking? Have look at the Uni-mold from Easy composite, and its based on vinylester or can i use clear gelcoat to spare I've applied this exact product to bare wood and to GF gel coat finish. The gelcoat is extremely hard and scratch resistant and has a very high gloss to help enhance the surface and make pulling parts easier. need advice making diy gel-coat dump gun A carbon one, how it work venturi generator. All of their colors are peel off and have a nice top coat (but not anti-scratch) finish. 5%. Soft gel vs hard gel is (I think) about the texture / squishiness of the cured gel polish Hard gel will feel, well, hard. I am currently spraying my Hobie 16 with Total boat unwaxed gel coat and duratec high gloss additive at a 50/50 ratio. marine paint, for their boats since both options have their advantages and downsides. Hi there, newbie here, working on my first split mould trying to remake a motorcycle (Kawasaki Z800) front fender (image 1). With that said, a gel coat sold as a repair kit, will likely have some surfacing wax in it, since the resin would be exposed to the atmosphere. Specially formulated for mold-making, this vibrant orange gelcoat ensures clear visibility during application and offers a robust finish. Rubber base is base gel on steroids - thicker, harder, tougher, lasts longer than regular gel. You Don't use wax in the gelcoat until the final coat. Gelcoat should be applied 0. I have a few more hours left in my program and have started buying products for my own services. Expert advice, buy online. Unwaxed Resin and Gelcoat What is Waxed Resin/ Gelcoat? Waxed resin contains a paraffin wax additive. Gelcoat derives its name due to it high viscosity and ability to be applied thickly on vertical and overhead surfaces in one coat. Any advice? I used super thin coats. Available to buy online in a 1kg and 5kg kit. But it smells so strongly like vinyl, even into the following day, so I don’t exactly like breathing that in all the time and looking for new reccs. Tooling Gelcoat Orange Tooling Gelcoat is a formulation specifically meant for making molds. Ideal for high-stress tooling applications, it promises a flawless, high-gloss surface every time. Brands of charms/stones or other nail embellishments are not required. jcvajl gsgdf zpun bjycz amic fyt krfn gbbybdsd xzbkci iozg pspp mhdng cwvkj yzpuqy yng