Mold release alternatives?...

[Jo McKenna]

Hello everyone. I am brand new to posting here, but not at all new to this sight.

I have a side project as a first mold attempt. I am building an instrument pod for my hang gliding instruments and have built the plug, insuring it is a perfect fit to my vario and GPS. The mold is made from layered and glued MDF. I used body filler and spot putty to smooth out the plug and then primered with 6 coats of sandable primer.





I have since made the parting board and set the plug inside the board halfway and used modeling clay to smooth out all sharp edges. I've applied 10 coats of Mothers Carnauba Wax to the plug and parting board and this is where I hit a brick wall! I'll explain...

I live in B.C. Canada and am finding it impossible to find a PVA release agent to spray on my plug! My question is, is there a suitable alternative to PVA mold release???

Any help or suggestions would be entirely appreciated!

Thank you!

[indianbayjoe]

try pam. not perfect but i have been told it works.

[Wynand N]

Im not on par with the wax you mentioned, but I usually uses ram wax on the plug/mold, about 8 coats with every successive coat polished to high gloss.
If you get PVA, do not spray on, rather use a soft sponge and gently apply in straight light strokes.

A word of warning though; make sure your polish/waxes or other materials do not contain silicon - if so, problems are guaranteed when you try to pull the mold of the plug. Also, putty, moreso body filler have a way to stick to molds, even when well waxed and PVA applied. Always good to spray a primer over before final polishing is any body filler is visible.
If using PU general purpose resin, use a polyurethane or poly-acrythane (sic) base primer for best results - based on my personal experience and never had a mold stuck to plug after using these paints as a final coat on plugs.

Hope this helps but there are more knowledgeable GRP specialists on the forum and perhaps they will be of better assistance.

[ondarvr]

Where in BC? there are several places to get it.

http://www.fibertek.ca/

[Jo McKenna]

Wow, thank you for the great relies. I managed to find Evercoat PVA release agent from Pride Marine out of Ontario Canada. Wish I would have seen the Fibertek link provided by ondarvr before ordering from Ontario, but I am very happy to have found the release agent just the same.

Now that I have to wait for the PVA to start lay-up of my molds, I will continue to work on completing more plugs and do the lay-up all at once.

Thank you all for the great advise!

[ahender]

Liquid Teflon product from Airtech.