Adding laminating poly resin onto waxed resin

Will soon be laying up a composite panel on a waxed form. The first layer will be mat, then biax/mat, balsa core, mat/biax, and final mat. I will be starting with polyester resin, not gelcoat as I will paint it with PU.

Any problem starting with waxed resin for first few layers, then switch to laminating resin before the former even gets rubbery? I have a lot of finishing resin to use up.

Thanks

 

If you use gel it will be much easier to paint, there will be thousands of tiny imperfections in the laminate after you sand it, these will create headaches when you try to paint it, gel coat hides these.

What is your reason for using the waxed resin first? Some of the wax will migrate through the next layer, how much, hard to say, but there's no problem using it.

 

Two reasons. I had an extra gallon of waxed to use up. Also, not having mold experience, I assumed it would be easier to sand and fair the first surface (next to the mold) if it was waxed and cured hard. I didn't know if laminating on a waxed form would completely block off air to laminating resin and dry hard.

Thanks.

 

I may not understand exactly what you're doing, or asking.

 

If you use waxed resin you will have to sand between layers or they won't stick together. If you plan to do the entire layup at once before it starts to kick off it may work but I honestly wouldn't want wax in my laminate. I only use waxed resin for sanding / finishing. In the future you may want to consider buying all no-wax resin and buying wax to add when you need it.

 

Sorry to confuse.

If I put mat, then biax down onto a waxed form with laminating resin, let it cure, then pull it off- will the surface next to the form be cured hard or sticky making sanding/fairing very hard?

Thanks all.

 

Anytime the resin/laminate is in contact with the mold surface it will be cured tack free, no wax in the resin is needed.

 

Thanks.

I think I'll take your advice and go gelcoat for both surfaces. Would you suggest buying non-waxed gelcoat and add PVA on the unmolded top surface?

Can I roll on and tip off the top surface?

Thanks

 

Never buy waxed resin or gel coat, if needed add the wax yourself.

Yes you can roll and brush, it's not like paint though, so don't expect it to look nearly as good.