If you want to start making your own carbon fibre parts the first thing you'll need to do is make moulds for the parts you want to make. If you're new to composites this can be a daunting task and for this reason we have put together a comprehensive mould making kit which makes use of brand new materials and techniques to make the process of making high quality moulds as quick, easy and clean as possible.
Included in the kit is 750g of special epoxy mould making 'putty', epoxy tooling gel coat, their appropriate hardeners, a tin of wax and the neccessary incidentals (gloves, cups, mixing sticks).
Video Guide
The kit was original sold through our Carbon Mods brand and so the following video is presented as Carbon Mods but we are of course the very same people.
What is mould making putty?
The mould making putty in the kit replaces the need for chopped strand mat (unwoven fibre glass mat), polyester resin and catalyst normally used in fibreglass mould manufacture.
The reason for doing this is that polyester resin and its catalyst are both rather nasty to work with, difficult to ship and incompatible with the epoxy resin that will be used to create advanced composites parts themselves. For making smaller parts especially this new putty material is a fast, clean and highly effective way of making moulds requiring no prior fibreglass experience. Because of the way the putty is 'formed' into shape, it avoids the pitfalls of air-voids and blisters that can blight early mould making attempts with traditional fibreglass.
In the kit is a plastic container with 750g of slightly fibrous putty. With gloves on the putty can be handled, pulled apart and pushed back together with ease. Also in the kit is a small container of hardener for the putty which is darkly coloured. With the right amount of putty in your hand for the job you add the appropriate amount of hardener and mix the two materials together thoroughly. The putty is then shaped over and around the gel-coated pattern/part to form the body of the mould. A thickness of 1cm of putty for a small part or 2cm for a larger part would make for a strong durable mould. The process is clean and almost odourless.
Comprehensive Instructions
As with all Easy Composites starter kits the mould making kit is accompanied by comprehensive instructions that take you through the process of making your mould from prep to polish.
Kit Contents
Everything you need to make your own composite mould:
- 750g Epoxy Mould Making Putty (and hardener)
- 200g Epoxy Tooling Gel Coat (and hardener)
- 15g Mould Release Wax
- 35ml PVA Mould Release Agent
- Latex Gloves