Frekote First Use

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

I’ve been using wax/pva for a long time (since I got a 5-gallon bucket of PVA for free a LONG time ago…still have half left). After having some sticking issues with my normal procedure, I finally decided to give Frekote a try.

I resurfaced my mold with some sanding/polishing, built a Frekote basecoat last night and laid my piece this morning. After curing, I went to move the piece to my work table so I could ‘pry’ it out like I normally have to with pva/wax, but I accidentally dropped it. The cured part shot out of the mold and flew across my lab floor.

Needless to say, I am extremely impressed with Frekote.

#2

Sorry…I laughed, well done!

I have still to switch but have some semi permanent waiting for me to try…just have to pick the part carefully as I don’t want the hassle of it all going wrong on my first go.

#3

As a noob trying to learn from reading before doing- could you explain the use of this please? The way the literature reads, you apply Frekote to your mold in 4 coats- and then you don’t have to worry about any releasing agent at all for the next dozen or so parts? Is that right? No waxing, no PVA- just wipe this stuff on and let it dry and away you go? Sounds too good to be true.

#4

You won’t get a dozen releases with epoxy. I’ve had quite a few parts start sticking on cycle #5, 3 is more safe. Some difficult to release shapes need a fresh application for each cycle.

Not all epoxy resins will release from semi-permanents. Testing is highly recommended.

I would recommend using the recommended sealer along with release. You will more “life” from the release.

#5

Just hit the tool with a quick wipe every time, last thing you want to battle is a part sticking.

#6

i would like to switch from wax/pva to frekote also, at least for the molds i’m using more frequent, is the sanding/polishing the only way to prepare the surface for the frekote layers, are there any cleaners that can work instead or can i use frekote over the waxed surface? i would prefer to avoid sanding since the molds surfaces are in perfect condition

#7

Frekote makes a mold cleaner http://www.henkelna.com/product-search-1554.htm?nodeid=8797754195969

#8

You don’t have to sand, a cut and polish would do the job. Better to use a proper chemical mould cleaner though. I suspect that your regular run of the mill spray painters wax and grease remover is essentially the same thing, I’ve got the Marbocote chemical mould cleaner and it even smells exactly the same as the wax and grease remover I’ve got. They both seem to do the same job, the Marbocote is just dearer. For peace of mind, I do like to use the proper stuff, just in case.

#9

mould cleaner is just MEK. but wax and grease remover will do the same thing.
use a sealer first. then a few releases. after the first part add a few more releases and youre away. there are different slip levels available too. from low slip, prevents prerelease with gelcoats through to high slip suitable for zero draw moulds even with epoxy.

#10

here is a nice youtube video showing the product
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw4V-CxdXAk

at the end it shows 3 different bottles
913wb
915wb and
c600
on ebay I see
700 nc and
38408
all of these products start with Frekote so it’s confusing to the beginner.

what is each one for

what is a place with good price to buy this at?

#11

frecote has a tds that will help figure out exactly the product that suits your needs. zyvax also has plenty of options.

#12

http://www.henkelna.com/us/content_data/178554_Frekote_Material_Application_Guide.pdf

looks like any of the 700 series will work for epoxy carbon carbon applicatonis according to their chart above.

#13

Cut and polish is the best way to remove the wax. No aggressive sanding needed The cleaners don’t work in my opinion. A lot of residue gets left behind. That is just my experience anyway.

#14

Yeh I agree, but I’d still use the cleaners. Good solid wipe down with mould cleaner, cut and polish, then another wipe with mould cleaner.

The thing with the moulder cleaner is you need to make sure you aren’t letting any of it dry on there. It dissolves the wax, then you need to wipe it off with another clean cloth otherwise it just evaporates and deposits the residue back on the surface. So I always clean a small spot at a time, wipe it off with a clean cloth and repeat until you’ve covered the whole mould. Huge pain in the ass if you’re doing something like a bonnet, but it’s better than having a contaminated release system.

#15

you just need the sealer and the release. After a mold is sealed properly and then released, we just give them a quick wipe before each layup. ALso we switched from the 700nc liquid to the low VOC wipes, big improvement. Freekote works great but, it is one of the harsher chemicals to be found in the shop. Always use PPE. You don’t want that stuff collecting in your liver.

#16

There are some shelf life concerns with frekote.
It lasts about a year (on the label) so for the hobbiest this may not be enough.
Do a tape test before laying up anything.

When it works, there’s nothng better, but I’ve STILL lost parts due to expired Frekote