pva molds

Okay so how do I stop air bubbles in the pva. I usually add a little of water then lay down 3 light layers with a hvlp gun. I noticed a lot of the air bubbles dont show up when I use bottled water, most likely because tap uses floride and chlorine?

Does the PVA dry with the air bubbles trapped in it.

Add a drop of dishwasing detergent.

This does not answer your question but have you tried a chemical release ? i would never go back to wax or PVA, even the more complex shapes i have made remove from the mould with ease.
Regards Chris

Hi what chemical release are you using? I’m currently using wax + PVA but i’m still having release issues :slight_smile:

If the pva is being sprayed, and landing on the mold surface in the form of millions of tiny droplets, how are you trapping air bubbles? Is your mold made of unsealed plaster?

I use easy lease from easy composites in the UK, great product and good chaps to deal with. The product is very easy to apply and no fuss release every time.
Regards Chris
PS i have no conection other than beeing a customer to the above company :slight_smile:

It’s very common to get lots of bubbles when spraying PVA. In fact, it will look milky when it first goes on when doing a flowing coat. If the PVA doesn’t dry too quickly then all the air bubbles will escape. You can slow the drying time by 1) Spray in cooler temps, 2) Increase the humidity in the spraying environment, 3) Add up to 10% water by volume to the PVA.

Ditch the PVA, use semi permanent sealers and release agents. PVA is junk and has only limited uses for production