What paint to coat pattern with?

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

Hello all,

I’ve knocked out a few front bumpers now to help pay for my hobby, but now it’s time to make one of a newer design, I took one of my FG bumpers and cut it around, put in pieces of wood, fibreglass etc and finally blended it in with car body filler and smoothed it all off, a few days work, but the shape looks good and I’m now going to take the mold from it so my question is, what to paint the pattern with before applying the wax and release agent? I guess I can use 2 pack (as we call it over here) or some of the newer water based gloss laquer?

I’m after something that won’t react with the gelcoat as I’ve read here and there of people having problems with it wrinkling, this is why I am suggesting using a water based paint.
Anyone any good ideas?

Thanks!

#2

paint your plug with polyester primer. Duratec makes it and so do a couple other companies.

google Duratec.

It’s the best for what you are doing, and the cheapest. Those two words rarely go together in the same sentence but it holds true here.

#3

Yes, you’re right about cheap and good, not a common combination.
I found a UK outlet so will call them tomorrow, thanks for the advice.

The current bumper looks like this when fitted:

As you can see, we’re having to really squeeze that intercooler in there. And we really love cutting out all those bars and spaces…:rolleyes:

Some more pics including the new plug and what I’m hoping it will look like, it should free up a bit of space, look a bit more modern and be quicker to produce.

#4

That is a bloody busy front!!! So many holes. Maybe you can artistically vary the shape to make it work better? :wink:

#5

On cutting out those holes, what I have done on VW deck lids with slots was to set up a samll router with a fiberglass bit and a spindle stop (small flange) to guide around the template or in this case the hole and the cutter cuts it flush.

#6

Well it’s a busy little car :smiley: It’s covered in little features all over and every single one serves a purpose, as you can see the front is just a skeleton really, designed to get plenty of air in and nothing more.

Mr Werksberg: Yes you’re right and after doing a couple I came to the same conclusion, I am a wood butcher by trade so a router is no problem, I am thinking of using a cutter with a ball race on it though, the bearing follows the bumper line while the cutter below it trims off.

#7

Hmmm, I dunno about being so cheap, to do this mold with the Duratec system is gonna cost me about $500!

#8

I always use duratec ez sanding grey primer then go over that with duratec high gloss. A gallon of each of those will only cost $150 total, unless your uk supplier only does 5-gallon pails. semi permanent release agents work great with duratec, I higly recommend them.

#9

It certainly looks the business and really the correct product for the job, but just too expensive to do one part, If I had a few to do It wouldn’t be so bad, I’ll have a think and see if I can do some more to find a use for it.

The cost over here is very expensive, I phoned 3 outlets and got the same prices. I figured it would be better to use the full 4 component system, sealer, primer, high build primer and gloss, they are between $100 and $140 per US gallon + shipping.

#10

Just use the easy sanding stuff, and then the surfacing primer with high gloss additive.
Each gallon shouldn’t be more than $75, and then shipping will be the expensive part.
Excellent products!