which one exactly?
I use the HP HGR5 release from HP Textiles.
I gotta see if I can get this in the states. Since its silicone free, makes sense you are not seeing any fish eyes. That would be amazing if I can get my hands on some. Thank you.
Fish-eyes aren’t just caused by silicone. Frekote is also silicone free, but it will make IMC’s fish-eye like crazy if you don’t apply it suitably. It’s all to do with slip levels.
If you can’t get the release agent that DD suggested, see if you can get the Zyvax Flex-Z range. The Z1 won’t Fish-eye at all, even if you are a bit heavy handed with the first few coats.
If I understand you guys, if I use Freekote release agent and put a coat of wax on top I wont have problems with my clear gel coat fish-eyeing?
Thanks…this is an expensive learning curve
Can be shipped very easy because it is not a dangerous item.
No, not quite as easy as that. Wax does make it easier, but it doesn’t completely prevent it. You still need to use the technique I described earlier to get good results.
What a high slip release agent like Frekote effectively does is lowers the surface energy of your mould to a point where molecules of liquid have a higher attraction to each other than to the mould surface, and so form the lowest surface area possible - a droplet. Wax will slightly raise the surface energy again, so that the liquid molecules can get some sort of cohesion with the surface, but - wax itself still creates adhesion. So it will never be as easy as post-spraying a panel that is prepped for paint, it is just slightly easier than the high slip release agents.
It also depends a bit on your tool surface. A highly polished mould will be more susceptible than a dull or textured mould, because the surface energy is just that bit lower again.
I think you also need more than a coat, I use at least 5 waxes on top.
Hi DDCompound,
As I said before, the process works (see my previous post) but it is just to much time consuming to have to wait all this time between each layers and also having those 2x dust coats and having to add additional intermediate dust coats if fisheye starts during wet coat…
So I decided to go ahead and order from Germany the water based semi-perm release agent you are using from HP Textiles “HP-HGR5”. Hopefully I can accelerate the process and limit the time in-between coats to the “Flash time” only (like 5-10min) and also limit the amount of dust coat…
I should receive it within the week. I will post back.
Tks again!
You can soon order a product from us in the states.
DDCompound,
I just received the HP-HGR5, will try this week.
Can I kindly ask you what is your IMC coating strategy? Do you apply a wet coat directly at the beginning? Or do you also start with one or more dust coat? What was the quickest way of applying the clear without seing fisheyes when using HGR5?
Tks!
For the fisheyes, apply a coat of wax over the release agent. Works for me
Do not mix release agents! Do not put way over the HGR5 or other release agents.
WORKS!
Wow, just wonderful…
For the ones who are having issues with fish eye during IMC: Feel free to use this HGR5. Absolutely no fisheye even when doing wet coat after wet coat (only flash time in-between). And it also release fine! I did 5 coat of HGR5 prior to IMC.
Thanks DDCompound!
We put wax over liquid semi-perm all the time, for a different reason.
You can buy the release agent at Wilson Custom Composites. There is no website at the moment. Contact DD Compound.
Just had a flick through this thread, so if I am guessing right you can just spray a 2k lacquer into a mould, allow to cure then do an infusion as normal? Currently im spraying a polyester gelcoat into the mould, then infusing a carbon fibre stack with infusion polyester resin.
But if I can spray proper 2k top coat instead of the gelcoat im reckon the surface finish would be a hell of a lot stronger and more shiny.
Am I getting this correct?
Cheers
Not really. There’s not many 2k topcoats that will work as an IMC, most will delaminate as soon as you flex or try to trim the part. Some do work for whatever reason, though this requires experimentation and nobody can say how long it will last for. Also, because you are using a polyester infusion resin, you also have the high potential of the resin attacking the 2k coating when you infuse. 2k polyurethanes tend to be quite vulnerable to styrene attack until they are well cured. But the better cured the coating is, the poorer adhesion you will get without doing surface prep. Unfortunately this is one of those subjects that nobody can really give a definitive answer on because if you aren’t using a product that was developed specifically for the purpose, then it’s all an experiment. There’s too many different chemicals at play to say how it will work.
And, no matter what coating you use it will only come out as shiny as your mould surface.
thanks for that, you have put my mind at rest, though I had been doing summit wrong for years lol
Good news. Now I’m going to turn the tables on you. Would you please be more specific about your process and products used? Did you not wax at all? Thanks in advance.