Thanks mate, I don’t mind the harsh truth if it’ll move me forward 
Have got a compressor, and have been meaning to buy a gun to top coat my finished bits. I’ll go hunt out a couple this weekend then.
You are going to have a lot more chance of success with professional type equipment and materials, but if you are using a painted surface on your plugs, there is always a chance of paint coming off.
This isnt going to matter much if you only need to make one mould, but if you need to make multiple moulds, then might be better to get the first mould from your painted plug, then make a master plug from that, which has gel-coat surface.
Lots less chance of paint falling off, if u sand with coarse grade first, and cover sanding marks with polyester spray filler (used in car body repair work), then after leaving to dry overnight, apply guide coat, then sand with 320 and then spray about 3 coats of a dark colour 2K finish, wait till this is fully hardened, then sand with different paper, until you are using 1200, when you can machine compound until you have a very good shine.
Ok, that sounds like something I can do.
I’ve found someone in NZ who sells this Duratec primer that everyone seems to rave about. Might do some more investigation on it before I start spending any money.
As you’re in NZ, won’t the paint run out of the cup as you’re upside down, down there?
hahaha, thats funny
I think the Duratec primer is exactly the same as any other polyester spray primer filler, so have a good look at prices before buying.
You will need a gravity gun with 2.2mm setup to spray high solids materials like these, and be careful to clean gun immediately after use.
Filler primers are only one of two steps you should do to finish your plug. the filler primer is used to finish shaping fill and perfect the shape of your plug, the hi gloss black duratec is used to have a nice low porus surface for your plug to pull a mold off. granted you can search around for a cheaper solution, and I have found many primers that work well, but in my opinion it is not worth it, just spend the extra $20-$30, and get the garantee that your mold will release correctly. people always try cutting corners and it ends up costing them more long run. go the safe route
Actually, we’re quite learned here in NZ, from a young age they teach us about concepts such as gravity. I don’t hold it against any American that their childrens (sic) haven’t heard of it 
Oh really! To be honest, that doesn’t surprise me that much. Any tips on cleaning? Generally I clean a gun by spraying thinners through it, then disassembling and cleaning… does high solid primer have any peculiarities to watch out for, or do you just need to be thorough?
Don’t see that listed here, is there another name, or another product I can substitute? Or should I just ask them when I ring them come Monday?
purosity is your biggest enemy with any primer or paint, always test first
I think this is the part number for the black high gloss:602-021. I’ll double check monday
Ok, noob question… how do you test a product for porosity?
Man am I going to owe you a few drinks if you ever come to NZ
I met a guy once in china who was from NZ, his name was france, he was actually a pretty cool cat. If Im ever in NZ, Ill take you up on that offer. Cheers!
well, if I was going to test a primer/or paint, I would simply do a small test panel and see how it release. I dont know of any specific tests for purosity since it is microscopic. I always use semi-release agents and use a sealer first which helps fill the purosity, this is a very important step, apply atleast 4 coats on all plugs/molds first before release agent. and always fully clean the surface before sealing with a mold cleaning solvent to ensure there is no rubbing compound or any other contaminents on the surface.