Ok Cley….I presume you’re new to fibreglassing, building a plug (the original item to make a mould from) can be done from several materials…for this project I used, mdf, cardboard, fiberglass, fabric, & bondo! once completed and painted I use a high quality wax that is formulated for the fiberglass industry….I use an Aussie brand K&H, but any high quality fibreglassing wax will do….K&H recommend 4-5 coats of wax, but as I use another release agent over top I normally only apply 2 good layers of wax…next I spray PVA release agent, it’s a lightly coloured liquid agent the dry’s into a film, I spray 2 light coats and allow to dry, then 2 slightly heavier coats so it flows out flat like a paint job would, you have to be careful now much you build as it can run which will show up in the mould and finished item….once dry I then spray a good coat of Gel coat .6 to 1mm depth, there are brush able gel coats but I find sprayable better…the resin is brushed on, a good layer direct on the dry gel coat, then lay down the matting, more resin and roll it flat….it’s best to lay up 2-3 layers while it’s still curing so as it bonds together (cross links) properly… I use 450gsm matting as it wets through fairly easily, I work on a ratio of 1Lt of resin to 1 square metre of matting, this gives the correct amount to wet the matting properly….I notice a lot of DIY guys in the US just brushing the resin on and leaving the matting lumpy, the then use what is called “Milkshake” it’s a mix of bondo and resin which they pour over the finished item and once dry they heavily sand it…at lot of work and dust, far easier to lay up the matting properly and roll it flat…it still needs to be finished but it’s far less work….
