Casting Fiberglass In A Silicone Rubber Mold!

[@RobertTolone]

Here is a link to a downloadable PDF file with a list of the rubber, resins and waxes I use in my videos: www.dropbox.com/s/kz6mhmf7v5vpy7l/Material%20and%20Suppliers.pdf?dl=0

[@raymondo162]

you lost it with the puddle of resin with the randomly dropped-in pieces of glass cloth. try this: #1 cut pieces to FIT the shapes they are going in to (as in tailoring them). #2 stipple thin layer of resin on to the gel coat surface then lay the pieces in place, overlapping fairly generously. #3 (v important) use a multi-wheel roller to press the cloth in to the resin (or stipple it in with a stiff brush) keep stippling til the resin starts to come thru the cloth #4 paint on next thin layer of resin #5 more cloth #6 good roll /stipple etc etc. this will ensure you don't get the blobby edges, and you should have a lighter, stronger piece

[@RobertTolone]

@@raymondo162 Hi Raymond, thanks for your excellent suggestions. You obviously know what you’re doing with composites; I only occasionally dabble in them.

[@CPT_IDOL]

Just wanted to say thank you Robert… You are a mentor to us all!

[@LilDirt12]

That came out amazing! I was squirming in my seat waiting for you to turn it over. Lol I give you a 10

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

"You go for perfection every time. You never get it, but you go for it". Words to live by.

[@RobertTolone]

I settle for a pale approximation of perfection every time.

[@EblouirJewelers]

I just want to thank you Robert for taking on this project for me I really appreciate it!!!!!!

[@RobertTolone]

Great project, lots of fun to do!

[@dianeharris2687]

Another good one....Hooray! Next week a new project. I'll be watching.

[@RobertTolone]

Already in the works!

[@bena4316]

The type of people to become someone's rolemodel

[@dale7561]

You should try a MultiTool like the one from Fein. It would make a quick and easy job of trimming.

[@colinator2999]

robert, you're the casting god. helped me with so many project. appreciate you, bud

[@RobertTolone]

Glad you find my videos helpful. Thanks for your nice comment!

[@runin1wild]

I saw this first before I realized there was a part 1, then I had to come back and rewatch this again. Still came out the same “pretty dam good” if not better then the original, much stronger! Giving me ideas on my project long over due but still on hold! 😝

[@stevensmith1057]

Great job. Thanks for the detailed instructions.

[@crudominiatures]

it is really a pleasure to see how much you ENJOY what you are doing :) that is the spirit!!

[@RobertTolone]

The whole point is to have fun! Thanks for watching.

[@josesanguino535]

Awesome, thanks for sharing

[@BIGJIM1934]

Hey Robert nice video as always. If I may share a tip. Whenever I'm mixing my silicone (or your gel coat for that matter) I always mix well then transfer to a new cup and mix some more. You can never get into the tiny corners. This eliminates the possibility of umixed gel coat ruining an otherwise perfect part. The way I see it, cups are cheap but resin gel coat and silicone are not.

[@RobertTolone]

It’s a very useful tip.

[@riverhouck5723]

Amazing results!

[@jessecarbajal8932]

Looking to make my own cement stamp molds. So I'll definitely be watching your videos. I enjoyed this one

[@gkelly]

The surface finish is really nice! I'm surprised at how well those ribs on the sides turned out.

[@theantichrist6524]

I had forgotten the say I would like to see many more fiberglass castings and would like to see you use fiberglass chop with and without using any strips of fiberglass fabric I really appreciate your work and willingness to share your information

[@RobertTolone]

There will definitely be more Fiberglass videos in the future. Chop fibers are good because it’s fast to work with.

[@anoirbentanfous]

Thank you so much for sharing you expertise and knowledge

[@lorriedmussett4692]

I have no idea how I came across you and your channel......but wow...I love it! O love watching people make stuff AND IMPORTANTLY I like the presentation, the explanation and the unique original demeanour of a presenter like yourself!!!!!

[@RobertTolone]

Glad you found the channel Lorrie, thanks for watching!

[@monkeySkulls]

Robert, I'm loving your videos, very informative. How about a tutorial on how to build our own pressure chamber and degasser.

[@RobertTolone]

Great idea. It’s on the list of future projects.

[@chrismorrison9140]

Definitely. I'm also very interested.

[@paulhayton3423]

Always something to learn here..thank you.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Paul!

[@carlfogarthy6508]

Grande Robert! Thanks

[@KRGraphicsCG]

This is freaking awesome. I was going to stay away from fiberglass (live I am apartment with carpet everywhere) but this would be an easy way to make flexible helmets so much lighter and easier to use

[@DonLarson-t9u]

Thank you showed us well want to try a star trek gun great video thanks again

[@markward251]

Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm, knowledge and experience, Robert. 👍

[@RobertTolone]

I appreciate it Mark, thanks!

[@Declan-pg8cg]

I've been looking at a few of your vids lately and love the diversity and no nonsense but thorough approach you have. From this long time Irish sculptor and mold maker, keep up the great work. Definitely worth the sub👍.

[@fordeetv]

Great video!

[@timmy53driver]

Awesome video! I love the idea of pairing these materials. Never thought this was as easy as you made it look. Also, I love the sound of a corded drill! Reminds of the gentle coo of a baby Tyrannosaurs Rex.

[@RobertTolone]

That’s because I bought that drill back in the Cretaceous.

[@Zebra958]

Great job Robert on all the videos I’ve seen so far, if you’re not a professor yet someone should honor you with a degree.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for the nice comment Errison! I appreciate you watching my videos.

[@gianinline]

Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@maxfransic0878]

You are the best teacher/guide I've encountered 🥰 thank you for sharing all of these to us.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Max. I appreciate your nice comment!

[@kestrelkaylin5321]

Very cool! You should be wearing a respirator though my friend. Resin fumes are no joke.

[@ronaldlogan3525]

I was thinking the same thing, but then I realized this guy has probably been doing this for a long time and is still kicking. Still though ....

[@ster9765]

It was epoxy, as long as you have an open room with some good airflow you're fine.

[@jimmyokawa6800]

its the polyester resin that will fume you to death haha

[@jimmyokawa6800]

@Island Mike ive done epoxy in the house all the time its not that bad

[@oldkingcrow777]

​@@jimmyokawa6800yea I only use the respirator when mixing huge 3-5 gal buckets worths where I'm standing over it with no airflow.

[@joell439]

Wow - just happened upon your channel and subscribed almost immediately. Fabulous tutorial. You clearly have much your willing to share and teach….. and I have so much to learn 👍👍😎👍👍 Thank you 🙏

[@RobertTolone]

Welcome Joel. Thanks for subbing and commenting! 👍

[@ranmanolov6832]

What a boss! Hats off to you

[@mikesmall626]

10 out of 10!

[@paulkremneff8033]

Nice work, i was kinda worried that the silicone would move in the little crevices and change the shape, but it held up really well.

[@Mousoukyou]

Do you have experience in manufacturing? You're the first person I've seen to make videos about encapsulation/molding that seems to come from a professional background, especially with your tips/quality points you make. Cheers on your great videos!

[@RobertTolone]

I’m a sculptor. My freelance work is prototyping toys for the entertainment industry.

[@KWKirchhofer]

You’re a stud! This is great!

[@roger.agburn]

The final part of an awesome project. Loved watching every bit of it. :D Good job on the video and the casting!

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching and commenting Roger!

[@SparkyJames]

Nice drill, I haven’t seen a drill like that for 20years👍

[@RobertTolone]

Early 80's Porter Cable. Bearings are a little tired but it almost 40 years old.

[@IngeBall]

Wait what? No unnecessary talking for 30 minutes ? You've got yourself a new sub!

[@theantichrist6524]

I like the fact that you can cast even fiberglass onto the silicone rubber the one question that I would like answered is how many castings can you expect I know that the fiberglass will produce heat but it's the gel coat that's in contact with the rubber so given your experience how many times could you reuse the mold say it was lust a smooth basic mold without any of the individual cross ribs

[@RobertTolone]

How many castings you will get depends on the kind of resin you are laminating with. Epoxy resins are very aggressive and it would be necessary to use a parting agent or a barrier coat to preserve the life of the mold. In this video I forgot to use it but because I was only pulling one copy out of the mold I was not worried about it. It’s very hard to make generalizations about mold life because there are so many variables. The best thing is to make a small sample project and see how many castings you get out of the combination of materials you are using. When choosing materials for long production runs mold life becomes an important factor.

[@zaum2002]

Was that Abraham Lincoln's drill ? Nice work

[@antonwinter630]

great tutorial. you mentioned making a jig to clean up the edge. could you do a vid on that technique please. cutting it by hand on the bandsaw i imagine would look "hand made" rather than a clean cut.

[@RobertTolone]

Great idea! I will cover that in a future video. After trimming the part with the bandsaw I cleaned it up on a 20 inch sanding wheel, followed by hand sanding. So it finished up fairly well.

[@andyspoo2]

One thing you did not mention which could be quite important was did you let the bottom layer gel-coat completely dry before adding the fibre-glass resin? Or was it just tacky, or not dry at all??

[@panchorummacpanchorum8906]

fantastic !!!

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching!

[@mrtrek64]

Just a wonderful video. Does anyone know what he used for the black gel coat and the fiberglass wet coat? I folled the link but I don't want to purchase the wrong stuff. Thank you.

[@Treece8026]

Hey Mr. Tolone! If i had to do two separate pieces like this mold to join them together(forming a hollow cavity). How would i do that?

[@BebawyGNB]

You are great and pleasure to watch! LOVE you man :) thanks

[@RobertTolone]

Thank you George. I appreciate your kind comment. Be sure to let me know if I can help you with any projects have have going.

[@BebawyGNB]

Definitely I will! I'm a new fan of yours! got a lot to watch and learn :)

[@DragonEyeOfficial]

Thx alot 👌👍

[@tyger1st]

I'm a Vietnam Combat Marine and I purchased 4 EGA to mount on my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. They are all rigid and I need to make a mold of them that I can put against the side of the truck to cast them with the proper curves to paste to the truck. I plan to paint the truck a gloss black including the EGA. I would welcome any suggestions you might have to help me. Thanks.

[@mrtrek64]

OK when I brush my gel coat into the silicone mold It seems to skip right over the silicone and not want to adhere to it. This results in me having to dab in without using brush strokes. This results in a very uneven surface. Am I doing something wrong? You can see in this video how the gel coat can be brushed in nice and even with no issues of adhesion.

[@TheGraveDiggersWorkshop]

Any chance of doing a video on molding and casting a model boat hull,using silicone mold and the epoxy gecoat / fiberglass for the castings? I guess the process would be the same as this video?

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, the process would be very similar to this. By the way, I got a comment from a viewer much more expert in composite casting than I am and he pointed out everything I did wrong! There are good channels on KZbin for doing fiberglass work, much better than mine. You might want to check those out.

[@jensgad]

Hi Robert! Amazing videos you are making. Do you have any experience with mixing shorter fibers e.g. 10mm into the epoxy to get the strength only by pouring/rotating rather than manual application of sheets? This would be as a second load after gel coat. For injection molding, you can have a glass fill of e.g. 30% consisting of very short fibers inside the granulate to add stiffness to the molded parts.

[@adriangarcia7955]

I love your tutorials, have recently gotten into casting with rubber, but I have a question since I have a similar project to this one, which black gel coat are you using, I looked at your list you and I didn't see it listed, thanks for all the great tutorials

[@RobertTolone]

It’s a epoxy resin Gelcoat E-108GC and an epoxy laminating resin E-108SP from www.silpak.com.

[@graealex]

If this should count as a tutorial, then I am missing some PPE. Gloves and respirator would absolutely be necessary for this kind of work.

[@StasonKalbason]

Молодцом!

[@ericmccolough2482]

Hi Robert and thanks! I want to cast the headlight surrounds of my car and am thinking of making a mold from silicon with soapy water or cornflower. Do you think the silicon would stick (disastrously) to the paint on my car? Any tips to mold painted car parts? Cheers and thanks again!

[@RobertTolone]

Test a small spot of rubber on your car. I rather doubt it will stick but there is always that possibility.

[@jamesgreen8963]

Is the black gel coat resin listed on your drop box supplies list?

[@RobertTolone]

No, I don't think it is. It's E-108GC Black Tooling Gel Coat and E-108 Laminating resin from www.Silpak.com. Both are epoxies.

[@frankmelero5511]

Hi, what silicone material do you use?

[@guillaumedutoit2088]

Hi Robert, how will you cast cups for an anemometer (wind speed meter)? Both sides must have s smooth finish. 45mm diameter - from RSA

[@RobertTolone]

I would use a 2-part mold with the parting line around the edges of the cup. The attachment point of the cups to the arms of the anemometer might have to be drilled and tapped after casting. Not sure how your particular cups attach.

[@satisfied2bme]

I have a questions for a fiberglass piece I need, wondering if you could create a mold and if you would be interested in possibly supplying the piece for order?

[@bonimcruela]

I love you bro, not in gay state, its just because i think you are really a cool dude, you give so much positive energy that would inspire people and of course you got me bro, i wish you healthy happy and long live, bless you bro thank you 🧡🧡🙏🏻☀

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks, glad you enjoy the channel!

[@biggnastybassin7616]

Hi Robert , love all your videos. I make molds and use resins to make fishing lures. Your chanel has helped so much. where do you get your beeswax hot pen and beeswax materials? Thanks gabe

[@RobertTolone]

Bigg Nasty Bassin Hey Gabe, the wax carver (pen) is from Foredom Tools. Beeswax I buy online from Camden-Grey and sticky wax and blue sprue wax I buy from Freemanwax.com

[@clayuniverce]

I’m just curious but could we use fiberglass resin the same way as regular resin instead of layering it the way you did in this video? Im trying to find a really cheap way to buy resin for my product and $60 per gallon is honestly just really expensive for the product I’m selling but I see fiberglass comes in the gallon for about $40

[@RobertTolone]

You should be able to switch to a lower price resin.

[@Hotwire_RCTrix]

Have you considered vacuum bagging one of these to get a lighter product?

[@RobertTolone]

I am not really a composite shop. For instance I have never worked in carbon fiber. So I have never explored vacuum bagging my parts. It’s a fascinating process and there are some great channels on KZbin devoted to composite fabrication.

[@tarstarkusz]

Have you seen Don Wilson's stuff. He does Edison Diamond Disc record reproduced this way. The discs because they use up and down (and not side to side like a normal record) grooves, the record must be extremely exact. The exact thickness or it won't work at all. There cannot be any bubbles or the sound will distort and these are already 100 year old records that don't have great sound to begin with. /watch?v=n-JfLDntSlQ

[@tommorris2291]

Great video. What’s the difference between the ‘gel coat’ resin and the resin you used with applying the fiberglass? Is it ideal to use two kinds or can the same resin be used for both? Also, why go this route for the mold vs doing a brush on with a shell? It seems like doing it this way is more time consuming and may require more silicone. When do you decide to go with this instead of the brush on? Thanks!

[@RobertTolone]

For most projects the gel coat is used to give the final color to the project. Laminating resin is typically clear; it lacks the pigments or fillers to give it color. I also believe that gel coats are more sand-able or otherwise easier to finish than laminating resins are. But I am not an expert at composite casting. I only do it occasionally. I chose I chose this method to make this mold just to demonstrate different ways of doing it. I have done other videos with a brush on rubber mold and shell.

[@andy-in-indy]

"Gel coat" in composites normally refers to a formulation that take a longer time to cure, so that it is still in the gel state when you layer your other materials (e.g. fiberglass and laminating epoxy). There is usually a higher concentration of waxy particles that will form a shinier skin on the surface compared to other epoxies. As Robert points out, it is also the layer that holds to base color for most composites, because it is used for the surface layer. I would justify a block mold for this part because : 1) You want a level surface for the layering, and block molds are self leveling 2) The difference in volume is small when comparing a block mold and brush on, and that is directly proportional to the material cost. 3) The time cost would be higher with a brush on mold.

[@fayezalhashem8771]

Thanks for the nice work please tell me what's the number on the fiberglass

[@RobertTolone]

I believe it was a 4 ounce cloth.

[@leosworkshop23]

How long did you wait between the Gelcoat application and the poliéster resin/fiberglass? Love your videos!!

[@RobertTolone]

Anytime after the gelcoat has set. Thanks for watching.

[@leosworkshop23]

@@RobertTolone thank you for taking the time to get back to me, once again, your channel is awesome. Happy Holidays!!

[@frankspeechhastheevidence6383]

why did you choose cloth instead of chop strand? I tried using the cloth and always had problems laying it out

[@RobertTolone]

I don’t do much composite work so I’m no expert on fiberglass. I use it mostly for making mother shells for molds and in that application I prefer cloth because the final product is easier to handle than shells made of chopped strand. So I keep cloth on hand. I have used chopped strand in large projects where the casting is fiberglass backing up a gel coat.

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

I could only 'just' tell the difference! I have a to make a resin balloon shape, would it be best to fill a balloon with silicone or paint the balloon with it to make the mold?

[@RobertTolone]

You want to end up with a hollow resin casting of a balloon? How big will it be?

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

Yes, not massive....maybe about 6" around the fattest part. BUT I want to make segments....eventually it'll be a model of an air balloon. Like a child's mobile. I have a method for the basket, but not the balloon

[@RobertTolone]

I would be inclined to sculpt the balloon model then brush on a silicone blanket and mother style mold. Then hollow cast the model on a rotational molding machine.

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

Thank you very much! :)

[@KingLouisII]

How much does Silpak charge for their silicone and resins? On par with smooth-on, +/-?

[@RobertTolone]

I have never made a price comparison. Generally speaking, the smaller the container the higher the price per ounce. This is true of most things and is especially true of rubber and resin. For me the sweet spot is 5 gallon buckets. Buying materials in small quantities is extremely expensive.

[@KingLouisII]

@@RobertTolone How much was it? I don't see prices on their site. 🤷‍♂️

[@DailyTradeTip]

how many times Silicon mold can be use to take out fiberglass product

[@andy-in-indy]

My experience has been that it is roughly 1/10 of the life of urethane casting - the epoxy tends to find ways to grab the mold, and silicone will wear out (usually becoming easier to tear) from the heat of casting and leaching of the softening oils. Most fiberglass casting in done with a rigid mold and the part is removed while it is still green. Often the part will be cured outside the mold, but some pieces need the mold to cure in the correct shape.

[@fredygump5578]

This interesting. But the silicone mold doesn't last very long when used with epoxy. Like 30 parts or so and the silicone is compromised. But still, I may experiment with this method.

[@AlenHR]

testing all materials and then forgetting to apply one of them.. it's like looking at myself, hahaha

[@DudeBoerGaming]

I had been looking at fiberglass casting because it is cheaper than polyurethane but the process to is so much longer/slower it negates the benefit. Thanks for making the video.

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, this piece required 7 layers of resin with about an hour and a half curing time in between. Pretty labor intensive. Thanks for watching.

[@sambarjunk]

Bob ross for casting

[@wakefieldallan]

Instead of breaking suction, have you thought of using compressed air to pop the part out? Is that too violent for the mold? Just curious.

[@ramonepatterson9062]

Robert i have question

[@jaywinters2483]

3 holidays?….. you mean like Doc Holiday & his clan?

[@Jibs-HappyDesigns-990]

🥳👍

[@davesilva9174]

Can you show us how to do the “math” for example with 100 part this and 29 parts that and other ratios to grams etc...Thanks Robert!

[@RobertTolone]

The resins I use, including these epoxy resins, are metered out by weight. No conversion is necessary as long as the units are the same. So for 100 pounds of resin you use 29 pounds of hardener . With 100 grams of resin you use 29 grams of hardener. I use grams for most of my smaller projects and my scale is in grams. Grams are the most convenient because the units are small. The math is more complex using when using pounds and ounces. For example, if you weigh out 1 pound of resin how much hardener do you need. 1 pound x .29. What’s that? 😳 Well, there are 16 ounces to a pound so it’s 16 x .29 = 4.64 ounces. How are you going to weigh that accurately? On a gram scale 1 pound is very close to 454 grams. Multiplied by .29 is very close to 132 grams. More than accurate enough for a casting shop. If you needed more precision than that you would have to go to laboratory equipment. If you are converting units there are 28.35 grams to the ounce. But I strongly recommend using a gram scale. If your question was about calculating ratios that’s a separate problem and I have it on my list as a subject for a video.

[@davidnjenga9440]

Now let me get down to work

[@RobertTolone]

👍

[@jimurrata6785]

Ratio is not all that weird. It's just 6:1 Weight or volume?

[@RobertTolone]

It’s not. It’s actually 6.06060606061 to one. 13.5 x 6 = 99. So a six to one ratio would be one percent off. Most resin mixes are simple like 10:1, 2:1, etc. And they are usually a little bit forgiving about accuracy. I haven’t done tests to see how sensitive this resin is to mix ratio. But my theory is that it must be sensitive or the manufacturer would not specify the ratio with that degree of precision. Otherwise they would just specify six to one. But they didn’t. They specified 13.5 to 100.

[@jimurrata6785]

@@RobertTolone Ah! No wonder my muffins don't rise. You do make it fun though. Great lessons always.

[@Chatsu8o]

Much better Trimming: The epoxy will reach what's called a "green" stage some time after your working time ends. If I had to guess with a 30m work time you wanna come back at about an hour or so? Something you can test with your system, as is your way. The epoxy/fiberglass laminate should have the consistency similar to a stick of chewing gum. At that point, come in with a sharp blade and simply trim the edges. It'll cut easily and you'll get a decently finished edge. It MAY lift if you go at it too hard, but it can be simply laid down again. The Epoxy will still be tacky. No jaggies, no table saws, no sanding, no dust to inhale, fraction of the work. Epoxy left on the blade can be cleaned off with Acetone, or whatever you have that works.

[@RobertTolone]

I’m definitely going to try this. Thanks!

[@angelacevedo2112]

I want to learn how to do this so i can make instruments from fiberglass.

[@RobertTolone]

There are much better KZbin channels about composite casting than mine!

[@angelacevedo2112]

@@RobertTolone i liked your explination very much and how easy you make it look i will continue to do research surely. thank you for your video

[@MotoCarbon]

you dont need any release agent for silicon or rubber, epoxy will not stick to it.

[@dianeharris2687]

I messaged you.

[@bobweiram6321]

This process is not for me. Fiberglass splinters in my skin drive me crazy.

[@RobertTolone]

Me too.

[@michaelpearson1272]

You ignored the sheets and didn't put gloves on. So much for data sheet is your friend and you sucked those toxic resin fumes into your lungs and didn't put barrier cream on your skin. Did you bin the data sheets cause you don't use them