cling film and fibreglass

[Agemax]

i want to make a fibreglass replica of the front of my bellypan. it will be some kind of removable stone guard/accent piece that will fit over it.
i am thinking, could i cover the pan in cling film and then lay the fibreglass over that so it comes away easy when it has hardened or is there a better way, like some sort of release agent to spread over it before glassing?
cheers,

[chuck hahn]

GREENSEAL...Its a brush on release agent used in die making processes...it will come off the part as well. Found this place with a quick Google search. The resins in the fiberglassing kit may eat plastic film, and unless its perfectly smooth the film will leave marks in it as well.

http://www.chemtrend.com/mold_release_agents

[Agemax]

ok Chuck,thanks. i knew about proper release agent but i wondered if there may be a cheaper way,sommat lying around the house.......LARD maybe haha....
i will check out the local bodyshop supplier tomorrow

[MisterCinders]

When glassing over the foam molds coated in masking tape, I give them several heavy coats of car wax to ease removal.

Of course, I don't care about the form's survival, so that may not work well enough here.

[Tim Tom]

Been doing some fiberglass experiments for my digital fabrication class this semester. The whole class is centered around rapid prototyping specifically with CNC, Laser Cutter, and 3d printing. The class is a whole load of fun and I'm learning lots.

For one of the projects I was laying fiberglass over a fairly intricate CNC cut foam form. Tried several methods of protecting the foam from the resin, including using suran cling wrap. It did work very well at isolating the part from the fiberglass. Much better than packing tape, as the tape allowed some resin to seep though the edges of the tape. That could have been my fault based upon the form of the part though.

You will however have to be careful not to get air bubbles and minimize the creases in the cling wrap. It can be done, but it takes some time to get right. I recommend using painters tape or something to secure the cling to the part so it doesn't move around while your stippling the resin through the cloth.

There are tons or release agents available. Some are wax based, others are aerosols. I used Vaseline because I had it on hand from other casting projects. Worked like a treat.

[Agemax]

hmmmm cheers, i have some vaseline i think. may try that

[tatu]

hmmmm cheers, i have some vaseline i think. may try that

Maybe silicone grease? Dow corning MS4 type stuff, its slimey as snot and nowt sticks after that stuff's been on.

[Agemax]

cheers, i know i got some of that! lots of it !

[Sandy]

Any place that sells fiberglass supplies will sell stuff called mold release. It's sort of a wax and probably similiar to what Chuck has mentioned. The benefit with using something like that is your finished mold will required far less cleanup work due to bubbles or wrinkles and any small details will be preserved. It's cheap, designed for the job and will just plain work.

[Mista M]

cling wrap will work fine, find the thickest one possible (check catering stores).
For a mold release, cooking spray works well for quick and dirty projects.