3D Printing for Mould Making Part 1- FEBRUARY 2021

Tags: 3D Printing, FEBRUARY 2021

For my new Gee Bee R2 model, I decided to create a mould for the wheel pants. The wheel pants will be created with carbon fibre cloth and epoxy resin.
I decided to 3D print a plug using PLA filament. I had seen Ramy on YouTube create 3D printed moulds but decided to create a plug instead as it would be easier to sand and finish.
A 3d model was created in Fusion 360 and this model was sliced into 4 pieces so that it could be printed on an Ender 3 printer.
The pictures below show the steps I took to create the 3D model. I couldn't find any tutorials so this is the approach I took.

The parts were glued together using CA glue. Multiple coats of filler were applied and sanded. Following this treatment, an automotive high build primer was sprayed on and sanded.

Tips

1. You should never leave the plug in a position where it is exposed to direct sunlight on a hot day otherwise it will distort and you will have to fill and resand or repaint.
2. Leave wet sanding until the plug is fully sealed otherwise the moisture will be absorbed into the plug and later on it will seep out while you are painting, ruining the finish.
3. I painted the plug using acrylic spray paint and applied a clear coat. To achieve a mirror finish I will wet sand then polish. This will also remove the orange peel from the paint finish.
Next time I create a plug I will apply an epoxy coat then sand to eliminate the painting process. I wish this video had been published before I started on my plug Making a Composite Mould for a Carbon Fibre Part from a 3D Printed Pattern
There are lots of great videos on the Easy Composites YouTube channel showing techniques for making composite parts.

In the next article, I will cover the of making the mould.

Items used

Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer
Flashforge 1.75mm PLA Filament
Sika Surface Filler
Rustoleum Filler Primer
Rustoleum Acrylic Lacquer