How to Make a Mold of a Ski-Doo Hood

One means of reducing the weight on your Ski-Doo is to replace the metal body parts -- the hood for example -- with fiberglass or carbon fiber. Replace the hood without purchasing another by creating a fiberglass mold using the metal hood as a core. Once you create a mold, you can duplicate the hood shape as many times as you like. Considering the fragility of fiberglass compared with metal, it is a good idea to make several hoods.

Things You'll Need

  • Mold release wax
  • Liquid mold release
  • Fiberglass resin
  • Resin hardener
  • Fiberglass cloth
  • 6-inch paintbrush
  • 1-gallon bucket
  • Paint stir stick
  • Rubber gloves
  • Tin snips
  • Grinder
  • Safety glasses
  • Dust mask
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the Ski-Doo hood on a flat workbench or a concrete floor in a ventilated area with the top facing up. Spread mold release wax over the entire surface of the top of the hood with a plastic putty knife. Spread the wax 1/64-to-1/32 inch thin. Cover the entire hood with wax to prevent the fiberglass from damaging the hood.

    • 2

      Spread liquid mold release over the wax with a 6-inch paintbrush. Spread the mold release evenly. Wipe away any drips or puddles. The purpose of the wax and the mold release agent is to protect the hood from the resin and hardener, so cover it completely.

    • 3

      Lay fiberglass cloth over the hood. Cover the hood with three layers. Cloth hanging over the sides of the hood is unimportant. You will cut off the excess once the fiberglass resin cures.

    • 4

      Put on rubber gloves. Pour fiberglass resin into a 1-gallon bucket. Mix the manufacturer's recommended ratio of hardener in with the resin. Mix the two agents together with a paint stir stick.

    • 5

      Dip the paintbrush into the mixture and dab the cloth with the resin and hardener. Saturate the fiberglass cloth by dabbing the cloth. Brushing the resin and hardener mixture on the cloth pulls and bunches it. The resin naturally spreads evenly over the cloth if dabbed in place. Leave the resin and hardener mix to cure for 12 hours.

    • 6

      Lift the fiberglass mold from the Ski-Doo hood by slowly pulling up on a corner. Softly shake the mold until the entire hood falls from the fiberglass. Do not force or jerk on the mold. It may release more slowly than expected.

    • 7

      Put on safety glasses and a dust mask. Cut the excess fiberglass from the mold with tin snips. Abrade the edges of the mold smooth with a grinder.