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Gelcoat Mould Sanding and Polishing
Preparing and Finishing Moulds in Boat and Yacht Production
Facing harsh conditions with salt, water and wind, marine surfaces need to be built to last. It all starts with the hull and for that, you need a plug and mould to construct a frame that gives the boat or watercraft its shape and strength.
One of the keys to success in mould construction is proper surface preparation of the plug. Any imperfections on the surface will be transferred to the mould, and then to future parts made from that mould, meaning corrective work and a high standard of finish is more important than ever. In addition, a smoother outer surface on the mould will require less work on the finish.
With Mirka’s net and multihole abrasives, ergonomic sanders and efficient dust extraction, you can work faster and more efficiently while improving work safety.
For a better finish
Mould Gelcoat Sanding and Polishing
2/8 - Step 1
Sanding
For orange peel surfaces, start sanding with Mirka® Galaxy 600 grit together with Mirka® DEROS 650CV.
3/8 - Step 2
Continue sanding with Galaxy grit 800 using a Net Interface.
Clean the surface in between every step.
Continue sanding until the scratches are reduced.
4/8 - Step 3
Continue sanding with Galaxy 1200 or 1500 grit together with a Net Interface
Clean the surface.
5/8 - Step 4
Continue sanding with Galaxy 2000 grit together with a Net Interface.
Clean the surface.
6/8 - Step 5
Continue sanding with Mirka Abralon® 3000. When wet sanding, turn off the dust extractor.
Clean the surface.
7/8 - Step 1
Polishing
Polish the surface with Polarshine® 45 and a Lambswool Pad Pro
together with Mirka® PS 1437 Polisher to eliminate sanding scratches.
Clean the surface in between every step.
8/8 - Step 2
Light colours
For light coloured surfaces, we recommend using Polarshine® 12
and an Orange Waffle Foam Pad instead.
Dark colours
Polish dark coloured surfaces with Polarshine® 12 Black together
with a Black M Waffle Foam Pad to remove polishing marks or haze and holograms.
Clean the surface.
Process steps
Prepare for Success – Why Surfaces Matter When Creating Moulds
Why do you need to have a consistently smooth surface on a mould?
There are two types of moulds, male and female. Male moulds are faster and cheaper to make. Each part produced will have a rough outer texture that will need more work on the finish. Female moulds are often more expensive, but they require less work on the finish because every part gets a smoother outer surface.
Nautor's Swan, Finland
High-Quality Finish
For Finnish yacht builder Nautor, a high-quality finish is about respecting the company’s roots and heritage, and it takes the best kind of power tools and abrasives to accomplish that. Benny Brännbacka from Nautor shares with us what it means to collaborate with Mirka, and how important client satisfaction is when building spectacular yachts with Mirka's solutions.
"Working with Mirka is very good, we are continuously collaborating."
Why Choose Mirka?
Save time and money – You can cut costs and reduce working hours
Why Choose Mirka?
Sand and polish safely without strain – Our tools and abrasives are ergonomic, efficient, and easy to use
Why Choose Mirka?
Improve the quality of work – The finish is excellent, with less effort
Save your health, time, and money
Sanding Without Dust
Do you get covered in dust when sanding? Try the benefits of Mirka's pioneering sanding solutions and see how a dust-free working environment can boost your business.
Benefits from dust-free sanding
Healthier working environment - Stop dust from getting into your lungs
Time-saving – No cleaning after sanding and clean abrasives cut better
Money-saving – No clogging lets you sand longer with the same abrasive
High-quality finish - Thanks to a finer scratch pattern
A better choice for you and the environment
Water-Based Polishes
All polishes that Mirka produces are water-based and produced in Finland. There are many benefits of choosing a water-based polishing compound.
- Effective permanent removal of scratches - Water-based compounds remove scratches permanently. Solvent-based compounds can lose gloss after cleaning the surface with a degreaser and in some cases, they may only temporarily hide the scratches.
- Safer for the operator - No hazardous chemicals
- Sustainable - Water-based polishes are better for the environment and do not contain benzene.
Solvent-based polishes may be effective in the short run, but they are more damaging and harmful.
Kim Rönnholm
Portfolio Manager, Mirka
Savings calculator for yacht surface finishing process
Use the calculator to understand what savings can be achieved with the right process and tools
Your savings
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If you want to know more about Mirka's process and how we have calculated savings, please fill in the form below. We will deliver an extensive white paper on marine surface finishing savings, free of charge.
The white paper answers these questions:
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How surface finishing is currently done?
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What is Mirka's surface finishing process?
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How much time and money can be saved using Mirka's process?
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More Products for Improving your Marine Surface Finishing Application
Contact Us
Do you want to know more about our marine surface finishing solutions? Please get in touch and our expert support team will answer your questions.