Panels
A1 combined with moulds is excellent for creating panels in all kinds of shapes and finishes. These panels can also be used outdoors. To give you a better idea of the possibilities, we show you some videos with examples of panels made with A1.
If you would like to learn more about panels and cladding made with A1, we suggest visiting our website A1Cladding.com. There you will find an overview of cladding projects made with A1.
Fillers and pigments can be used to create the look you want. Combined with the structure of your mould, you will be surprised how detailed your panels can be. In this example, we added A1 chips, which create a terrazzo look and feel after sanding.
Because there is no glass fabric, the end result will break relatively easily. However, if you cast the A1 a little thicker, the panel will be more than strong enough to use.
2.0 By adding our A1 Triaxial Fibre, in this case two layers, we add a lot of strength to the A1 panel. Also note that the panel is only 5 mm thick, a fraction of the thickness needed for casting.
Because we are using glass fibre, we need to work in 2 steps. The first step is a layer of A1, which we would normally pigment and/or add fillers to. This layer is 1 to 2 mm thick.
After applying the first layer, we have to wait for the A1 to cure, which normally takes 30 to 40 minutes. When the top layer is strong enough, we can laminate the two layers of glass fibre. We start with a layer of A1 and then apply the glass fibre into the wet A1. We repeat this process one more time. It is important to work wet-on-wet to get optimum adhesion between the layers.
You can normally demould a panel like this 1 to 2 hours after laminating the last layer of A1.
What makes this panel special is not only the very fine and detailed structure of the mould, but also the use of iron powder in the first layer. After we exposed it to water and air, the iron powder in the A1 started to rust. The result is an interesting panel that is hard to tell apart from a real rusted metal panel.
Imagine this in your own home or shop, with a “made by me” stamp.
For extra strength, we used 4 layers of our A1 Triaxial Fibre. We also laminated 2 wooden rails into the panel, for extra structure and for fixing it to the wall or to another column. Please note that because of the wooden rails, this object can only be used indoors.
6.0 By adding yellow sand, this A1 column not only gets a sandstone look and feel, but its fire classification also improves from B to A2, which is comparable to brick and concrete.
The working method remains the same, although you will notice that they apply two top layers first. This makes sure the final top layer is thick enough, so the glass fabric does not show through. They also use sand in all the layers. Not only does this save money by replacing part of the A1 with sand, but more importantly, any damage to the panels will hardly be visible, because everything is the same colour.
Note the fine details of the lines in the columns.
7.0 In this video, we want to show you that larger panels are also possible with A1. The working method stays the same, only the size increases. Again, yellow sand is used to create a real sandstone look and feel that matches the sandstone structure of the mould.
Stiffness and thickness are created by laminating a wooden sheet into the A1 panels. This makes the panel unsuitable for outdoor use, as the wooden sheet will absorb too much moisture.
8.0 Although the size increases and the shape of the mould goes up and down, the working method stays the same, resulting in impressive A1 objects and panels.
For this project, a mould made of EPS was used because of the shape of the element. It was covered with plaster, a paint system and a release wax to make sure the A1 would release properly.
You will have noticed the wooden support elements laminated into the object. These were used not only for extra support but also as a fixing system, as this panel is one part of an impressive indoor ceiling.
