How Home Palki Sahibs Are Made: Fiberglass (FRP) Manufacturing Process

Beautiful Designs of Home Palki Sahib and Pida Sahib

As manufacturers dedicated to preserving the sanctity and beauty of Sikh tradition, we understand the deep reverence felt for Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. For many Sikh families, housing the Holy Scripture in a home Palki Sahib is a central act of devotion. This commitment requires a dwelling that is both beautiful and durable.

Here we are sharing our detailed manufacturing secrets because we believe transparency is key. People interested in acquiring a high-quality, designer Palki Sahib or Gurdwara Sahib Dome often want to know exactly how the best manufacturers achieve their superior results. Our process, often utilizing advanced materials like Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP), fiberglass, or silicone in mold-making, combines traditional artistry with modern engineering.

Here is the step-by-step journey of how a beautiful home Palki Sahib is made from scratch.

Stage 1: Design and Physical Modeling

The creation of a designer Palki Sahib begins not with material, but with an inspired vision.

Concept Drawing: Our designers first translate their creative vision into a simple 2D sketch. This initial drawing outlines the shape, size, and ornamental details.
3D Blueprint: The 2D sketch is then refined and developed into a rough 3D format using design software. This helps visualize the final proportions and complex curves.
The Clay Model (The 'Plug'): This is where artistry meets reality. The 3D blueprint is used to guide the creation of a physical, full-scale clay model of the Palki Sahib. This clay model, or 'plug', represents the finished product exactly as it should look.

Stage 2: Mold Fabrication (The Reusable Template of Palki Sahib Components)

The mold is arguably the most crucial tool, as it ensures that every single Palki Sahib piece produced is identical and flawless. Since the Palki Sahib has multiple distinct parts (dome, pillars, peeda sahib, kalash, etc.), a separate mold is created for each component.

Prepare the Clay or Wooden Plug: The original clay model is painstakingly sanded and polished to achieve a perfect, high-luster finish. This is vital, as any tiny flaw on the plug will transfer to the final product.
Apply Mold Release: A special release powder and wax is applied to the polished clay surface. This acts as a protective layer, ensuring the new fiberglass mold doesn't stick to the clay plug when they cure together.
Build the Mold: Multiple layers—including tooling gel coat, resin, and durable fiberglass cloth—are carefully applied over the prepared clay plug. These layers cure and harden to create a durable, mirror-image (female) mold of the Palki Sahib component.
Separate the Mold: Once cured, the finished fiberglass mold is meticulously separated from the original clay plug. It is then cleaned and prepped, ready to be used repeatedly for mass production.

Stage 3: Product Fabrication (Creating the Parts)

With the reusable molds ready, the actual components of the Palki Sahib are now created, typically using the hand lay-up method for custom, high-quality parts.

Prepare the Mold: The inside surface of the mold is prepped again with a release agent to ensure the finished part can be easily removed.
Apply Gel Coat: A high-quality, pigmented gel coat is sprayed into the mold first. This layer cures to become the smooth, exterior, cosmetic surface that the customer will see—the foundational colour of the Palki Sahib.
Lay-up the Fiberglass (FRP): Once the gel coat is cured, layers of strong fiberglass (FRP) mat are manually placed inside the mold (for the Dome, Pillars, Peeda Sahib, etc.).
Wet-out the Resin: A catalyzed resin is applied to the FRP layers using brushes and rollers. The technician saturates the fibers, carefully working to eliminate all trapped air bubbles. This ensures maximum strength and integrity.
Cure and De-mold: The layered resin and fiberglass are left to fully cure and harden. Once rock-solid, the hardened components are carefully removed (de-molded) from their respective molds.

Stage 4: Finishing and Painting (The Polished Look)

This final stage transforms the raw components into a beautiful, ready-to-use Palki Sahib with a flawless, glass-like finish.

Trimming and Shaping: All components undergo initial trimming. Excess FRP or rough material (flanges) is removed using tools like snips, files, and grinders.
Initial Sanding: Edges are smoothed and shaped with coarse sandpaper (like 80–100 grit).
Filling and Preparation: Any surface irregularities are addressed. Fiberglass putty and resin are used to fill any pinholes (tiny air bubbles) or low spots, ensuring a perfectly smooth surface. The repaired areas are then sanded flush with the surrounding surface.
Cleaning and Priming: The entire surface is thoroughly cleaned with a wax/grease remover (like acetone) to ensure primer adhesion. Then, a high-quality polyester primer is coated onto all components.
Final Sanding and Painting: The primer layer is wet-sanded using progressively finer-grit paper (e.g., 400 to 1000 grit) until the surface is exceptionally smooth. The final golden, white, or ivory-coloured paint is then expertly spray-painted onto the components.
Clear Coat and Final Cure: Once the paint is dry, a high-quality clear coat lacquer is sprayed on top for protection and a deep gloss. This clear coat is then dried, often slowly in the sunshine, to fully cure.