Advice please - Smooth finish to cardboard build? :)

[Animafire]

Hi, I know it's uncool to ask noobish questions, but i don't think there is much info on here
about getting a smooth effect on cardboard with anything other than fibre glass or resin, and i cant really get my hands on any very easily. Also i live in the UK, so any products you might know that could help me, i need to be able to get :confused

I'm not using the traditional methods most people use to make their armour, i'm using.. cardboard and masking tape. :rolleyes haha, yes. BUt it's going rather well.

It's worked so far, all i need to do is create a smooth surface to paint on. I create my pieces with card then cover them in tape to create the shapes, but of course this leaves a wrinkly surface. I need something i can apply that will be smooth and easy to paint on. Any ideas or help you can offer? :$ i shall be very grateful. I was thinking PVA or something... but not sure it's a good idea. Thanks A pic of what i have so far (not smoothed of course)

 

[Toacrabman]

You dont ever fiberglass the outisde of a part, you just resin. If you resin it, and use hotglue to build it (as resin removes tape adhesive)
then it will be really sturdy, and then you just sand down areas where resin built up (drops running down the side, corners where it pooled up, etc) and it will be nice and smooth. Then if you want it really smooth apply a layer of bondo, and sand it down. Bondo can be bought at basically every walmart in the USoA, but I think there could be something similar in England.

 

[Sierra 091]

You could cover it in foamies, something like Marshon did in his wonderful weapons tutorial here: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/32627-Tutorial-Scratchbuilt-cardboard-weapons-for-noobs
hope that's of help

 

[sandy1973]

Try woodfiller on top, sand it smooth and apply pva glue to seal it, then paint.