Aqua Resin, Non-toxic Resin

[rachciav]

woot woot! it looks great! but what you're saying is that you're doomed if you dont have supports? or if i found a head shaped object to put inside the helmet while resining the outside i should be alright?

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

Shanks Spartan 300

@ Spartan II: Thanks for the encouragement You really don't need a mask while applying to compound, just don't deeply inhale while adding the powder, that's the only caution. This stuff doesn't even smell all that much, it smells like finger paints.

@ WetOkole: OHHAHAHAHA no no no, it's one of those cosmotology dummy heads. I'm borrowing it from a friend hhahahahha!

@Luke: You don't have to use AOB's hot glue, in my case I had to, because I had no way to support the helmet and I'm paranoid of trashing my helmet. Just an extra step of caution. It was a bit of an abbreviated version of Frost's wonderful idea. I just used a hot glue gun and a small bag of glue sticks and I seamed the inside with hotglue and reinforced the hell out of everything that needed it. I will still seam the inside with aqua resin for added stregnth. You MUST use the Krylon sealer, that will prevent the card stock from getting waterlogged, which will prevent warping.

@ Rachiav: I recommend using a stand of some kind for a few reasons. 1) You arm will get very tired 2) You run the risk of the resin being rubbed off the helmet by over handling it as it cures 3) You run the risk of ruin clothes, carpet, tables if the area isn't properly covered. 4) It's a lot easier to rotate a turn table or mannequin head. 5) You run the risk of severly warping the helmet if you try to stand it on it's own. You can look at place like Micheals or even JoAnne Etc. I think the styra foam heads could work and their cheap, they may need to be weighted somehow though. Plastic turntables aren't terribly expensive either.

 

[AoBfrost]

The hot glue method is also a way if you are allergic to fiberglass or your parents dont want you using it for some unknown reason.

It wont be as strong, but because it is rubbery, it will take hits and potentially not crack.

Because you coat the outside/inside with 1 layer of resin, it will still flex like cardstock would, but after coating the inside with my method, the entire piece takes on a rubbery form because the main support will be hot glue. Take a glue stick, bend it back and forth, it stays it's shape and is hard and flexible.

Although I'm not sure if some paints will work if you want to paint the inside of the armor/helmet. Some paint's I have used in the past eat and dissolve plastics. So if you want to paint over hot glue, I'd get some krylon fusion paint.

Otherwise, get some food coloring, melt the hot glue, add some black food coloring, and have black hot glue. problem solved. this way, if the piece was bent, the paint wouldnt chip off the hot glue, the color is IN the glue.

 

[Culvan]

luke: You don't have to use AOB's hot glue, in my case I had to, because I had no way to support the helmet and I'm paranoid of trashing my helmet. Just an extra step of caution. It was a bit of an abbreviated version of Frost's wonderful idea. I just used a hot glue gun and a small bag of glue sticks and I seamed the inside with hotglue and reinforced the hell out of everything that needed it. I will still seam the inside with aqua resin for added stregnth. You MUST use the Krylon sealer, that will prevent the card stock from getting waterlogged, which will prevent warping.

Does the Krylon stick to the hot glue? Can the Aqua Resin stick to the hot glue? Seems like it wouldn't.

Andy

 

[AoBfrost]

Resin the cardstock, then hto glue OVER the resin.

You posted right after I made my last post, so read it, it explains why paint wont stick. Mixing in food coloring into the hot glue when melted would make black hot glue, the color is in the glue, so it will never chip off.

 

[Sean Bradley]

Maybe laminate your pepakura sheets before assembly? Most print centers do lamination cheaply... may interfere with folding, but would solve the saturation issue from having to spray it with sealer, and would stiffen the cardstock for the resining process.

I'm new to pep, so I'm just throwing this idea out there...

 

[AoBfrost]

If laminated you would need to use hot glue then because elmers glue/glue stick wont hold onto the smooth surface.

but laminating is a good idea, you might not even need resin since lamination is smooth, but since you cut it, you risk it peeling off.

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

@Culivan: Well I actually sprayed after i hot glued, but I did add another layer of hot glue after I sprayed to make doubly sure I had enough support. The resin also went right over the hot glue

@AOB: Thanks for the additional information, I would have been in trouble otherwise

@Sean: That's also a great idea I doubt the Krylon would come off

 

[23Magnum]

If you laminate, could you also get away with using regular paper as well since the laminate would act, strength wise, like the cardstock does? I don't really know for sure, but I though I'd throw that out there and see if anyone agreed.

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

If you laminate, could you also get away with using regular paper as well since the laminate would act, strength wise, like the cardstock does? I don't really know for sure, but I though I'd throw that out there and see if anyone agreed.

Hmmm I'm not to sure, maybe? I'd worry about warping, but ya never know.

 

[cgspartan]

the real question is, would the resin properly adhere to the laminate?

Good stuff so far Skullcandy

any ideas or tests yet on how sturdy this stuff is, compared to normal polyester resin?

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

the real question is, would the resin properly adhere to the laminate?

Good stuff so far Skullcandy

any ideas or tests yet on how sturdy this stuff is, compared to normal polyester resin?

Well I've never used polyester resin, but with only the outer seaming, it feels sturdy, it's not rock hard, but I'll let ya know how it is after I get some more quotes.

 

[LastSpartan]

Nice thread Skullcandy.

May we have a picture of the mixed resin? To see like the texture? Please? ^^

Thanks a lot, your thread is very useful

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

My pleasure to help people out. Sure I'll try to upload something tonight.

 

[LastSpartan]

I may come to NYC in a month. I'll probably buy a can.

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

Here's the resin, this is after it's cured.

The resin while it's still in it's liquid form, with a normal 1:2 ratio has the consistency of melted ice cream.

 

[Sigma LS]

Nice, does it behave like regular resin when you brush it on or more like a plaster? (Smooth and sticky or watery and clayey?)

If you are wondering, yes this is an interrogation.- j/k

Thanks again for testing this out. Your helm's looking pretty nice too.

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

No worries Sigma, as far as the reisn went here was what my mix turned out:

I used a 1:2 ratio, so 1 part liquid, 2 parts powder(I'm pretty sure you probably know ratio's etc, but just in case anyone else wondered). The consistency was like melted ice cream. It didn't run all over the place and it was pretty easy for me to control and I used a thin chip-brush to apply to resin. The mix is also slightly grainy, not gross chunks, just grainy (I can't quite explain it) I may not get to the "bondo-like" testing for a week since my schedule is absolutely loaded. Though I know this stuff can get mixed pretty thick, almost like a pancake batter and that shortens the cure time.

Thanks Sigma, this whole process is very fun

 

[cgspartan]

Ok, I called the compleatsculptor guys today to check and see why my order hadn't gone through yet, and found out what skullcandy was talkin about when she said that she found out how popular the stuff is.
They were actually completely out of aquaresin, so my order was waiting for more to come in (which they said should be today) so my order should get shipped out tomorrow *fingers crossed*


any new news with what you're workin on skullcandy?

 

[rachciav]

wow this stuff must be really popular! i hope i can get some soon. im asking my parents for it for my birthday coming up.