"Help!" for: Fiberglassing, Resin, & Bondo
- Thread starter 23Magnum
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Watch how he does it:
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php...-Chief-**-A-Step-By-Step-Tutorial-(My-Way)-**
The short answer is... however you want. The main idea though is to put it in the middle of the polygons, to fill them out and smooth the sharp edges created by the edges.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php...-Chief-**-A-Step-By-Step-Tutorial-(My-Way)-**
The short answer is... however you want. The main idea though is to put it in the middle of the polygons, to fill them out and smooth the sharp edges created by the edges.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
The pep file is only there to provide a chassis for shaping. Cover the whole thing and start sanding, shaping and detailing. I found the first layer was the thickest. After the initial sanding, each subsequent layer was thinner and thinner, becoming smoother and more refined every time. It's worth the effort to get it right. Don't rush it.
Another thing... Less is more. It's better to do three thin layers than one thick layer. You will quickly lose details and edges if you glop it on, and it will cost you more in wasted bondo, and a sore arm from sanding so much.
A lot of helmets have a ton of nooks and crannies that can easily be lost, and you will quickly find yourself bogged down from trying to sand the excess bondo if you go overboard. Get a spreader or three, they're cheap and will make sure the bondo goes on VERY smoothly and evenly, saving you sanding time.
I've been seeing a lot of builds in the noob subforum where people heap on thick globs randomly onto the helmet and don't bother even smoothing it down (I did this with my first helmet, it's just an instinct I guess for n00bs). It can create bubbles, and is just wayyyy too much work to sand it down. You will get quickly disheartened by trying to get through it. The helmets are already close to the right size, you are just filling in the gaps created by the boxy polygons.
A lot of helmets have a ton of nooks and crannies that can easily be lost, and you will quickly find yourself bogged down from trying to sand the excess bondo if you go overboard. Get a spreader or three, they're cheap and will make sure the bondo goes on VERY smoothly and evenly, saving you sanding time.
I've been seeing a lot of builds in the noob subforum where people heap on thick globs randomly onto the helmet and don't bother even smoothing it down (I did this with my first helmet, it's just an instinct I guess for n00bs). It can create bubbles, and is just wayyyy too much work to sand it down. You will get quickly disheartened by trying to get through it. The helmets are already close to the right size, you are just filling in the gaps created by the boxy polygons.
Skullptura
Member
I read through forums and they all say the same kinda thing. Dont put on too much or your arm gets tired sanding it down. VERY WISE ADVICE. However, my fallout T-45 power armour helmet was a little warped to one side so i put lots of bondo/filler on it and used an electric sander to shape it down a bit then went by hand before painting it. But then, the helmet itself isnt hery high detail anyway....... My father is a professional builder by trade, so he taught me how to use tools properly and all that.
Is there a particular 'key word' or 'rating' I should be looking for regarding a respirator and filters? I keep seeing 'organic vapors' and 'particulate' but not sure what that translates to as far as the exact respirator...
The resin & bondo products that are available at my local hardware stores are:
3M 20122 Bondo All Purpose Fiberglass Resin
Bondo Body Filler
The resin & bondo products that are available at my local hardware stores are:
3M 20122 Bondo All Purpose Fiberglass Resin
Bondo Body Filler
Resin and body filler are fairly standard in the chemicals they release, so getting the right mask will cover all brands of resins and body fillers.
You want a cartridge based respirator (it has those big boxes/cylinders on the cheeks) that can filter organic vapors. Particulate is something they'll all do. The important thing is the cartridges. A lot of people buy flu masks and think that's enough because they assume they're only dealing with flying shrapnel, but it's the vapors that are even more dangerous (unless the shrapnel is fiberglass... but any respirator will filter particulates like that)
You want a cartridge based respirator (it has those big boxes/cylinders on the cheeks) that can filter organic vapors. Particulate is something they'll all do. The important thing is the cartridges. A lot of people buy flu masks and think that's enough because they assume they're only dealing with flying shrapnel, but it's the vapors that are even more dangerous (unless the shrapnel is fiberglass... but any respirator will filter particulates like that)
Hey guys! Another question here. So I've been watching Cereals Master Chief build (a project I'm sure many of you are familiar with!), and he said to glaze (I think that means spot putty?) the entire outside of a piece after all bondoing is done right before a final sanding. Is it really necessary to cover and entire sanded piece with spotting putty just to sand it again? Okay, my other question would be about small details and bondo. When you get to angles and small details in a piece (for example, I'm doing a MK VI helmet, and I'm doing the grooves on the top of the head), is it necessary to bondo the edges and the inside of those grooves? Cereal just spot puttied the inside of some details on his piece (a MK VI chest). Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
Carpathia
Sr Member
For you first question, the spot putty is to give the piece the final surface. Even the best bondo coating will have tiny pits, minor gouges and small scratches in it that would show up when painting. The glazing fills in all those tiny imperfections. And since it is easy to sand, you can hand-sand the glazing to an incredible smoothness. In the end, it may not look like you added as much glazing as you did, but you'll be happy you went through the process when you apply that first coat of primer.
Onto your second question. It really all depends on how well you did in your resin stage. Since most people have imperfections due to resin runs/pooling, many opt to sand the resin down and bondo over the sand marks to achieve the smooth detail. If, however, the resin is very smooth, the edge remains crisp and defined and there are no resin runs, a light sanding and glazing is really all that's needed. For my Mk VI helmet, I didn't use any bondo on the top ridges since I actually had a good resin coat; I just sanded a bit, applied some glazing and gave it the final sand and have what you can see in my thread. Really, this is up to your own preference and what you perceive as "good enough."
Hope that explains a bit.
The spot putty is because if you look at the bondo closely, it has small pits and imperfections. You cover the piece in a thin layer of the spot putty, and then sand it with a very high grit sandpaper, and this makes it baby smooth.
You don't NEED to bondo anything. When it comes to corners, I usually makes sure the apply pressure with my spreader to preserve the edge, but still get bondo onto the parts of the flat surface that need it (small undulations and grooves that the eye may not see but are there)
You don't NEED to bondo anything. When it comes to corners, I usually makes sure the apply pressure with my spreader to preserve the edge, but still get bondo onto the parts of the flat surface that need it (small undulations and grooves that the eye may not see but are there)
Skullptura
Member
It depends on your style of construction. Personally I do. I would assume it would help prevent warping but then I only went that far on one halo helmet. I just used a dremmel tool and cut out the visor section when it had set.
Carpathia
Sr Member
If anything, I would recommend covering the edges of the visor with fiberglass. That way, when you cut the visor away, you can be sure that you've got complete fiberglass coverage around the opening, rather than some areas coming up short.
Carpathia
Sr Member
If anything, I would recommend covering the edges of the visor with fiberglass. That way, when you cut the visor away, you can be sure that you've got complete fiberglass coverage around the opening, rather than some areas coming up short.
Skullptura
Member
Good point!
RTWHOCKEY
Active Member
Today i came across a problem with my fiberglass. I resined my mrk vi shin piece and I let it dry, and it dried fine. Then I came back and fiberglassed it, and let dry. The next day, over 24 hours later, I came out and the piece was still wet. I'm absolutly sure I added enought hardener, and its over 100 degrees (Farenhight) outside, so what could have happened? It wasn't my very first piece I fiberglassed, and my previous pieces dried just fine. My dad used to work in an auto body shop, so he had worked with resin and fiberglass before, and even he was puzzeled. Any ideas why this happened?
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