"Help!" for: Fiberglassing, Resin, & Bondo

[RobotChicken]

Halloween is a goal, but it's understood by us that it may not be achievable this year (which gives another whole year to work on it!). The pieces are sized slightly large for growing room. (And new to the forum and pep doesn't necessarily mean new to costuming. I've been costuming and modeling for 20+ years and have used resin and automotive filler on other projects. Just not both at the same time before.)

Total time will be four months, as I've already been working on it for awhile now. Once I get past the tedious pep phase, the rest should go pretty quick. Sanding and detailing is pretty easy work.

 

[tabris89]

howdy from Oz 405th

in australia these are the kits i found for fibreglass resin;
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

this is a suitable product for pep work yes?

also does there seem to be any difference between fibreglass 1 and 2?

1: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products
2: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

thanks in advance,
jimmay!

 

[Halex]

howdy from Oz 405th

in australia these are the kits i found for fibreglass resin;
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

this is a suitable product for pep work yes?

also does there seem to be any difference between fibreglass 1 and 2?

1: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products
2: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

thanks in advance,
jimmay!

That certainly looks like the stuff, but I'm sure one of the AUS members can confirm for sure.

As far as the differences in the two fiberglass products, one is mat and one is cloth. Cloth is much more flexible and easier to work with, but may require additional layering to achieve the desired strength. Mat, while much more difficult to work with, is a thicker material. Generally on pep products, 2 layer of fiberglass cloth is more than adequate for strengthening. Mat can be useful to maintain rigidity over larger smooth surfaces, such as the pectoral areas of the MkVI torso or butt plate of the cod piece.

 

[Vandoore]

howdy from Oz 405th

in australia these are the kits i found for fibreglass resin;
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

this is a suitable product for pep work yes?

also does there seem to be any difference between fibreglass 1 and 2?

1: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products
2: http://www.bunnings.com.au/products...s+resin&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

thanks in advance,
jimmay!

Yeah, that's the product I use for my pep work,
if you're looking for the body filler this is what I've used with success
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/on...ler-500g.aspx?pid=287584&menuFrom=80303#Cross

 

[tabris89]

cheers for the fibreglass clarification Halex im awhile for needing it, havent really started my build; but now ill know for the future

Vandoore: good to know i got fellow aussies lookin out and thanks a bunch for the filler link!! what size kits do you get for the diggers? 1 2 or 3? and how much does the kit cover in terms of pieces?

 

[Vandoore]

I bought the no.1 kit, that allowed me to resin all piece for a deadspace suit, and fibreglass half. I did however go to the extremes and basically dip each piece in resin, which is something you don't do, the suit was ruined. Bare in mind that you can also purchase the resin glass and catalyst separately at bunnings so if you run out of anything you can just go back for more.
In terms of a halo armour set, the 1 kit should cover most of the initial resin and glassing, you may need to supplement. Unknown how much body filler you'll need.

and how am I an infantryman now, I haven't even completed a suit yet or posted any pics or work done.

 

[gothylox]

I bought the no.1 kit, that allowed me to resin all piece for a deadspace suit, and fibreglass half. I did however go to the extremes and basically dip each piece in resin, which is something you don't do, the suit was ruined. Bare in mind that you can also purchase the resin glass and catalyst separately at bunnings so if you run out of anything you can just go back for more.
In terms of a halo armour set, the 1 kit should cover most of the initial resin and glassing, you may need to supplement. Unknown how much body filler you'll need.

and how am I an infantryman now, I haven't even completed a suit yet or posted any pics or work done.

I believe I read somewhere that when you have 30 days + 30 posts you get the title infantryman.. but I may be confusing it with another title or something as I'm new myself

 

[AussieInk]

Ok being new to this all I have a few questions regarding Resin/Bondo/Rondo/Filler.

I am currently in the process of building my first Pep/Costume piece which is more just a tester to get a feel for all the steps/processes ( A Iron Man helm which I have a WIP Here )

Now the pep file I chose has 3 separate pieces ( Skull/Faceplate/Chin ) For shaping purposes, once the pep was done I used a few globs of Hot glue on inside corners to assemble the whole helm. I am currently resining the piece ( Have 1 coat on outside and inside ) and because this piece has large open areas there is a little warping. I am planning on using heat gun method to shape piece back before Fibre glassing. So Im wondering if I should separate the 3 pieces once shaped before the Fibreglassing, or after? Its pretty rigid atm with just resin, but Im unsure as to wether it will warp more during Fibreglassing or not. It would make my life easier having the parts separated I feel. But need clarification.

On a side note, in regards the last few posts it is great to see a fair few fellow Aussies around

 

[Jason 078]

With everything I have seen, you should resin it, then separate it after it is hardened. If you wait until after you glass it, then there is the possibility of the edges shattering or splintering. Not to mention, you would need a breathmask to cut the fiberglass for safety, but not the resin.

As for the warping, I have been seeing a really simple trick to keep that from happening. Use craft sticks and toothpicks. Craft sticks are also known as popsicle sticks and can be purchased by the thousands for not much money. Just glue two or three into the large areas. When you resin it, you don't even have to worry about moving them. The resin will soak into them and make the helmet harder. Toothpicks are best used for the smaller areas. Though, make sure they are the flat toothpicks and not the round.

 

[AussieInk]

With everything I have seen, you should resin it, then separate it after it is hardened...

Yeah because this was my first ever project and a test build I decided to not use any supports purely to have the worst possible outcome from Resin Process. The method behind my madness is it gives me a good scope first time on the hiccups which Im sure I will face later ( As Ive seen alot of warping on other threads even with heavy support bases. )
So the way I see it, is I will have a fair few areas to fix before Glassing so It isnt so daunting for the next projects if I get a hiccup. ( Although maybe I was lucky with resin and there isnt too many areas to fix. )

And thanks for clarifying the separation stage. That was what I was thinking but I needed someone more experienced to let me know if what I was thinking was possible.

Cheers again

 

[BryZad]

Hey Guys and gals I have a question about Bondo? I live in Arizona and it is 110 Deg out and I am trying to do work in my helmet. It seem like the work time for me now after miked it like not even two mins. Does anyone know or have any pointer to help me get more work time? i have cut down on the hardner and still not really a change.

 

[Katsu]

Use less cream hardener, you can get pretty low and still have it work, but you do need some in there. I've also found that working on the side of a house opposite the sun (the shade) lowers the temperature further. Also planning your time to cooler hours helps a lot, the hour or two before sunset tend to help.

 

[BryZad]

Use less cream hardener, you can get pretty low and still have it work, but you do need some in there. I've also found that working on the side of a house opposite the sun (the shade) lowers the temperature further. Also planning your time to cooler hours helps a lot, the hour or two before sunset tend to help.

Thanks i also tried and found that it works it i stuck the piece of tile i mix on in the freezer to cool it off and it seem to help it a bit.

 

[Katsu]

That's a great idea! Tile is a great way to get a high utility mixing surface. There's a fume hood in the techshop I work at, so heat isn't as big a problem, but when I can't make the commute it's good to have options when working on the patio.

 

[dishabille]

has anyone attempted to use the expanded or bubble foam bought in hobby shops to do a build and then tried to fiberglass over the top? if so have you found a process to accomplish this without deforming the foam underneath. I ask because this is exactly what im doing currently. I have a mask completely sculpted out of "bubble" foam and need a way to make the outside rigid in case it gets dropped or i want to use it as a paintball mask. i saw a video posted that starred XRobots om youtube but he had a different foam from what im using. Any ideas if it would be the same or any other way to achieve the same effect?

 

[Speedtrix]

oh great tutorial well done and hope you keep on going and i resin the outside and the inside (outside first let that dry and them inside) the i glassed the inside then i use body filler/bondo/wall filler (whatever you dicide to call it) on the outside but now i go simple on a build for my freind's son simple cardboard with pva glue and poster paint (dont want the smell of the spray paint bothering him he's only 8) any ways

Ventrue well done and goodluck
,Speedtrix :cheers

 

[Carpathia]

has anyone attempted to use the expanded or bubble foam bought in hobby shops to do a build and then tried to fiberglass over the top? if so have you found a process to accomplish this without deforming the foam underneath. I ask because this is exactly what im doing currently. I have a mask completely sculpted out of "bubble" foam and need a way to make the outside rigid in case it gets dropped or i want to use it as a paintball mask. i saw a video posted that starred XRobots om youtube but he had a different foam from what im using. Any ideas if it would be the same or any other way to achieve the same effect?

Try this stuff...

I'm currently using it on my EVA foam boots. It should have no adverse effect on the bubble foam since it does not heat up when it's curing. It should give you a nice sturdy and smooth surface, or at the very least a surface you can sand or add bondo to. Keep in mind that it takes quite a while to harden and cure; 8 - 12 hours to harden and up to 72 hours to reach full cure strength.

 

[dishabille]

@carpathiavh99 is that like bartop? if so i have some on my coffee table right now and its pretty soft. I can use my finger nail to put a line into it.

Im hoping to find something that can create a layer between the styrofoam and resin so that the heat doesnt warp the foam underneath. I realize now that my way was definitely the wrong way after having this much trouble. so far im using gorilla wood glue to make a base and then gonna use a test piece to see if itll hold its own against resin.

 

[Carpathia]

It's meant as a protective coating for wood projects, including bar tops, but it's not soft when it cures. I've been using this stuff for years, and it creates a nice hard surface while still remaining somewhat flexible (great so far for foam builds), and takes paint well. Regardless, if all you plan on doing is coating your sculpture for purposes of molding it, this stuff should work. After applying it, you shouldn't even need fiberglass resin.

 

[dishabille]

Ok yeah I used it to make a new coffee table top not too long ago, just a different brand. I cant cast anything since im living in a small one bedroom apartment so itll mostly just be a show piece, like "hey check out this badass helmet I made!" sorta thing. Have you tried this Smooth-on that everyone is talking about? I was thinking about trying that out since it apparently doesnt give off much fumes and dries quick. I would put around 8-10 layers if it made it tough enough.