"Help!" for: Fiberglassing, Resin, & Bondo
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Silver Gooch
New Member
The issue is that there are actually air pockets underneath the card stock. I drilled holes in order to fill them with resin and then fill in the holes themselves with bondo. I just have to get everything underneath all hardened and whatnot before I refill the holes...
Well, given how it's going, I see two options..
Try a pour of rondo 50/50, which will have viscosity to flow, but actually be able to fill the hole.
Or just plug them with bondo and hope you don't hit it on a sharp corner of a table. The thing looks dense enough already that it shouldn't be a huge problem.. I didn't find half of the air pockets in my ODST helmet until I was cutting out the vent holes and ear details.
Try a pour of rondo 50/50, which will have viscosity to flow, but actually be able to fill the hole.
Or just plug them with bondo and hope you don't hit it on a sharp corner of a table. The thing looks dense enough already that it shouldn't be a huge problem.. I didn't find half of the air pockets in my ODST helmet until I was cutting out the vent holes and ear details.
Silver Gooch
New Member
How would I use rondo to fix the air gaps between the rondo and pepakura? Would i drill holes through and through and tape the outside so it can get in there? I feel that it ultimately wouldn't fill the gaps sufficiently...
Chernobyl
Sr Member
I'd advise against drilling a hole straight through, but if you can locate the air pocket from the inside and then carve it out, it shouldn't be an issue to then fill it over with rondo. Also, are you making sure to pour your rondo in a thin stream and rotating your model evenly? I've a feeling that some of your air bubbles are being formed from slopping the mixture about and allowing air to form, rather than spreading thinly with the air pockets diffusing.
I was assuming those drilled holes were the airpockets being exposed.
You shouldn't drill through, you want it to be an open cup that you can pour into.
Let us know, how do you KNOW there are air pockets? I am seeing the outside bondo'd over, and you say there's rondo on the inside (though it's VERY hard to get bubbles with rondo... which is what we're all wondering)
You shouldn't drill through, you want it to be an open cup that you can pour into.
Let us know, how do you KNOW there are air pockets? I am seeing the outside bondo'd over, and you say there's rondo on the inside (though it's VERY hard to get bubbles with rondo... which is what we're all wondering)
Silver Gooch
New Member
I attempted to take a picture of it but you can't really tell the difference in the photos. Whenever I push on a given area there is a little gap between the pepakura and the rondo. You can tell because when you push down you can feel the card stock flex and then you hit a hard surface, i.e. the rondo. I am worried that if I proceed with the body filler that when all is said and done and it flexes that it will crack and all of my work will be for nothing. I am not totally sure that this will occur in the future if the card stock ends up flexing but I feel that it is a possibility. Problematic?
I would still advise you to go with the botox idea and inject resin into the holes / under the paper.
Resin is quite thin and capillary action should take it everywhere it needs to go, but again, if there is nowhere for the air it is replacing to go, the resin won't be able to fill the gaps.
Resin is quite thin and capillary action should take it everywhere it needs to go, but again, if there is nowhere for the air it is replacing to go, the resin won't be able to fill the gaps.
Ok so I've done all the pep work on the halo 4 MK7 helm and I hit it with resin on both inside and out side and its time for the fiberglass but how the hell can I get it in all the little parts ? and the beak should I glass it on the outside as there is no way I can do it on the inside
any help would be great
any help would be great
cha0skn1ght
Active Member
You could do a combination of rondo and fiberglass cloth/matte. Use the fiberglass cloth/matte on the larger areas inside the helmet (like the large center area) and let it cure. Afterwards, use rondo in all the areas you felt the fiberglass matte couldn't reach effectively.
You've come to an important question, and your understanding of it is a good sign!
You should NEVER apply fiberglass cloth to the outside of the helmet (Well you may find a reason but it won't look nice). In order to get the bill of the visor or any other "small detail" areas, the obvious problem you've noticed is it's hard to lay the fiberglass inside without getting air pockets because it won't lay flat in those spots.
The way most commonly used to attack this problem is Rondo (if you didn't know, rondo is a mix of bondo and fiberglass resin). You pour it on the inside of the helmet first, and this will fill in all of those little areas with some relatively strong filler. With them smoothed over, you can lay fiberglass cloth down much more easily. Rondo is also nice because when you go to cut detail lines or other sanding, you will be grinding into the rondo and NOT the fiberglass, which would obviously weaken the fiberglass layer.
I personally do a layer of rondo inside, then a few layers of fiberglass, and then a very thin layer of rondo over the fiberglass to smooth it out so I don't get stabbed by fiberglass shards.
You should NEVER apply fiberglass cloth to the outside of the helmet (Well you may find a reason but it won't look nice). In order to get the bill of the visor or any other "small detail" areas, the obvious problem you've noticed is it's hard to lay the fiberglass inside without getting air pockets because it won't lay flat in those spots.
The way most commonly used to attack this problem is Rondo (if you didn't know, rondo is a mix of bondo and fiberglass resin). You pour it on the inside of the helmet first, and this will fill in all of those little areas with some relatively strong filler. With them smoothed over, you can lay fiberglass cloth down much more easily. Rondo is also nice because when you go to cut detail lines or other sanding, you will be grinding into the rondo and NOT the fiberglass, which would obviously weaken the fiberglass layer.
I personally do a layer of rondo inside, then a few layers of fiberglass, and then a very thin layer of rondo over the fiberglass to smooth it out so I don't get stabbed by fiberglass shards.
Carpathia
Sr Member
No worries. Getting a hardening medium down into the brim of any helmet is a challenge. The simplest way, as mentioned, is to slush rondo (or something similar) into it. The rondo coats the interior of the brim completely, and you can even let it pool in the brim if you like (though that would make the helmet front-heavy). A few layers of slushed rondo focused in the brim, and it's solid.
Keep in mind that rondo has a tendency to shrink a bit if applied too thick. This would cause the brim to cave in a bit. But nothing a little bondo on the exterior wouldn't fix.
Keep in mind that rondo has a tendency to shrink a bit if applied too thick. This would cause the brim to cave in a bit. But nothing a little bondo on the exterior wouldn't fix.
Weight is a good concern. Doing a lighter mix of rondo (half resin half bondo) in two batches will be lighter than a bondo heavy mix, but will need to be allowed to pool in the right areas as 50/50 is fairly viscous.
If you are really worried about weight, I would just lay the rondo thick, do three layers of fiberglass, clean up the outside and then cast it in plastic. It's a bit more expensive, but will be a thousand times lighter while still being very strong. But honestly, a filler layer of rondo and 2-3 layers of fiberglass won't weigh much. My ODST is like that, I can weigh it later if you want an idea of what it'll cost, but anecdotally I've worn it all day without any strain on my neck.
The Mk5b I did however, is very very heavy. That's like 4 layers of fiberglass and 4 layers of 75/25 rondo.
At the end of the day, it's up to you what you choose to do. What I don't want though, is for you to get in deeper trouble and then give up. We want to help, and absolutely I'd love to see everyone's projects finish!
If you are really worried about weight, I would just lay the rondo thick, do three layers of fiberglass, clean up the outside and then cast it in plastic. It's a bit more expensive, but will be a thousand times lighter while still being very strong. But honestly, a filler layer of rondo and 2-3 layers of fiberglass won't weigh much. My ODST is like that, I can weigh it later if you want an idea of what it'll cost, but anecdotally I've worn it all day without any strain on my neck.
The Mk5b I did however, is very very heavy. That's like 4 layers of fiberglass and 4 layers of 75/25 rondo.
At the end of the day, it's up to you what you choose to do. What I don't want though, is for you to get in deeper trouble and then give up. We want to help, and absolutely I'd love to see everyone's projects finish!
Rondo can be mixed one of two ways:
50/50 will be fairly fluid like... I donno chocolate syrup or something. It will get a really thin layer and is great for covering a wide area with a thin coat that won't weigh much. But it may take two or three rounds with this to fill in deeper recesses.
75/25 Or three parts Bondo to one part Resin. This is more like cake batter I guess? It's very thick and does not flow well. It'll be heavier but it is a good way to really completely fill an area with a thick layer of rondo.
When mixing the rondo, you must then add the catalyst after the resin and bondo are thoroughly mixed. Some people will do JUST red cream, or JUST MEKP. I do a bit of both, whatever floats your boat. The red cream is a nice addition because you can see the color change when it's the right amount.
50/50 will be fairly fluid like... I donno chocolate syrup or something. It will get a really thin layer and is great for covering a wide area with a thin coat that won't weigh much. But it may take two or three rounds with this to fill in deeper recesses.
75/25 Or three parts Bondo to one part Resin. This is more like cake batter I guess? It's very thick and does not flow well. It'll be heavier but it is a good way to really completely fill an area with a thick layer of rondo.
When mixing the rondo, you must then add the catalyst after the resin and bondo are thoroughly mixed. Some people will do JUST red cream, or JUST MEKP. I do a bit of both, whatever floats your boat. The red cream is a nice addition because you can see the color change when it's the right amount.
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