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

[Agent Arizona]

I was wondering if anyone else has tried using Minwax Polycrylic to apply the fiberglass cloth?

Sounds like you answered your own question.

All that Minwax polycrylic is a clear coat. Its not supposed to a rigidity. You would use that to seal you paint or stain and add a little shine to you project, mainly wood projects.

 

[Hickeydog]

Hi guys.......*snip*

It could be the fiberglass isn't thick. If it's being used for model building, my guess is that it's thin, and very flexible, but not very strong once hardened. Just add a few more layers of fiberglass and it should harden up quite nicely.

 

[chainsawninja]

u can use a product called fiberglass rein its a lil toxit so go out side and it should come with a hardener then u can mix it up and get a brush andbrush it on then wait to dry

 

[Spartan122]

May I suggest Aqua-Resin.... this stuff is completely non-bioreactive, biodergradeble, Green/eco friendly, and you wont have to purchase any extra gear for safety.... Plus it's water cleanup. It also works well using cotton cheese cloth/ gause bandageing rolls as the reinforcing agent on the insides. This stuff isnt cheap @ $75/ 1gal can..... howerver you will more than make up the differance in cost buy not having to buy the extra safety gear.... cheers and good luck ! S122... out.

 

[muppetsman]

Hey i've got all my armor pepped out and ready to resin, the only problem is that its currently below freezing up here where i am and the resin won't cure at that low tempetures. I've been reading about people making hotboxes to warm thier pieces up and harden them. Has anybody used one that could shed some light on this for me? Im scared that the hot glue will melt if i put my piece in to harden. Thanks!

 

[Hickeydog]

Hey i've got all my armor pepped out and ready to resin, the only problem is that its currently below freezing up here where i am and the resin won't cure at that low tempetures. I've been reading about people making hotboxes to warm thier pieces up and harden them. Has anybody used one that could shed some light on this for me? Im scared that the hot glue will melt if i put my piece in to harden. Thanks!

I use a 500 watt work lamp and a cardboard box for my hot box. The temperature inside the box gets up around 80 with ambient temps in the lower 20's. The hot glue doesn't melt. I use hot glue and I've never had a piece melt because of the hot box.

 

[grimdeath890]

Hello friends of 405th. This is my first time doing anything about modeling. I wacthed a few videos on youtube that you need to download pepakra. Is it safe to download it? And where would I get a file to a ODST helment?(Non-halo 2 please) How size and demensiens (or however you spell that word) work? (like, to fit my head) I also heard that I need some sort of different type of paper to print it. What paper do I need? Everything else I'll be fine for now, because I know that I need to cut out the little parts and glue them together. (Wait, do I glue them together or tape them?) I'll ask more questions when I finish putting the helment together. If you answer all these questions, I'll put your name some where on the armour to say thanks. See you on the flip side!

 

[ventrue]

Hello friends of 405th. This is my first time doing anything about modeling. I wacthed a few videos on youtube that you need to download pepakra. Is it safe to download it? And where would I get a file to a ODST helment?(Non-halo 2 please) How size and demensiens (or however you spell that word) work? (like, to fit my head) I also heard that I need some sort of different type of paper to print it. What paper do I need? Everything else I'll be fine for now, because I know that I need to cut out the little parts and glue them together. (Wait, do I glue them together or tape them?) I'll ask more questions when I finish putting the helment together. If you answer all these questions, I'll put your name some where on the armour to say thanks. See you on the flip side!

That's a lot of questions, and you are not the only one who is new and asks them - which is why they have all been answered before. Try to read this and everything linked in it, that will give you a rough idea of what's going on: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/30542-NOOB-reading-list

Here's the short version:

• Hello to you, too. Welcome to the 405th.
• Yes it is safe. Make sure to get Pepakura Designer, not Pepakura Viewer. The trial version is sufficient to start with.
• Try looking around the forums. Seach bar is in the upper right corner. Google also helps, the whole forum is in the index.
• Getting the right "size and dimensions" is called scaling, there are lots of tutorials and questions regarding this. Good thinking on your part to mention it right away.
• Not sure how it's called in "nowhere", but in the US it's called cardstock and around here, it's just called paper. It's much heavier (220 to 250 g/m²) than normal paper (which would have 70 to 100 g/m²).
• Don't use tape. Don't use anything that can be dissolved by styrene.
• Think about safety. A lot.

 

[grimdeath890]

Thank you friend. How bout I put your name on the armour some where?

 

[geoat2t]

hey i have a question how do i make a harness for mask army of two mask???

 

[Hive]

What can I do to get rid of imperfections on my sanded bondo? Like small dints etcs, will a few coats of resin fill the gaps?
-Elliot.

 

[Bighouse]

I rondo'd my helmet two days ago. The inside of the helmet feels a little bit sticky to the touch, but it seems hard- and the helmet is still outgassing. I added both Resin and liquid hardener and the Bondo hardener cream to the Rondo. Is this some kind of slower curing process that normally takes place? Will the tackyness and the outgassing stop eventually, or did I do something wrong somehow? I'm keeping the helmet inside now (the outgassing isn't signficiant, but I sure don't want to stick my head into it yet!) and even keeping it near a heat source to see if that helps. I'd like to put a layer or two of fiberglass cloth in this weekend- do I have to wait for this outgassing/tackyness to stop, or do you think the Resin hardener from the fiberglassing process might help speed up this curing and stop the outgassing?

 

[Bighouse]

What can I do to get rid of imperfections on my sanded bondo? Like small dints etcs, will a few coats of resin fill the gaps?
-Elliot.

Hive, you can find a body putty called "spot putty" or "Spot Filler" at any autobody supply store. It's a tube about the size of toothpaste that has about the same consistency as toothpaste. You don't need to mix any hardener with it, just smear it on with a spatula tool and then sand. It sands easier and to a finer texture than bondo does from what I remember (I used to so some autobody work YEARS ago in my youth!).

 

[Hickeydog]

I rondo'd my helmet two days ago. The inside of the helmet feels a little bit sticky to the touch, but it seems hard- and the helmet is still outgassing. I added both Resin and liquid hardener and the Bondo hardener cream to the Rondo. Is this some kind of slower curing process that normally takes place? Will the tackyness and the outgassing stop eventually, or did I do something wrong somehow? I'm keeping the helmet inside now (the outgassing isn't signficiant, but I sure don't want to stick my head into it yet!) and even keeping it near a heat source to see if that helps. I'd like to put a layer or two of fiberglass cloth in this weekend- do I have to wait for this outgassing/tackyness to stop, or do you think the Resin hardener from the fiberglassing process might help speed up this curing and stop the outgassing?

If it's just tacky, you can lay some fiberglass over it. It sounds like you just didn't add enough of the Bondo hardener. Be sure you mix plenty of the fiberglass resin hardener into your resin when you apply the fiberglass, though.

 

[Bighouse]

If it's just tacky, you can lay some fiberglass over it. It sounds like you just didn't add enough of the Bondo hardener. Be sure you mix plenty of the fiberglass resin hardener into your resin when you apply the fiberglass, though.

It's a weird kind of tacky. If you move your finger around on it, it feels dry...but if you just press, and lift up, it feels tacky. And, it'd definitely still outgassing. I'll just add a bit more hardener to the resin mix when I lay in my fiberglass cloth this weekend...hopefully that will react with the Rondo that's there and help augment its curing.

 

[inusan]

Happened to me something like the truth is the first time ke work with resin and fiberglass regularly worked with sheet steel or galvanized sheet acer armor but is more difficult but the truth is more malleable fiber really the time you apply ami fiber I also gave a strange amount of gas but let stand more tienpo the hull to the sun and disappeared HoloNet alo better but you just need to apply a catalyst to harden faster ahy you leave a link as you mine

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[Hive]

Hive, you can find a body putty called "spot putty" or "Spot Filler" at any autobody supply store. It's a tube about the size of toothpaste that has about the same consistency as toothpaste. You don't need to mix any hardener with it, just smear it on with a spatula tool and then sand. It sands easier and to a finer texture than bondo does from what I remember (I used to so some autobody work YEARS ago in my youth!).

Thanks! I'll look in to that, bondo's hardddd to get smooth, I'll go with rondo next time I think.

@Bighouse
I had that problem when I first began, sounds like you didn't use enough hardener. The first helmet I tested on the outer coat took about a week to stop being tacky, and the majority of it probably came off from being touched. If you live in a colder climate too expect a little longer curing time.

 

[Bighouse]

@Hive: Yeah, I think you're right! Tonight my helm is no longer tacky...it's still outgassing though so I really don't want to try it on- besides, I have to grind/sand the opening up a bit to get my melon in! I've done a very sneaky thing. I put a camera tripod in front of my gas fireplace...and dropped the helm atop it. So now when the fireplace heats the house up, it's also heating my helm nicely. I think that this has helped cure it more. I'm confident I'll be able to fiberglass cloth it on Sunday.

Speaking of which, I've seen different people say different things. I purchased 16 square feet of the fiberglass "CLOTH" not the "mat". I want more strength and it seems to me the fiber was definitely more abundant in the cloth than the randomly intertwined mat. I've heard it said that you want from 2 to 5 layers of fiberglass..was that for the mat or the cloth? I'm sure ANY amount will strengthen the helmm tremendously- but if I put down 2 layers of cloth will that make this thing pretty strong? I also understand that I can put both layers down at the same time- no need to wait between layers- can someone confirm???

 

[inusan]

want to discuss something about it I've made the process of putting up to 3 layers of fiberglass resin after placing the outside which was already strong enough mind to withstand a considerable amount of resin and fiber in addition to that enduresio enough I thought it would be advisable to put a single resin layer to cover a little fiber, the result was excellent to the point to resist a fall from a third floor without suffering a single fracture the hull takes into account that the process can vary from person to person by I think you will feel more comfortable with some recommended processes and not others that I learned what little practice and the advice I leeido of good people who share their knowledge and I thank you enough

 

[Bighouse]

Link to fiberglass tutorial video please? I'm going to fiberglass the inside of my helmet today. Based on what I've read I will:
1. Cut the fiberglass cloth up into about 5" squares
2. Mix about 4 oz of resin
3. Brush an area inside my helm
4. Lay a piece of cloth on it, then coat the cloth with resin until saturated
5. Repeat process until entire helmet is covered with fiberglass cloth.

Now here's my questions and a tutorial video might answer them for me.

A. How much of an overlap should I have on the separate 5" pieces of cloth?
B. T/F? I have read that 3 layers is about the norm for helmets and that they can be all done at once- no need to wait for each layer to cure.
C. Fiberglass cloth seems much heavier than fiberglass mat- are the above three layers for cloth or mat?

Thanks for the help. I'm looking forward to being able to sculpt, sand and finish this thing soon!