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Hey! I'm just looking for an alternative and I've looked through at least 10 pages and i didn't find an answer to my question but is there another way to make the details on my helmet not using a dremel? anything else that won't cost me $100. Thanks!

If you are looking at engraving details you could do it by hand with a set of files. If you are looking at general shaping of bondo you could do it by hand with sandpaper and a block.
 
You also can look into lower end rotary tools. Black & Decker makes one for about 25$, that can get you started on detailing without breaking the bank.

Be aware though, there is a legitimate reason for the higher price of high end Dremels. Generally, the more expensive rotaries have better heat management, and power management systems. When you put the drill bit under heavy load, a lot of the cheaper ones will just stop moving like when you grab a spinning fan and stop the blades. Better rotaries can actively regulate their power intake and ramp it up to overcome drops in RPM. They also have a tendency to have more metal components inside, so they can handle the high temperatures of extended cutting without melting down. If you get a lower end rotary, you can be fine, just be sure to give it rests when it starts getting hot, to extend the life of them.

I went through three low end power sanders before I buckled down and just payed for a high end one. It was a higher entry cost, but in the long run it's saved me money not having to replace it every two months. But again, I had the funds, if money is a concern a lower end tool is going to work out for your wallet, just be sure to treat it right so it can get as much life as possible.
 
Hey all!

I had a quick question regarding boots. I'm using robogenesis' pep files for the mark VI armor. I noticed that the boots are all in one piece, how am I supposed to size them? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to have it big enough to fit my shoes in them or something else. Also, am I supposed to walk on the sole of the boot? Do I still do the same resining/fiberglass/bondo treatment on the bottom of the boots?

Thank you!
 
Thank you both Satchmo and Katsu!!! very helpful really i'm starting to get on a really tight budget and i needed to know if i can use something else. to Satchmo when you say files you mean files that are like nail files in a way? i mean i'm not going to use a nail filer lol but i'm sort of unclear of what you are saying, sorry i'm not that smart i have to have people explain things to me all the times.
 
Hey all!

I had a quick question regarding boots. I'm using robogenesis' pep files for the mark VI armor. I noticed that the boots are all in one piece, how am I supposed to size them? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to have it big enough to fit my shoes in them or something else. Also, am I supposed to walk on the sole of the boot? Do I still do the same resining/fiberglass/bondo treatment on the bottom of the boots?

Thank you!

How you size them depends on your needs. If you intend to glue them onto a pair of boots you bought, you'll size it for the boots. How you do the bottom is up to debate. Some people leave the bottom off the pep so the regular boots are on the ground, others will do the pepped boots but will need to do some serious reinforcement to make sure they can take a lot of heavy impacting.

As for it being one piece, you can just pep the parts you want to use, or pep it all and cut them up in post!


Thank you both Satchmo and Katsu!!! very helpful really i'm starting to get on a really tight budget and i needed to know if i can use something else. to Satchmo when you say files you mean files that are like nail files in a way? i mean i'm not going to use a nail filer lol but i'm sort of unclear of what you are saying, sorry i'm not that smart i have to have people explain things to me all the times.

http://www.amazon.com/PIECE-MEDIUM-...8&qid=1371622264&sr=8-2&keywords=diamond+file

Diamond files like the one above are fantastic. I have that set and they've lasted me through many years of heavy use. When they start getting gummed up, you can brush the gunk out of them with the right kind of brush. You draw a line on the helmet where you want to detail, then use the sharp edged file to grind out the hole, and then one of the flat edged files to square it out.
 
How you size them depends on your needs. If you intend to glue them onto a pair of boots you bought, you'll size it for the boots. How you do the bottom is up to debate. Some people leave the bottom off the pep so the regular boots are on the ground, others will do the pepped boots but will need to do some serious reinforcement to make sure they can take a lot of heavy impacting.

As for it being one piece, you can just pep the parts you want to use, or pep it all and cut them up in post!



Thank you. I think I will walk on the sole of the pep file with a shoe attached to the inside. What kind of reinforcement should I use for the bottom then? I'm assuming I would need to put extra layers of fiberglass resin? Also, what is something I can put on the sole? Some type of rubber?
 
What kind of reinforcement should I use for the bottom then? I'm assuming I would need to put extra layers of fiberglass resin? Also, what is something I can put on the sole? Some type of rubber?


You might run into some major issues if you try to walk on the boot with only a bit of resin and fiberglass to reinforce the sole. I can recommend what MacAttack64 and myself did. We both used foam mats as souls (actually, Mac eventually switched over to shoe-grade leather so it would hold up better with how much he walks around in his).

Here is a link to the post of my thread that shows what I did...

http://www.405th.com/showthread.php...-Finished-(Lots-of-Pics!)?p=606684#post606684

My boots were the HD 3-part boots, but this method should work well for the one-piece boots. Hope that helps.
 
http://www.amazon.com/PIECE-MEDIUM-...8&qid=1371622264&sr=8-2&keywords=diamond+file

Diamond files like the one above are fantastic. I have that set and they've lasted me through many years of heavy use. When they start getting gummed up, you can brush the gunk out of them with the right kind of brush. You draw a line on the helmet where you want to detail, then use the sharp edged file to grind out the hole, and then one of the flat edged files to square it out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks you very much!
 
for what..?

If for foam armor, EVA foam.
If for regular pepakura, 110lbs cardstock? This is my best shot at answering the question, if this doesn't help, please clarify!
 
I have not gotten that far yet. The visor was easy enough to cut and form. I was happy with it. As for the extra details, there are a few youtube videos on how to do it. I personally have not tried these methods. I cannot take any credit on this persons work but it looked cool.

 
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Just a quick note, those helmet visors aren't ABS. They're normally polycarbonate. It's tricky stuff to work with, but if you're handy with a Dremel, you can cut out and then detail pieces of a second lens to glue to the first to look like embossing details. GENTLE use of a heatgun on its lowest setting, or even a halogen work lamp, will help to form thermoplastics like this to gentle changes in contour, and cyanoacrylate is a good adhesive to use.

You can also use a plastic etching tool, either abrasive or thermal, to manually emboss the surface of the lens. Heat will leave a clean dent but can be tricky. A grinding tool is usually the best option,. but practice on a section not seen from outside the helmet to get the feel for cutting a straight line. Otherwise, use a round file and mark your lines by hand. Be careful not to cut too much, those visors aren't too thick.
 
Hey guys,

I wanted to ask what dremel tool I should use to trim the entry holes of my pieces? I can bearly get my hardened helmet on, front-back wise it is the perfect length, but my ears get in the way on the width of the piece.
 
Yeah, you can sand whatever you want. Just be sure to use eye protection and a dust mask, usually the barrel sander will grind down the fiberglass, but sometimes it will shard and go flying. Plus, grinding out the edges will kick up a LOT of junk anyways by the nature of what you're doing.

If you want to be tricky, you can use a cutting wheel instead, but I like the sander because you grind the edge down to your liking and can see how it looks, rather than cutting which requires you wait until you're done with the cut and then pulling the extra pieces off.
 
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