Resining & Fibre Glassing Tutorial/How To

[death]

You can get them at Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, any good size painter's supply. Cost varies by who's selling it and type you're after.
You could even get a military gas mask, that'll protect you from anything you'll be using.

cool thanks

 

[zeke6785]

in the actual fiberglass tut i saw u bought the MAT i have the Coth with the criss crossed pattern not just the random fibers..which is better or does it evem matter??

 

[SPARTAN405]

Mat is stronger, Cloth is easier to work with.



Also A word of warning, do not glass the outside. Only the inside. Only glass parts of the outside for repair.

 

[SH Jack]

Also, I heard mat soaks up way more resin than cloth.

 

[Sarge 166]

Hey guys I'm a Newbi so I was just wandering

I've made the helmet out of card but i'm unsure how to get started with the resin.

I've read all the tuts but I'm a tad confused

Some people say not to fibreglass the outside, only the inside. but in these pictures it looks like the fibreglass is being put on the outside. This is my first time with this so i don't want to mess this up

I'm thinking that fibreglassing the outside would be easier than the inside...

 

[Long Shot]

Hey guys I'm a Newbi so I was just wandering

I've made the helmet out of card but i'm unsure how to get started with the resin.

I've read all the tuts but I'm a tad confused

Some people say not to fibreglass the outside, only the inside. but in these pictures it looks like the fibreglass is being put on the outside. This is my first time with this so i don't want to mess this up

I'm thinking that fibreglassing the outside would be easier than the inside...

Glassing the outside is easier to do but it is then harder to work with, i recommend doin the inside and will get some pics up of that being done

 

[Deathwasp]

One more stupid question.
Do I need one of the ultra-fancy $50+ respirtors with the dual filters jutting out to either sie, or will a higher-end painter's mask do the trick? Like, 10$ or some such.

 

[Long Shot]

One more stupid question.
Do I need one of the ultra-fancy $50+ respirtors with the dual filters jutting out to either sie, or will a higher-end painter's mask do the trick? Like, 10$ or some such.

Are you referring to the small paper ones? if so no, I also wouldn't risk it with anything under $30 because it's your health at risk. Think of it like this would you rather have an airbag in your car or a balloon to save your life.

 

[Deathwasp]

Are you referring to the small paper ones? if so no, I also wouldn't risk it with anything under $30 because it's your health at risk. Think of it like this would you rather have an airbag in your car or a balloon to save your life.

That depends whether I'm about to run into a kitten at 2 KMPH or a brick wall at 120KM/h.
I couldn't be sure which one would occur.

 

[zeke6785]

yea i bought the 3M 6000 series low mateninace resperator with the round P100 pancake filters i assume it will be enough protection for this cause ill be outside i just waned some added protection yo no

 

[Long Shot]

That depends whether I'm about to run into a kitten at 2 KMPH or a brick wall at 120KM/h.
I couldn't be sure which one would occur.

better to be safe than sorry

 

[Primal Weyland]

First post, and already some pretty major things to pop up and note. Feel free to add your $0.02/£0.02 (depending on your location), but this is what I've come up with based on a few years of trial, error and some logic. Most of this I guess you could use as a mid-topic 'sum up' for those people who want the questions answering. And before I see any more of the 'where does I shot resin from' posts, for God's sake use Google or go to a local hardware store.



Beware all ye of a non-wall-of-text predisposition. Here be long spiel.



First thing is the creation of your 'base'. This is what you're gonna be stuck with for the rest of the project, so damnit, MAKE SURE IT'S PERFECT. Nothing is worse than getting halfway through glassing your project and realising there's something you needed to do a while back. Perfect base = happy days.


Second: damnit, you freaks. SAFETY FIRST. Get a good respirator AND goggles, or I **** ye not, you WILL incur damage at some stage. And it's far better to be safe and a little out of pocket than to do it regardless and have messed-up lungs/eyes/skin. Read the labels on your materials and even if it seems stupid, follow the instructions. A little care and time saves a hell of a lot of pain and embarrassment.


Third: for all you MJOLNIR helm makers specifically. This might seem really dumb, and I'm probably going to get at least ten 'NOOB!' posts for it, but make sure the helmet FITS? Too many times have I seen people make a helmet, then try and put it on only to find it's too small. In some cases they tried to force it and broke it, wasting heck knows how many hours of labor. This goes for the other parts of your armor too, MJOLNIR or otherwise.


Fourth: Fiberglass = interior, resin = exterior. For those of you at home not following, this means the following: don't fiberglass the outside of your piece. This means you'll get a better finish - resin sands a lot better than fiberglass, and since the fiberglass is purely for strength, it's useless applying, sanding, re-applying, re-sanding, painting to something you don't need to apply and paint in the first place. The woof has spoken.


Fifth: please, please, PLEASE do your research before you start. Don't use a resin that's gonna eat through your glue holding the entire shabang together. Ask the people at the desk when you purchase the resin, and if needed, go home and look up the resin before buying to see what it eats through. Glue gun = very yes, if you're careful with where you apply it (too much and you'll end up with huge lumps in your surface that are a pain in the rear to get out and fill).


Finally: resin can be smelly even after it cures. It's one of those things. As has been suggested, use baby powder to dry it out before you sand and paint. Deodorising sprays work, depending on the brand, but your best bet might be to do both.



Next, two things:

First, padding. Anyone have any ideas how you'd do this to make the helm and pieces comfortable and firmly secured?

Second: What's the take on doing this with Elite armors? I need to make two sets, and there's no pep for it.

*prepares for a slew of 'well, I guess you're fucked then' posts*

 

[Deathwasp]

First, padding. Anyone have any ideas how you'd do this to make the helm and pieces comfortable and firmly secured?

Second: What's the take on doing this with Elite armors? I need to make two sets, and there's no pep for it.

*prepares for a slew of 'well, I guess you're fucked then' posts*

Wow. That WAS a wall of text. Much appreciated, though.
I think somebody needs to have a pop-up come up for every new user saying "Use a freakin' respirator!!!" in big red letters.
And for the elite, I have no idea how you would manage that. you may have to make it from scratch. <.<

Also, this post has a selfish motive. You have just labeled yourself to be knowledgable. Which means you're probably going to get bombarded by questions.
Allow me to offer the first:
Are their any estimates on how much resin a full suit of armor requires for 2 coats?

 

[Primal Weyland]

That depends entirely on the size and shape of the product, how thick you spread the resin, and how thick you make it to begin with, but I'd reccommend you play it by ear and just get it as you need.

That being said: 2 litres of the stuff should be more than ample for an entire suit, both exterior and interior, including glassing, as long as you don't waste too much. Then again, I have been known to mis-estimate, so I'd suggest getting more than you'll need. At least then you know you have plenty rather than not enough.


As for questions: I'm here to assist. And if you dislike walls of text, I'll hold off from posting the comprehensive walkthrough I sent MJOLNIR Warrior.

 

[Deathwasp]

That depends entirely on the size and shape of the product, how thick you spread the resin, and how thick you make it to begin with, but I'd reccommend you play it by ear and just get it as you need.

That being said: 2 litres of the stuff should be more than ample for an entire suit, both exterior and interior, including glassing, as long as you don't waste too much. Then again, I have been known to mis-estimate, so I'd suggest getting more than you'll need. At least then you know you have plenty rather than not enough.
As for questions: I'm here to assist. And if you dislike walls of text, I'll hold off from posting the comprehensive walkthrough I sent MJOLNIR Warrior.

Wow! That was... amazingly helpful.
Thanks! I was afraid I'd be killing off a gallon of the stuff on the blasted thing. Not a cheap proposition at 15 buclks a litre.

 

[Panton6]

thanks for the tutorial may help in the future

 

[Vader]

I didn't see this in the thread - but if you get fiberglass on you, the best way to get it out is to run cold water over the spot. For instance, if you get it on your forearms, run your arms under cold water for a while. This closes up the pores and pushes the fiberglass out. Of course, it's best to wear longsleeves and gloves when handling the stuff.

EDIT to add: Fiberglassing molds

 

[halo2champien]

so wat type of resin do u use, cause i went and got this

did i geth the right stuff cause i went to this store amd thats wat they said would work.

 

[aooo309]

i know this has nothing to do with resining or fiberglassing.
but it has to do with this somewhat.
i bought some colored cardstock.
but when i got home i realized it didn't say a weight on it.
it is Embassy AMPAD Colored Cardstock.
is this what you used?
thanks.

 

[Spartan 343]

So I have a quick question..Does it really matter what temperature you resin/fiberglass in? I would imagine a somewhat warm environment.