same old question, different wording

[runcornstuntman]

hey all, me again. This time I'm here to ask about armour hardening. currently I'm using fiberglass and matting, and bondo. however i know that it wont get the armour as hard as I will need it. And before you get started on the airsoft thought process, no I'm not shooting the armour, but I'd like to know of plaussible ways to make the armour better suited to taking impacts.

Being Australian, sometimes we have some wacky ideas and this could be one. For as long as i can remember I've always thought of making a suit suitable for Parkour. For those not familiar Parkours basically getting from point a to point b using only your body in the fastest, most creative way possible. no tricks just do what has to be done.

I already know that fiberglass wouldnt really be suitable for this type of application, but I am thinking maybe mold the suit and use a silicone based substance? The softer armour with padding may be better suited to high impact situations.

 

[Jason 078]

PK is awesome, as anyone who ever played inFamour can tell you. As for PKing with armor, it might be easier to build a foam suit. The foam wouldn' take away from your flexibility as much as a solid one might.

With that said, you might want to look into plastics. Get a 2-part plastic as your first internal coat, then glass it. On the outside, you might want to look at a layer of plastidip, as well. That would allow it to bend a little more before tearing or breaking.

If you have the cash, I would suggest kevlar rather than fiberglass. The kevlar is stronger and more flexible than glass and can take a certain amount of wear and tear that would cause the fiberglass to shatter (we used that as body repair on military vehicles rather than glass).

Hope this helps. Cheers, mate.

 

[Roadkiller]

...I've always thought of making a suit suitable for Parkour. ... The softer armour with padding may be better suited to high impact situations.

EVA foam, the same material used to create floor mats used in garages and other work spaces, seems like the material for you. It's light, strong and flexible. Use the search engine to find an almost endless stream of works in progress with this material.

 

[runcornstuntman]

haha i should also mention, that im looking at making good strong armour for filming, and parkour is just one example. however i want to start small and work up. im not to sure where id find kevlar in australia, but im sure i could google it. how would i best go about applying it? like fibeglass resin it or is there a better way? who knows it could always be useful having a bulletproof parkour suit

foam was one option, but due to inexperience in that field im not to sure. it looks simple enough, but im not to sure aye. as long as its screen accurate id be happy. im setting a tight goal but i know what i want. all the help is appreciated to.

 

[Varsity]

for filming you want to make a foam suit if you put time and effort into it, it will look very detailed. The reason is foam armor is more flexible than fiberglass/bondo armor, easier to move around in.

 

[runcornstuntman]

how do they hold up over time? i was thinking of maybe both, use the fiber/bondo armour when i need re enforcement and the foam for flexibilty.

 

[ventrue]

haha i should also mention, that im looking at making good strong armour for filming, and parkour is just one example. however i want to start small and work up. im not to sure where id find kevlar in australia, but im sure i could google it. how would i best go about applying it? like fibeglass resin it or is there a better way? who knows it could always be useful having a bulletproof parkour suit

foam was one option, but due to inexperience in that field im not to sure. it looks simple enough, but im not to sure aye. as long as its screen accurate id be happy. im setting a tight goal but i know what i want. all the help is appreciated to.

If you want to film it, you're going to get into conflict: You'll need a very detailed suit if you want to get close ups, but you'll potentially end up destroying the thing of you do stunts with it.

Kevlar is just a trade name for a kind of aramide fibres, which you can buy at any well-assorted shop for reinforced plastics. In theory, you use them the same way as glass fibres, but they do require special tools. Normal kitchen scissors quite literally won't cut it. Personally, I'm not convinced that it makes sense to use them without proper training and planning.

 

[runcornstuntman]

thats fair enough. thats why I'm thinking of making a few different suits or even mold parts of the suit so i can pump out as much as i need aye. seeing as filming wise there will be down parts where its not just constant fighting/moving. but yeh kevlar sounds interesting, but wihtout a more indepth guide or a tut on working with it, im not sure if its worth it aye. if anyone here has tried these different methods before any advice or information would be appreciated