ok a few tips for the fiberglassing thing. it is best to cut all of the fiberglass into 2 inch by 2 inch squares and make sure to work slowly and carefully mix up small amounts of resin at a time and if you have any extra credit cards that you don't use you can use them to smooth out the fiberglass that you just laid down to make sure that it is sticking to the wall of the piece you are working on and to insure that there aren't any air bubbles under the fiberglass so that you have enough room to install padding, air circulation fans or anything else you decide to throw on there
"Help!" for: Fiberglassing, Resin, & Bondo
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Hi this is my first time posting on here an I had a question about Resin. I am building a prop weapon from the game American McGee's Alice Madness Returns (http://images.wikia.com/americanmcgeesalice/images/8/80/HobbyUpgrades.png) and I have a few concerns. I decided to use fiberglass resin and bondo on it so I could get use to using the two before I start building my armor. I built the base out of chicken wire then covered it with paper mache. I had originally intended to cover it with something else but a friend of mine told me to I could use the resin on the paper mache and it would be ok. So I mixed the fiberglass resin and applied it as directed. It says that it will dry in 2-3 hours in ideal temperatures of around 75 degrees and will take longer to harden in colder weather. Well it is much colder here than 75 (probably around 40-50) and I figured it would take a few more hours for it to harden up. My problem is it has been 24 hours now, and although it has hardened perfectly in some places it's still really sticky in others. When I woke up this morning to check it ( I applied it around 8:00 last night) I noticed it was still sticky and decided to leave it in my open garage all day as the weather was in the 70's. I figured that would help it. But no dice. It's been an entire day and its still sticky. I'm pretty sure I mixed it correctly because as I said its perfectly hardened up in some areas, but I'm not sure if the weather is causing it to take so long or if maybe I applied too much in the areas that are sticky. Anybody have any insight or tips? I really want this to go well because when I start my armor I don't wanna mess it up. I figured this would be a good project to practice on. Thank you in advance for your help!
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hi couple questions.
1. After fiberglassing, there are shards of fiberglass on the top of my helmet from me cutting the fiberglass mat. Do i need to worry about them?
2. Do i need to try to smooth the outside resin before adding bondo
3. Can i just cover the whole outside in bondo and try to smooth it out that way?
And lastly
4. Is it okay that its not real warm weather to work on bondo?
1. After fiberglassing, there are shards of fiberglass on the top of my helmet from me cutting the fiberglass mat. Do i need to worry about them?
2. Do i need to try to smooth the outside resin before adding bondo
3. Can i just cover the whole outside in bondo and try to smooth it out that way?
And lastly
4. Is it okay that its not real warm weather to work on bondo?
The amount you apply has no influence on the time it takes to cure, because the resin reacts chemically. It's not like paint, where part of it evaporates and thicker layers take longer.
It sounds like you may in fact have not mixed it thoroughly enough. The parts that are already hard are the parts of your batch where all the hardener ended up and the sticky parts are those that remained hardener-free.
- If you are referring to those little pointy ones: You can sand them off. Otherwise, I don't get what you're talking about.
- No, on the contrary: If anything, you have to roughen it up a bit. Your resin may also include components that result in a smooth, non-sticky surface after curing, you should remove that.
- Yes. It will take approximately ten years.
- Define "not real warm weather".
I see so when it comes to those areas that haven't hardened what should I do? Will they never harden or will it just a really long time for them too? A friend of mine suggested I take a hair dryer to it but that sounded kinda dangerous.. I have it outside right now (it's about 70 here) and I'm trying to get some sunlight on it but its overcast here. Thanks for your help and quick response.
It might help to brush another coat with enough hardener over it. Make sure to mix this one properly though
That means: Scrape the sides and bottom of your cup, mix long enough etc.
Spartan089a
New Member
I have been reading the Q and A's in this section and found it amazingly helpful. I just have a procedural question about the resin and fiberglass stage. After you coat the outside in resin is it necessary (or smart) to coat the inside fully before applying the fiberglass? Also is it necessary (or smart) to seal the fiberglass with another complete coat of resin on the inside? If I did this there would be 3 complete coats of resin, one on the outside and 2 on the inside with fiberglass in the middle. Too much? Totally unnecessary? or the right thing to do in the first place?
What I've found works best after several builds is this. I first do a coat of resin on the outside followed by a coat on the inside, working in small sections of course to prevent warping. Then I do a very thin layer of rondo (mixure of resin and bondo) thinned enough to be applied by a throw away paintbrush. Again, working in small sections so it dosnt warp. After the rondo, you can go pretty fast on the fiberglass stage since there would be no worries about warpage anymore. This seems to work best for me and is also pretty quick.
Spitfire22V
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, you answered your own questions: totally unnecessary. I did one layer of resin on the outside of my piece, followed by one layer of fiberglass on the inside. My suit is plenty strong so far.
Spartan089a
New Member
also the resin used for the outside is the same material used to stick the fiberglass to the inside? People refer to just resin, and then fiberglass resin. I wanted to be wholly sure they were not different materials.
Yes.
"Fibreglass resin" is an alternative name for "polyester resin", which in turn is one of many resins out there. You could also use a totally different resin, and you'd still be "resining" and "fibreglassing" your model.
insanelilninja
New Member
My husband and I were wondering if an M50 Gas Mask would be more than sufficient enough to handle all the chemicals we'll be using to build armor. We each have one available to use... or do we have to go with a respirator like this: M3 Half Mask.
Both can be used as long as they have organic vapor filter. I would prefer the half mask though because the M50 Gas Mask seems uncomfortable to wear. On top of that I just wear clear protective glasses to protect my eyes. The link you provided for 3M seems expensive. We can get cheaper ones in US, not sure in Japan.
insanelilninja
New Member
Is there any online site you know that sells them cheaper?
Most of the online stores are in US. Delivering it to you in Japan is not going to be any cheaper. I suggest that you try some hardware stores in your neighborhood. In US, we have Harbor Freight Tools, Lowes, Home Depot, WalMart, KMart to name a few. You could also try ebay. I bought mine from Harbor Freight Tools for USD$13.
ok i think i can answer you question. i have a few friends that love doing helmets in specific and they love padding the crap out of them. one time they actually upholstered it just like a motor-cycle helmet and other times they put in this spray in foam fabric stuff kinda like felt but it all really matters on how much room you have left and how you intend to use your helmet.for me i am a pro paintballer and i pad the hell out of all the helmets i make even the armor but if i'm just wearing them to be flashy i just wear a balaclava on underneath
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