Regarding the Validity of Rotocasting Rondo Mud as a Means of Reinforcement

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SchizophrenicMC

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So, I've looked around a bit, and I haven't found anything on this topic. (Given, I didn't go Sherlock or anything)

So, my question is this: I know it's possible to slushcast Rondo Mud as a means of reinforcing Pepakura armor. However, from your individual experiences, would it be a practical method of reinforcing Pep armor by rotocasting the same material inside the pepped piece?

My main concern is suspending the part strongly enough to secure it, but with enough give to not warp the part. Maybe first coating the outside with resin, to give it some rigidity would work?

I would have posted this in the Noob Forum, but it deals specifically with pepakura. Well, anyway, I'd really appreciate your input.

-Schizo
 
I've never done it but I know people do. Benstreeper has videos on basically every method you can do in his thread "How do resin a helmet from pep to finish". I'm not sure which page the video for slushcasting rondo is (the videos don't have pictures anymore, just links so it may take a bit of time to find it but it will be worth it)

http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/22923-How-To-Make-A-Helmet-From-Pep-To-Finish Heres the link to his thread

I think all he does is resin the outside, mix up some rondo, pour it in and slush cast it if I remember right
 
i have done it many times, you do need to resin the outside first or spray it with truck bed liner. then just slush away
 
Well, I mean, I know slushcasting is a good method. I've slushcasted stuff, before.

My real concern here is whether or not the part will be strong enough to use the machine to rotocast it. I'm just wondering if a merely resined part is strong enough to be suspended in the machine.
 
Schizo,

In my experience, the Rondo Mud mixture requires reinforcement with a layer of fiberglass sandwiched between two layers of rondo.. Slushcasting or not, this is an important step, otherwise the material can become very brittle and may shatter easily. Urethane resin is much more impact resistant because it stays a bit flexible, and doesn't need a fiberglass layer.. Consiter using rotocasting urethane too!

As for your rotocasting machine... I'd highly recommend rotating the first layer by hand, allowing it to harden before suspening it in a rotocasting machine.. If it just has the hand-brushed layer of resin from the outside to hold it together, it will still be prone to warping while inside the machine... especially if it's under some stress from being strapped/fastened in place.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks a lot, Sean. My plan had been to do a second layer, consisting of fiberglass, anyway, because it's easier to glass a hardened surface than a papercraft one.

If you hadn't have brought that up, I probably woulda screwed up pretty bad when I went to try it.
 
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