Smooth Cast 65D experiences?

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Hickeydog

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I've been wanting to build up a VERY durable set of armor, and one of the problems I've notices with Smooth Cast 320 is that it's too hard. Under heavy abuse (running, jumping, falling, etc), it cracks and falls apart. So, instead of building up more layers of 320 to compensate, I got the bright idea of using a semi-rigid material. So it would be more like foam armor. It looks like metal, but it's flexible, and it doesn't hurt when you fall in it.

I've been looking around for a semi-flexible material to cast armor in (I'll be trying my hand at mold making), and I came across 65D. It's the stiffest of all of Smooth On's semi-rigid materials, and I think it's ideal for the more durable set of armor. I was watching the Deliver Hope trailer and I started wondering how that armor was built to withstand the abuse it took in that trailer, with actors running and jumping and getting blown up in it.

Has anyone used this? What's your experience with it? How well does it take paint?
 
Ok, I have to ask you about you're Smooth Cast 320. I'm using Smooth Cast 321 as of right now, And I asked a similar question from Ithica. His responds was that when I coat my parts to make sure that they were thick enuff that I couldn't see any light threw them. Most of my parts are already 1/8 inch 1/4 inch thick. So as to my Question from you. How thick were you're parts were they cracked?
 
Ok, I have to ask you about you're Smooth Cast 320. I'm using Smooth Cast 321 as of right now, And I asked a similar question from Ithica. His responds was that when I coat my parts to make sure that they were thick enuff that I couldn't see any light threw them. Most of my parts are already 1/8 inch 1/4 inch thick. So as to my Question from you. How thick were you're parts were they cracked?

Not that thick. My thickness varies, but most of it is less than 1/4" thick. The thing is, I want something that's a bit more "comfortable" to tumble and fall in. With Smooth Cast 320, it's VERY hard, so it's like falling onto concrete each time you fall.
 
To reply specifically to this thread for future reference, I'd like to point out the differences between 65D and 321.

Smoothcast 321 has an off-white color, a 70D durometer rating, a low viscosity (80 cps), a 7-9 minute pot life, and a 30 minute demold time.

Smoothcast 65D has an amber color, a 65D durometer rating, a thicker viscosity (120 cps), a 2.5 minute pot life, and a 10 minute demold time. So, 65D is thicker, and kicks a lot faster than 321.

The main thing I want to draw your attention to, though, is another bit of information you'll find on your technical bulletins for these products. It a thing called "Elongation at Break." That's the measurement of how far a fully cured material can be distorted before it snaps apart. 321's EaB is 8%. 65D's EaB is 20%. So a piece of armor made of 65D can bend over twice the distance of the same piece made with 321 without snapping. Just something to keep in mind when choosing your materials. There's a lot more to look at than simply the durometer rating or the color of the resin. And remember, these measurements are for FULLY CURED resin. Just because it gets hard and cools off doesn't mean there isn't a chemical reaction still occurring. Cure time can be up to 7-10 days, depending on temperature and ambient humidity.
 
just do a glass platic/hybyid. after one layer of 320 has ben poured into the mold, You can lay fiberglass mat inside and then pour the rest of you layers. I tend to do this, especially, around the edges and openings. also, I do this in the crown area of my helmets and i make a cros that connects to the edges. This cost less than another order ofplastic and its way stronger.
 
Well the reason it seems hard when you land on it, and the reason it cracks, is because of the dead space between you and the armor.
If you filled the space with dense foam, it seems like it would keep the armor from flexing, and it would also provide a lot of padding.
The only problem is it has to be relatively tight, it has the be the exact shape of your body, and you need a cooling device, like one of those water things.
 
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