Ok, so I am in the process of making a budget for my brother and I's halo armour, only I don't know how much resin we will need so i cant get an estimate. He is about 6ft and having full halo 3 Hayabusa Armour. I'm 5'3 and having halo 3 Recon helmet, mark VI chest and scout shoulders. how much resin do you think we will need for either one set or both sets of armour?
How much resin?
- Thread starter Hobbit13
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Chernobyl
Sr Member
It depends on how thick you run your layers. I personally would work in thin layers and build up two external resin layers, plus three internal - or, two plus a fibreglass layer. Fibreglass tends to soak up resin quite greedily, and is heavy as a result, but the results are well worth it.
In all, I would suggest perhaps five to seven litres over the two suits. Make an upwards-scaling budget - you'll inevitably need more than you initially buy.
Thank you! I was already planning on adding extra to the budget anyway but just to have a rough idea is brilliant. I'm stuck with the planning, budgeting, research and anything else that requires a brain
Chernobyl
Sr Member
You're welcome.
Do your research before you splash your resin on - make sure you get it right. Wasting resin on a part and having to re-do the Pepakura item as well is very annoying, let me tell you. Far better to make sure you know how the process works, and ensure you have as little wastage as possible.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
So then would it be a good idea to paper mache the inside first to make it stronger, or should I just go straight to resining it after I build it?
Master Builder
Member
I haven't had a problem with the resin warping my stuff. I just put a good layer on the outside thats not all that heavy, then do one on the inside, followed by another layer with some fiberglass. You don't need much to make it strong. Remember all the body filler you are going to be adding to it will help a lot with the strength as well.
If your planing on making two set or armor, I would say start off with buying a gallon and then go from there. It will be the most bang for your buck. About $36 a gallon for Bondo's resin.
If your planing on making two set or armor, I would say start off with buying a gallon and then go from there. It will be the most bang for your buck. About $36 a gallon for Bondo's resin.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
I've heard from people only to resin the outside and when you think its strong enough (with resin) you fiberglass the inside. That would be your first cote of resin inside the helmet. Is that correct or should I do a cote of resin on the inside first?
Kusak3
Active Member
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Resin outside first. If you dont feel it is strong enough after one coat outside a second thing coat on the outside will do the trick. So far I have only second coated the helmet on the outside the rest of my pieces one coat outside has been enough. Then a coat on the inside. And at this stage you hit a serious verging in opinions. I went to fiberglass on the inside at this stage. Some people go with a coat of rondo at this point and then go to fiberglass. They use the rondo to round the internal edges so that the fiberglass doesn't have to get into as many tiny corners. Some people avoid the fiberglass entirely and go purely with several coats of rondo (bondo and resin mixed to a paint type consistency). Anyhow once I put the fiberglass on the inside of my bucket I put a thin coat of rondo on the inside to make it a bit more head friendly and a lot less rough. The outside is bondo in large low detail area's and rondo painted on in areas with detail. Thin coats in small area's is best and keep applying and sanding your way across the helmet till you have the appearance you want.
The initial Pep work stage is probably the most important stage for you. The better you have the pep work the less straightening things out you need to do in the bondo rondo stage.
The initial Pep work stage is probably the most important stage for you. The better you have the pep work the less straightening things out you need to do in the bondo rondo stage.
Master Builder
Member
Yeah that will work just fine. Theres no real science to this. I would just make sure your outside coat lays out smooth and doesn't have too much buildup in the low detailed areas. Because resin is harder to sand then bondo.
If you are buying fiberglass matt. I would recommend the mesh looking one over the traditional fibbers. It would make your job a lot easier.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
Ya I got the mesh because it looked like it would be better.
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Also is the fiberglass safe to touch after it has been cured in by the bondo or should I put something else in to protect my head?
Master Builder
Member
Yeah the fumes will be in there for a while. I would stick it outside for a day or so to air out.
It's safe to touch once it's hard. Rondo take a lot more time to completely harden then resin or bondo on their own. Mine took up to a week or so, but that may have been just me. It will harden in a day it will just have a sticky feel for a while.
Make sure you knocked down all the pointy things before putting your head in it.
It's safe to touch once it's hard. Rondo take a lot more time to completely harden then resin or bondo on their own. Mine took up to a week or so, but that may have been just me. It will harden in a day it will just have a sticky feel for a while.
Make sure you knocked down all the pointy things before putting your head in it.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
OK thanks so the fiberglass inside will be fine to touch after it is resined in?
Ghost Bear 027
Jr Member
Master Builder
Member
Oh I see what your asking.
Yes if you soaked the fibber matt and it hardens nothing will come off if you touch it.
You may even be able to handle the mesh-matt with just your hands without to much getting on your hands, but I can't say for sure, I never used it.
I was not sure if you were talking about getting glass on your hands or if it's just safe in general, but yes to both.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
Okay thanks for the insite because I finally got all of the things I need to resin, fiberglass, and bondo putty it.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
Also do you have a recommendation if I should cover and detail the whole helmet or just detail it (not cover the entire helmet) with bondo putty? Should I only put it on parts to smooth it out or the whole thing?
Kusak3
Active Member
- Member DIN
- S474
Okay my perspective as a person who has only done a few pieces so far. When I did my helmet I covered the entire thing with bondo except for a few small details that I thought I would loose and or couldn't get into to sand properly. I spent a significant amount of time sitting with my dremel in hand and a bur rasp attachment on it cleaning out the detail that I covered with bondo and couldn't get to show properly afterwards. I felt the time spent and the result were less then satisfactory. So going forward I am opting to not completely cover things with Bondo I am doing the large area's that need smoothed with the bondo and then smaller high detail area's I am going to use rondo thinned to a level I can paint it on real thin or Spotting putty that I can apply with a finger tip just enough to smooth out any imperfections from pepping and in return take only a very minimum of hand sanding or dremel work to clean up. Small thin raised details I will be adding with foam later on. Things like vent covers and stuff like that.
dodgerfan2226
New Member
Ok cool I may try not covering the entire helmet. I still need to get used to how the bondo is. Do u have any recommendations to do to get used to the bondo putty? Are their any good videos?
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