Resining & Fibre Glassing Tutorial/How To

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Shame I didn't write anything here yet huh?

Ok, a few tips to help you guys avoid the headaches (in both sense of the word)
First, what mask to use?? When in doubt try it out, if you can take a wif of the resin and still smell it, the mask isn't ok to use.

Mat vs Cloth:

Use mat on the inside for strength, use cloth on the outside to keep your details.
Mat doesn't go around corners at all without bubbling around the crease, use cloth, and always in small sections.
If you are using card or mat board, you "could" soak enough resin on the outside to have a hard enough surface without any glass and keep all your details. But you need a "flawless" shell/base to work with.

Application:

Don't use brushes, it will soak up most of your resin, pull strands off the cloth, and you can only use it once unless you wash it after each use with lacker thinner.
I actually cut a bunch of little "spatulas" out of the same mat-board i use for my shells. Its good for mixing resin, for applying resin, and great for smoothing out the resin over the cloth/mat. And when you're done with that mix, if you're using the mixing container included with the can of resin, just leave the spatula in the leftover and once its hard in a few minutes, just pull the while thing out and the can is clean again for a new batch.
If you're using mat, and the strands are standing up, you need more resin, its a bit dry.. It soaks up a lot of resin but its hella strong.
To go around corners easier, you can "score" a bend line with a metal spatula to "break" the fibers helping it bend around a corner.

Gloves...

I tried to use latex gloves before but they don't last long enough since the resin will melt it in a few minutes. I haven't tried vinyl gloves but I think it wolds up better. I like to apply the resin and cloth/mat with my fingers instead of a tool.
Its faster and i can get into every little spot.. Its more fun getting your hands in it.
If its a small spot, I don't mind using my bare finger-tip then just "peel" out the resin shell once its dry.

Heat:

When its curing, resin gets hot, but not enough to burn you... Well, unless you over hardened a gallon of the stuff and you leave you hand in it. then again, if you do that, I think the heat will be less of a problem than getting your hand out from a block of hard resin :D

Temperature:

If you're working outside, and its sunny, resin will gel up in about 5 minutes after being mixed. I like to add more hardener so i get about 1.5 to 2 minutes.
If its cool/cold, it will take longer to harden.
If its really cold and humid, bust out the hair dryer. You'll need it. NOT a heat gun! Those can set your project on fire.

Finishing:

After your parts are glassed, you'll need to sand them and now more than before, you need a respirator to keep your lungs from the little pieces of glass floating around you.
And you'll have to Bondo the surface with body filler, sand some more, prime it, and sand some more, before you are ready for paint.
I had lots of people ask me if my armor was vacuum-formed when they see the parts in gray primer ready for paint. It has to look THAT smooth for a sweet paint job!

Cleanup:

If you get drops on any hard surface, wipe it up right away and you're good to go.
If you get it on your skin as a drop, let it harden than easily just peel it out. It doesn't stick to skin well.
If you get it smeared on your skin, you can wipe it with acetone, or lacquer thinner.
If you get it on your clothes, get ready to have it on there for as long as you own that piece of clothing :D

Just remember, it won't eat chunks out of you, don't be afraid of fiberglass, but do RESPECT it for what it could do to you if you play around with it, and you'll do fine :)
Wear a mask, pre-cut your pieces, mix little resin at a time, use spatulas instead of brushes, cloth outside/mat inside, and it should be a fun experience
 
Bartock said:
Yes resin jelly will work just as well. It goes on a little thicker, and you may want to use a spreader instead of a brush, but the end result is the same...hard and smooth.

Can somebody else confirm this. No offence to Bartock but seeing as its your 1st post im not sure you know completly.
 
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stanvo said:
Can somebody else confirm this. No offence to Bartock but seeing as its your 1st post im not sure you know completly.
I've used resin gel before and you have to use a spreader if you want anything resembling a smooth finish, be careful when you mix the hardener in to avoid mixing in air bubbles. Being a gel it will dry to a smoother surface than liquid which means less sanding needed :)
 
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hey guys this is my first halo suit project and i need to know if i need to fiberglass the inside and outside of my armour or just the inside????
 
camo6925 said:
hey guys this is my first halo suit project and i need to know if i need to fiberglass the inside and outside of my armour or just the inside????
Usually, it's been resin on the outside and fiberglass on the inside but for the rear lower torso (i.e. the butt piece) it might be a good idea to 'glass both sides since that will be the part under the most stress :)
 
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Hey guys, I know that you guys have said not to fiberglass the outside but will it work if you don't want to glass the inside of small areas such as the spikes on an elite helm. Also do you guys have any tips on fiber glassing small areas?
 
Can anyone recommend where I should go to get some fibreglass resin - I'm based in London, so as near to the centre as possible really. I've looked on various websites for B&Q etc, but nowhere seems to have any.
Help greatly appreciated - complete noob here.
 
THIS WAS A BAD IDEA:

I resined my first helmet just Friday and I didn't have money for a respirator so I tried keeping my head away from the mixing of the resin and the hardener.

At first nothing was wrong, I went to bed a little later though (4 AM) but when I had woken up, my asthma was acting up a little so I used my puffer. Things were going fine for most of the day otherwise.

Then on Sunday (Mother's Day) I woke up and had to use my puffer right away but it still didn't help so I was sent to the hospital. I didn't get out until nearly 5:40 PM (We got to the hospital at 1:40 PM)

Now it's Monday and my asthma has gone down a bit. The moral of my story? USE A MASK

P.S. My helmet fell apart because the glue never seemed to dry...
 
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Mr Poko said:
where do i go to get the bondo and liqued hardener and about how much will it cost
Auto supply stores carry them, as well as Wal-Mart and K-Mart and a quart can costs $12-$16 and they come with a tube of hardener.
 
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valdeztke said:
Is the TUT for the fiberglass still planned? Also is it NESSECARY to use fiberglass? Can you JUST use resin?

what do you mean by resin. you need the fiberglass cloth/mat and the fiberglass resin. the resin itself wil propbably not wok because your armor might melt and won't have any strength.

LukeTrocity said:
Any ideas on how to get the smell to go away. My helmet still wreaks on the inside and its been a month.

fiberglass the inside :D or put air freshener :rolleyes

if anybody needs help you can just PM me or sean or Long shot
 
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Zyclone said:
Does anyone have a good substitute for fibreglassing? It's not easy to get neither a full respirator, nor fibreglass cloth here in finland....

Or the resin, for that matter.....
:mad:

well actualy there is. there it a hot glue method were you just get a crap load of hot glue sticks and melt them in an eletric stove. theres a tut somewere on the 405th for it im sure
 
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kadidlehopper markVI said:
well actualy there is. there it a hot glue method were you just get a crap load of hot glue sticks and melt them in an eletric stove. theres a tut somewere on the 405th for it im sure

Yeah thats in the stickeys, it was done by AoBfrost.
 
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i just had a quick question, im pretty new to this whole thing, and ive got my halmet pep done, but i made it out of regular paper, is that going to be a problem when i go to resin and fiberglass it, or should i do something else to it first so that the resin doesnt warp the paper?
 
L3X BLU3R1V3R said:
i just had a quick question, im pretty new to this whole thing, and ive got my halmet pep done, but i made it out of regular paper, is that going to be a problem when i go to resin and fiberglass it, or should i do something else to it first so that the resin doesnt warp the paper?
Yes, that's going to be a VERY BIG problem. Once wet with resin, regular paper will not be able to maintain their shape and will begin to get floppy. You can go ahead and and apply resin but I can guarantee you that it will be a lost cause. You should have read the stickies: use 110# cardstock for pep projects.
 
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L3X BLU3R1V3R said:
i just had a quick question, im pretty new to this whole thing, and ive got my halmet pep done, but i made it out of regular paper, is that going to be a problem when i go to resin and fiberglass it, or should i do something else to it first so that the resin doesnt warp the paper?


try using sheets of styrene or pepkura with photo paper or poster board
 
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