Things I've learned.
Having used the Pepakura/fiberglass method for the first time this year to create my sons' Halo costumes I thought I would relay some of what I learned as a noob stepping out in his first major Halo build (actually 3 builds). *Much of this information already exists in this forum in one way or another, some of it, to the best of my knowledge does not.
1. *Use more than one coat of resin after you fiberglass. *I can't tell you how many times I sanded through Bondo and the resin under layer only to create a new hole that needed to be filled. *To obtain the ever coveted perfectly smooth finish you crave, you will often sand through the Bondo to the resin layer underneath. Having a sufficiently strong and thick layer of resin there makes the difference between creating an unsightly hole and having a beautifully feathered finish.*
2. *Sometimes minor imperfections are a good thing. When I started I would sand, Bondo, re-sand, Bondo, then glaze, re-sand etc.. until the finish was perfect. Near the end of my build, as Halloween quickly approached, I would overlook minor gouges and scrapes. I discovered that when it came to "battle-damaging"the piece, these imperfections added to the authenticity of the look rather than detracting from it. If had known this I likely would have kept some of the initial imperfections.
3. *Seal your armor. Applying a clear coat or latex sealant really helps to prevent paint chipping through regular wear of the armor.*
4. *Detail sanders ROCK!!! I hand-sanded for weeks before I invested in a small Black and Decker Mighty Mouse detail sander. *Using a sander was not only a time saver but made a huge difference in the overall quality and consistency of the sanding.
5. Rubber body-filler spreader/skimmer ROCKS!! I used this mostly to apply glazing putty. *It gave me a much smoother finish than those plastic Bondo spreaders. *I highly recommend them.
6. *Use rubber car trim on sharp edges. *These are the rubber pieces that you can get for your car door. *They work wonderfully to make sharp armor edges and helmet rims nice and comfortable.
What about everyone else here? Any words of unconventional wisdom to share??
Having used the Pepakura/fiberglass method for the first time this year to create my sons' Halo costumes I thought I would relay some of what I learned as a noob stepping out in his first major Halo build (actually 3 builds). *Much of this information already exists in this forum in one way or another, some of it, to the best of my knowledge does not.
1. *Use more than one coat of resin after you fiberglass. *I can't tell you how many times I sanded through Bondo and the resin under layer only to create a new hole that needed to be filled. *To obtain the ever coveted perfectly smooth finish you crave, you will often sand through the Bondo to the resin layer underneath. Having a sufficiently strong and thick layer of resin there makes the difference between creating an unsightly hole and having a beautifully feathered finish.*
2. *Sometimes minor imperfections are a good thing. When I started I would sand, Bondo, re-sand, Bondo, then glaze, re-sand etc.. until the finish was perfect. Near the end of my build, as Halloween quickly approached, I would overlook minor gouges and scrapes. I discovered that when it came to "battle-damaging"the piece, these imperfections added to the authenticity of the look rather than detracting from it. If had known this I likely would have kept some of the initial imperfections.
3. *Seal your armor. Applying a clear coat or latex sealant really helps to prevent paint chipping through regular wear of the armor.*
4. *Detail sanders ROCK!!! I hand-sanded for weeks before I invested in a small Black and Decker Mighty Mouse detail sander. *Using a sander was not only a time saver but made a huge difference in the overall quality and consistency of the sanding.
5. Rubber body-filler spreader/skimmer ROCKS!! I used this mostly to apply glazing putty. *It gave me a much smoother finish than those plastic Bondo spreaders. *I highly recommend them.
6. *Use rubber car trim on sharp edges. *These are the rubber pieces that you can get for your car door. *They work wonderfully to make sharp armor edges and helmet rims nice and comfortable.
What about everyone else here? Any words of unconventional wisdom to share??