Automotive Body Filler!

[Woodstock]

I found this stuff at Lowes that just may be the answer to my problem. Let me start at the beginning- I'm trying to make armor for airsoft. My dad seems to think that's a fine idea... as long as I don't use fiberglass. Or resin. While I've tried to tell him it may be the best way to make the armor, he's got a ton of reasons why it's not. The main two are "We don't have the space to do it" [I have an outdoor workbench behind the garage], and "you're not mature enough to handle the resin" [What am I gonna do, fiberglass the dog?] So, as you can see, my options are limited. "Well sam, there's the hot glue method...". Problem with that is, hot glue goes soft at 80 degrees farenheit. Here in California [Especially during the summer] it gets to the high nineties and low hundreds, so that's out of the question. "Sam, just wait till you're older" Bad idea. This is the prime goof-off period of my life. Next year my parents are having me get a job. "Sam, try to talk to your dad, explain why this is a good idea...." Not a chance. My dad could argue politics with a mule's ass (No pun intended).



Now that we've gone through that, I have a few theories. The first of which is "print the pep design onto cardstock, then laminate it over sheet styrene, cut it out, and glue it together". Great in theory, but 1) No place in my town sells styrene, and 2) I can't buy crap online.



Another theory is to do the same thing, but with "chipboard" as the medium, rather than styrene. Again, great in theory, but same problems as before.



A third theory is to use Bondo Automotive Body Filler to strengthen my armor. It seems that I may just be able to brush it onto the outside of the armor and sand it smooth.... Any suggestions as to whether or not to use this? Or perhaps listing other alternatives?

Thanks for reading through my whiney rant, and for any advice you post!

 

[GiR3892]

well what i did for my first helmet (not to say its perfect ad light) was i did mine in putty filler for wood and mix it with pva glue instead of water and boy it was a turd to sand but it worked but i was unimpressed because im a perfectionist so now its a first try display . You could try hmmmm maybe a pva method of doin a pepakura helmet then do say 10 full thick coats of pva glue and mache the inside or something then use car filler or (BONDO)and sand it down it should be the equivilant of fiberglass depending on how much youve done but BEWARE! it will not be a strong so you'll have to eay with it . loled at " Not a chance. My dad could argue politics with a mule's ass (No pun intended)

 

[eggfooyoung]

Well, from what I learn, Bondo can break and crack easily if the applied surface moves too much.



Your best bet is to either prove to your parents that you are responsible to handle fiberglass resin, or just wait. This hobby can become expensive, so earning some money might be a good idea.

 

[GiR3892]

I agree it can/will crack as what he sayd and once it does it'll just crack somewhere else and it keep doin it. trust me you'll be making repaires all the time so prove you can fiberglass its not that hard once you've got the jist of it or get that job theve promised and get some dough (monies)and prove em wrong i suggest if youre allowed to pep helmets is to do all of them first then worry bout the glassing later

 

[bobbio555]

I find that the hot glue method warps the hell out of armor, so what I've done is I seal my armor using mod podge, then I paper mache it, mixing mod podge into the mix (yes I like mod podge a lot) then after about 3 layers of mod podge enhanced paper mache, I hot glue it. Hope your armor works out.

 

[Woodstock]

Well, from what I learn, Bondo can break and crack easily if the applied surface moves too much.



Your best bet is to either prove to your parents that you are responsible to handle fiberglass resin, or just wait. This hobby can become expensive, so earning some money might be a good idea.

[Pulled from the original post]

"Sam, just wait till you're older" Bad idea. This is the prime goof-off period of my life. Next year my parents are having me get a job. "Sam, try to talk to your dad, explain why this is a good idea...." Not a chance. My dad could argue politics with a mule's ass (No pun intended). And I've got the money for it... Don't know why everyone assumes I'm broke.

 

[ram]

Try looking up a product called Paverpol. Essentially its like paper mache but you use cloth instead of newspaper and it supposidly dries rock hard, I believe it can be sanded smooth as well. From what I read you can build a frame and fill it with foam and use paverpol over it to create a hard shell, I also read somewhere that you should add paverplast to the paverpol to make it waterproof. Never having worked with the material myself I cant say for sure whether it will give you the results you're looking for but its definitley worth checking into. Not a very good product for applying to pep files though.



I origionaly came across the product looking into a space marine costume

Space Marine Guild

 

[JSwift]

What about aqua resin? It's not toxic like the polyester resin.

 

[ForsakEnd]

I agree this girl Erica (AKA Skullcandy girl) uses it to build her armor

http://www.indymogul.com/backyardfx/episode/BFX_20081103

http://www.aquaresin.com/

 

[yccars]

Why not fiberglass the dog? Just to prove a point.



[/sarcasm]



I don't understand some parents. I told my mom I needed 50 sheets of 100 lb cardstock, fiberglass resin, 27 sq ft of fiberglass mat, autobody filler, 10 sq ft of 2mm acrylic, 4 sq ft of 1/8" acrylic, some window tint, bulk brushes, chemically resistant gloves, a respirator, 16' of 2x6, and 16' of 2x4 and she basically said "Okay."



She will do anything to keep me from actually playing halo.

 

[Woodstock]

What about aqua resin? It's not toxic like the polyester resin.

Can't find it anywhere in Sandy-Eggo. Aside from that, I can't order stuff online.



I'm thinking about getting some wood glue and just brushing it onto the pep after a couple coats of clearcoat. Yea or nay?

 

[loki0356]

ok woodstock have your parents read this. ok parents im a fourteen year old kid wich is not young but young enough

i have used fibber glass many times for one thing i beleave a monkey who is a reatard can use something simple as fiberglass. the only thing bad about fibberglass is that it is strong smelling so use a charcol resperator for saftey

and the only way to realy get a nice look and make it rellay strong is with fiberglass. if you use bondo body filler

on it, it will crack you only use body filler to make it look smooth. have a little faith in your son/daughter. besides think of how happy they would be to see themselves to make a master piece such as this armor.



pls take this in to consideration.

 

[Woodstock]

ok woodstock have your parents read this. ok parents im a fourteen year old kid wich is not young but young enough

i have used fibber glass many times for one thing i beleave a monkey who is a reatard can use something simple as fiberglass. the only thing bad about fibberglass is that it is strong smelling so use a charcol resperator for saftey

and the only way to realy get a nice look and make it rellay strong is with fiberglass. if you use bondo body filler

on it, it will crack you only use body filler to make it look smooth. have a little faith in your son/daughter. besides think of how happy they would be to see themselves to make a master piece such as this armor.



pls take this in to consideration.

He doesn't care. He says he doesn't give a good god-damn about what your parents let you do. He doesn't want the stuff in his house.

 

[owen saber]

He doesn't care. He says he doesn't give a good god-damn about what your parents let you do. He doesn't want the stuff in his house.

do it outside lol. u should see if u can use casting resin its not like fiberglassing resin. what it is, is basically liquid plastic. no fiberglass involved. this guy explains it very well: http://405th.com/?p=574

or hear:

hope this helps

 

[Unbadass]

Well what me and my friend did in wood working was the poor mans wood putty, mix wood glue and some saw dust to make a nice paste. Also maybe add some strips string or fishing line in there to take the place of fiberglass cloth stuff. Ive been meaning to try this out for some time now.



Maybe change up the types of saw dust, like add half wood shavings and half dust to the glue. Just to give it a different consistency.

 

[loki0356]

well i tried

 

[te flying ninja]

What I did to make my armor was to get my old dirt bike chest protector, find some big squares of hard plastic in my little brother's pile of un-touched toys, and start using a dremel to slice some armor parts out, once I had my pieces, I found some screws and bolts for them, drilled holes in the right places of my armor pieces and chest protector, and fitted them together, it looks pretty airsoft-proof to me, and i'm going to find out if it is later this week! The funny thing that I did, I cut off a Tie-Bomber Star Wars toy's wing and used them for shoulders.

 

[halodude164]

or, you can use molding clay. little kids can play with clay, s your dad can't bitch too much. and then bake it. at least you'll have some sturdiness to it. or i like the casting resin. and i'm sure you can find aqua resin in san diego, i lived there for many-a-years, you can get alot more in cali than in nc, trust me. but good luck on getting your armor done.



*edit



ooorrrr, you can't resin the pieces, but that doesn't mean other members from the 405th that live in san diego can't help you out. i'm sure if you have something to trade them for, they would be glad to help. unless they are completely kind souls and would just help you out cuz that's what kind of community we are. so anyone think they can help the kid out? i think that would work wonders. or if you dad would pitch a fit, have a close friend that even he knows help you. cover your bases to get around it if you have too.



another scenario, you go to a friends house and you bring your pepped piece and they just so happen to have fiberglass resin they are willing to share. see? you didn't do it at his house ;p



but yeah, they are only suggestions. but if the bottom line of you dad says no, then no means no... even if it really sucks and is really stupid. respect your parents and they will respect you in turn... usually lol

 

[Woodstock]

but if the bottom line of you dad says no, then no means no... even if it really sucks and is really stupid. respect your parents and they will respect you in turn... usually lol

My dad and I have a bit of a give and take relationship. He gives me s*** and I take it.

 

[Sigma LS]

Did you explain that automotive body filler IS fiberglass resin just with little bits of styrene and ceramic powder mixed in? Or is it about the fiberglass itself? If it's not about the resin you could just substitute cloth or drywall tape. Not quite as strong but good enough.