Fiberglass Confusion

[imMonkeyGOD]

I had another topic about my helmet being to big and all you voted it was, so I made another and scaled it. It amazing how smaller it is compared to the unscaled helmet I made. I is okay if my scaled helmet doesn't have a lot of space or is it normal? I have some room for my face, back, and like 2 inches on top but its a bit cramped on the sides.

Me doing a random pose XD

A side view, and a heroic view

Now to the question....
I seriously don't understand fiberglassing. I looked at the stickies but still don't understand. I usually understand things with pictures, its just an odd habit. The guy who made Fiberglassing and Smoothing topic, to me, I didn't really think he add enough information for me (and pictures) about fiberglass. I'm a real noob at this and just learning and I don't want to mess up on my first try.

So I resin the entire helmet inside and out, right? Then on to the fiberglassing, so its a sort of mat? For example, I add a mat on top the helmet but then what? I saw a video on Youtube doing it on a surfboard, he was putting a sort of liquid on it using a paint brush to do it, what was it? Am I suppose to remove the pepkura paper at then? Do we simply use sandpaper to sand it (sounds stupid just making sure)

If someone can make another fiberglass tutorial with a bit more information pictures or just simply answer here (with pictures plz) Sorry if there are already topics that answer it already, just kindly give me a link to see it.

 

[Leadingspartan]

First off very nice helmet, second no you resin the outside and then fiberglass cloth the inside.

 

[MandoMan531]

well i dont have too many pics but i can try to explain it better.

you will never remove the paper, unless accidentally by sanding but it wont matter. in the video you saw of the guy fiberglassing a surfboard. the liquid was resin. its more like syrup actually. then there are 2 types of fiberglass, cloth and mat. cloth is like a woven fabric made of glass fibers, mat is random strands pressed together. Mat is thick and usually used to build huge strength over multiple layers, cloth is a little less strong per layer, but its thin and forms to contours very well. you will want the cloth.
You sould be able to find everything at Wal Mart.

1. one quart fiberglass resin, "Bondo" brand is fine. automotive/auto paint/supply section.
2. one pack fiberglass cloth
3. cheap brushes (be safe and get 10 brushes for 5 bucks, the ones i get at walmart are 50 cents. theyre black and 1" wide. paint section
4. some kind of mixing cup
5. pack of various grit sandpaper
6. rubber or nitrile gloves
7. respirator if you want to use one, i cant tell you to or not to. i definetly would if youre doing it in like a garage or something, but i do my work outside in open air and dont use one.
8. a marker
9. scissors
10. mixing stick

okay, heres what i do. if you cant find a pre-graduated mixing cup (meaning it has fluid measurent markings on it, i get mine from the paint pail area at Lowes or Home Depot) then take your mixing cup into the kitchen, get one of your moms measuring cups for baking. fill it to the one ounce mark and pour it into your mixing cup, mark the water line and label it "1", do it again and pour it in along with the previous water and label it "2", empty the water and take everything outside to your work area.

put on your gloves and respirator before you open ANYTHING. set your helmet on you work surface and take the plastic clid off your resin (i used Bondo brand and its in a small square "paint thinner" style can with a plastic lid on it) You will see the cap and the tube of liquid catalyst or hardener. open the hardener and poke a hole in the tip of the tube, then put the cap back on. open your resin and pour it into your mixing cup to the 1 ounce mark. heres where time comes into play. once you add your hardener theres no waiting, you need to use it immediately. you have maybe 10-15 minutes to use it depending on how much hardener you use. instructions say 12 drops per ounce i think youll get probably 10 minutes work time. too little hardener and it will not cure, it will still be sticky. add you hardener and stir it for about 30 seconds really well.

Get your brush and start applying a thin coat on the top of the head and visor. whatever you do dont soak it but use all your resin. if you cover too big of an area or soak it it will dry crooked. you will eventually notice your brush sticking a bit, just keep brushing to keep it smooth and avoid drips and runs. then let it cure till its dry to the touch. you can now apply a heavier coat of resin, 2 or three total should do it. once its all dry flip your helmet over so youre looking inside.

Mix another batch and add a coat to the inside of the helmet. Open you pack of cloth and lay it out flat, cut it in half and put one piece back in the pack. cut your piece into several size pieces (biggest no more than 6" x 6") strips, squares, any shape. lay a larger piece directly inside the top of the helmet, you can also use spray glue or adhesive to stick your cloth pieces on before resining it. cover as much of the inside helm as you can, except the visor part you see through, leave that paper. now mix up another resin batch but to the 2 ounce mark, and add 24 drops of hardener. mix well and start dabbing it onto the cloth (yes use a dabbing motion) once the cloth is "wetted-out" or soaked with resin (youll know when everythings the brown color of the resin) then you can brush. once again dont use too much resin in one area but try to use it all. let it cure. do another layer or 2 the same way, but no cloth on the outside of the helmet.

once its all cured you can start sanding the outside of the helmet, a sanding block will help some areas. if you can get a power sander even better.

message me when you get to that point and ill help you again.

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

Wow, thanks! This is great, answered many of my questions. In your opinion, which fiberglass do you reccommend? Also is fiberglass cloth in the automotive section at Walmart?

 

[Leadingspartan]

Bondo Fiberglass the one with the truck and the boat on the front.

 

[Jim]

I got the resin, hardener and fiberglass cloth all in the same shelf in the automotive section.

 

[Fuffuloo]

This answers a lot of my questions. I am just like imMonkeyGOD, I am a complete newb and know next to nothing about this. May I ask you, imMonkeyGOD, if you are doing a full suit or just a helmet?

 

[Maxpower]

I have a question. I've read alot of post saying never put the cloth on the outside. Why is that?

 

[Sigma LS]

You lose a lot of detail, have to spend much more time sanding, and might end up with a weird texture if you don't use mat glass.

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

This answers a lot of my questions. I am just like imMonkeyGOD, I am a complete newb and know next to nothing about this. May I ask you, imMonkeyGOD, if you are doing a full suit or just a helmet?

Just the Helmet at the moment...

 

[Maxpower]

Interesting. Thanks Sigma.

 

[CPU64]

I used glass gloth on the outside and glass mesh on the inside. The cloth being thinner, keeps the details in place. The mesh on the inside is stronger withut any worries about details..
Also one thing I hope you don't mind me saying...
Sigma just said that fiberglass on the outside will take away the detail. You guys have to understand that the model printed out is a very rough geometry that has to be smooth shaded (the print out is flat shaded) and bump mapped before any of the details are visible in the game.
None of the details you see on the character are on the geometry itself therefore, if you were to actually shape the paper shell to look like the rendered armor, you'd need a healthy layer of bondo to both smooth out the model and to add all the details from the bump maps.

Not trying to be a know it all, its just in case some people missed that detail.

 

[MaShEdPOTaToEs]

so is it ok if you fiberglass the outside?

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

so is it ok if you fiberglass the outside?

Im going to not to and trust with Mondoman, no offense CPU.

So far, more people are saying not to fiberglass outside but only for inside and resin outside. So Im going with the majority.

 

[Fuffuloo]

Im going to not to and trust with Mondoman, no offense CPU.

So far, more people are saying not to fiberglass outside but only for inside and resin outside. So Im going with the majority.

Me too, if When I make one.

 

[CPU64]

Im going to not to and trust with Mondoman, no offense CPU.

So far, more people are saying not to fiberglass outside but only for inside and resin outside. So Im going with the majority.

That's ok, it doesn't bother me at all.
I just though about writing that considering that my suit was the first one around and probably one of the reasons why so many people are getting their hands dirty with something as nasty as fiberglass

 

[Macattack64]

I've been using the mat cloth... I heard it is stonger... But is kinda a pain... :\...

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

I just want to do it nice and smoothly, noting complicating.

Also, does anyone have a pic of the outcome of a resin helmet or and other body armor? I just want to know how it would look before I do it.

 

[Macattack64]

I just want to do it nice and smoothly, noting complicating.

Also, does anyone have a pic of the outcome of a resin helmet or and other body armor? I just want to know how it would look before I do it.

Go into my gallery... I've got about 71 pictures of pieces before and after some aren't fiberglassed yet...

Just Click Here...

 

[silvershadow]

wow this is a great tutorial, it helped me alot more too then the original, just one question though, is there any kind of spray on resin? or would it just solidify in the can and thats why there isn't one?