"Help!" for: Fiberglassing, Resin, & Bondo

[Hickeydog]

ok so i finally bought some fiberglass and resin yesterday and i have some questions
1)I built my armor from 90lb cardstock and scotch tape so how would the resin effect it?
2)Some models such as my helmet and back/chest(iron man/war machine) are in parts and held together by painters tape so i was thinking of resining in sections at a time to make sure the parts stay in place. i was also thinking of putting some stips on fiberglass cloth over the seems to make sure the parts stay in place while i resin but that might be a bad idea. any pointers?

1) The resin will melt the tape. You will have to go back and glue everything. Pull one tape off, apply glue. Repeat.

2) See 1). Also, the resin is there to stiffen the piece enough so you can apply the fiberglass. Applying the fiberglass before resining the piece will cause warpage.

I'm a noob and I'm wondering wht kind os fiberglass should I use, and by tht I mean wht do u guys recommend?

5-6 packs of this will harden up a suit quite nicely. 2-3 layers for the smaller pieces, and 4-5 layers for the bigger ones.
http://www.amazon.com/Bondo-499-Fiberglass-Cloth-sq-ft/dp/B000BQSKQY

 

[TheSherpa117]

Hey guys... so right now I have 2 helmets fully pepped out and ready to harden and I'm just going to be sure before I go spend a whole bunch of money it's bondo fiberglassing resin and bondo body filler right? and yes I did watch the videos by Ben Streeper I just wanted to be sure, thanks

 

[ventrue]

Hey guys... so right now I have 2 helmets fully pepped out and ready to harden and I'm just going to be sure before I go spend a whole bunch of money it's bondo fiberglassing resin and bondo body filler right? and yes I did watch the videos by Ben Streeper I just wanted to be sure, thanks

You should place more trust in your own research.

But yes, those are suitable products if you're going to rondo the models.

 

[TheSherpa117]

Yea I guess I just wasn't certain but thank you for confirming

 

[TheSherpa117]

What would yo guys suggest for resining if you live in Canada in the middle of winter and you can't use fibreglass resin in your house because of the fumes and there is no where else warm enough that is well ventilated

 

[ventrue]

What would yo guys suggest for resining if you live in Canada in the middle of winter and you can't use fibreglass resin in your house because of the fumes and there is no where else warm enough that is well ventilated

I would (or in fact, I do) use epoxy instead of polyester resin. It cures faster (depends on the product though), can handle lower temperatures better and it's close to fumeless. On the other hand, it's more expensive and a lot more dangerous when touched.
You can also look into urethane-based resins (Smooth-Cast and the likes), many members use these inside. They do emit fumes as well, though.

Make sure to inform yourself about safety. This is where you should definitely trust your own research more than what a guy on a forum tells you ;-)
For epoxy, I'd recommend safety glasses, respirator (for organic vapours, but a lower filter class than for polyester resin is ok) and heavy nitrile or butyl chemical gloves. Thin disposable gloves don't provide protection.

 

[Nobodysktr]

I am currently working on an ironman suit and I have pepped out a few pieces then I resined the outside to keep warping to a minimum. Then I slushcasted rondo on the inside to harden the pieces. My question now is what's next? Do I paint rondo on the outside and sand that or sand through the pep and do all my detail work on the rondo? I've seen both in the forums so I'm just wondering which is the better option?

 

[sonic sod]

I am currently working on an ironman suit and I have pepped out a few pieces then I resined the outside to keep warping to a minimum. Then I slushcasted rondo on the inside to harden the pieces. My question now is what's next? Do I paint rondo on the outside and sand that or sand through the pep and do all my detail work on the rondo? I've seen both in the forums so I'm just wondering which is the better option?

you should bondo the outside of your peice

 

[akSTUBBLman]

What kind of fiberglass material do you usually use in the armor, Mat or Cloth, and what strength?

 

[IndigoJack]

you should bondo the outside of your peice

Why is bondo better than rondo? If your working with a piece that is mostly round wouldn't it be easier to cover it in rondo than just apply bondo to parts that are round? I making an iron man costume also and I would say at least 65-70% of it is rounded. Also, I heard that rondo is easier to sand, is this true?

 

[spartanb312]

i think that is because rondo have fiberglass resin

 

[XcalibRe]

I have a question. Does using an electric sander such as orbital sander which I have, produce better results overall than hand sanding? What are the pro's and con's of each?

 

[Gforce598]

I use both types of sanding just be careful when using an electric one not to remove too much material at once.

 

[XcalibRe]

Thanks. I might just stick to hand sanding but use the sander for prominent curves.

 

[squidanator]

would resin work in new zealand because I have been thinking that I would like to try and make some armour

 

[ventrue]

would resin work in new zealand because I have been thinking that I would like to try and make some armour

I don't think resin really cares about where you are...?

Just have a look at the recommended temperature (should be somewhere on the label) before you start.

 

[squidanator]

thanks for your help ventrue I really appreciate it

 

[ventrue]

thanks for your help ventrue I really appreciate it

You're welcome

 

[muppetsman]

Does anybody happen to know if fiberglass cloth and fiberglass resin is what i should be using to harden the inside of my pieces? I read the tuturials and the fiberglass there almost looks paper-ish. Will this fiberglass cloth material work?

 

[ventrue]

Does anybody happen to know if fiberglass cloth and fiberglass resin is what i should be using to harden the inside of my pieces? I read the tuturials and the fiberglass there almost looks paper-ish. Will this fiberglass cloth material work?

Yes, you can use that. You may have seen people use fibreglass mats, which to use is prety much a matter of personal preference.