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

[Hickeydog]

Link to fiberglass tutorial video please? I'm going to fiberglass the inside of my helmet today. Based on what I've read I will:
1. Cut the fiberglass cloth up into about 5" squares
2. Mix about 4 oz of resin
3. Brush an area inside my helm
4. Lay a piece of cloth on it, then coat the cloth with resin until saturated
5. Repeat process until entire helmet is covered with fiberglass cloth.

Now here's my questions and a tutorial video might answer them for me.

A. How much of an overlap should I have on the separate 5" pieces of cloth?
B. T/F? I have read that 3 layers is about the norm for helmets and that they can be all done at once- no need to wait for each layer to cure.
C. Fiberglass cloth seems much heavier than fiberglass mat- are the above three layers for cloth or mat?

Thanks for the help. I'm looking forward to being able to sculpt, sand and finish this thing soon!

You should have a little overlap. Not much is needed, especially when doing multiple layers. It's best to let each layer dry before going on the the next, especially with cloth. The weight of the fiberglass will pull it away from the pep. You do need more layer of fiberglass when using mat.

 

[Kanniba1istic]

I have a question, I recently pepped a helmet using 110 lb cardstock. I cant afford much to harden it so i was going to use the hot glue method, but i read elsewhere that i didnt need to, but i wasnt sure. Do i still need to harden it?

 

[ventrue]

I have a question, I recently pepped a helmet using 110 lb cardstock. I cant afford much to harden it so i was going to use the hot glue method, but i read elsewhere that i didnt need to, but i wasnt sure. Do i still need to harden it?

It'll be perfectly fine as it is - unless you want to actually do something with it. In that case, there would be no way around hardening it.

 

[Kanniba1istic]

i was wanting to paint it and such, and actually put a visor on it so i can wear it

 

[ventrue]

i was wanting to paint it and such, and actually put a visor on it so i can wear it

As I said: In that case, raw paper won't survive long.

 

[Kanniba1istic]

alrighty, thanks man

 

[mikedav17]

Whats the best way to apply the resin to the outside of my armor?

 

[Hickeydog]

Whats the best way to apply the resin to the outside of my armor?

Take some tinfoil, and line that plastic cap with it. Pour a little resin into it, and squirt a little hardener in. Mix up the resin and hardener. Take a 1" chip brush (you can get 30 for $9 at Harbor Freight) and apply a VERY thin layer evenly to your pep.

 

[mikedav17]

Let rephrase that; Whats the best type of brush to use when applying resin, a paint brush (anything with bristles) or those spongy foam brushes?
That was my bad for the poor wording..

 

[ventrue]

Whats the best type of brush to use when applying resin, a paint brush (anything with bristles) or those spongy foam brushes?

The hairy kind, medium strength. But there's probably some room for personal preference here ;-)

 

[Agent Arizona]

Let rephrase that; Whats the best type of brush to use when applying resin, a paint brush (anything with bristles) or those spongy foam brushes?
That was my bad for the poor wording..

I like bristle brushes myself, there cheap too. Sponge would work as well but im not sure how long it would last or if it would shrink from resin.

 

[Hickeydog]

Let rephrase that; Whats the best type of brush to use when applying resin, a paint brush (anything with bristles) or those spongy foam brushes?
That was my bad for the poor wording..

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-36-1-inch-industrial-grade-chip-brushes-4181.html

36 1" brushes for $7.00.

 

[Mangoes7]

I know that rondo is a mix between resin and bondo, but how much of it do you mix in?

 

[BenStreeper]

I know that rondo is a mix between resin and bondo, but how much of it do you mix in?

Hey Mangoes go ahead and check out my Tutorial thread. It's got a lot of the answers you're gonna need in video form.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/22923-How-To-Make-A-Helmet-From-Pep-To-Finish

There are a lot of videos here covering more than one helmet so make sure to take the time to watch them.

 

[LightningWaffle]

Sponge would work as well but im not sure how long it would last or if it would shrink from resin.

I've tried using sponge brushes for applying resin. They work about a little less than average, as they apply a pretty even coat, but they tend to soak up quite a bit of the resin and it's very hard to wring out said resin from the brush to use on the piece. Like you, I prefer bristle brushes.

 

[Bighouse]

At which point is it ok to cut the visor opening out? I've got mind rondo'd and fiberglassed inside. I'm starting the shaping process by mostly sanding/scraping/dremeling off the pepakur and rondo (I've got two coats of rondo inside the pep, then a layer of fiberglass inside that). I'll be bondoing the outside more for detail and better shaping, but it would be much easier to do more work on the helmet if the opening for the visor were present. I'll probably fiberglass another coat inside once I get further along as well and having the opening there would help that as well.

So, is it ok to cut the visor opening after the fiberglass and rondo have set completely?

Update: too late! I just cut the hole. Seems rock stable so I don't think it matters. I have a Shoei(spelling?) duotint gold visor on order from ebay ($6.99!) so I'll be able to set it in place and bondo up to the (filmprotected!) visor when it arrives.

 

[pro2xtreme]

can u fiberglass a paper helmet

 

[ventrue]

can u fiberglass a paper helmet

Yes.

Make sure to read this and everything linked in it: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/30542-NOOB-reading-list

 

[obiwanfeefee]

Is there an alternative to Bondo when it comes to detailing? I just almost ruined a pepakura (with resin and fiberglas enforcement) recon helmet that I made twice for scaling. I Resined an entire suit and reinforced the inside with fiberglas. Now I'm stuck. This Bondo is absurd. I'm a pretty good sculptor so I was wondering if anybody tried to detail with Plumbers putty or something. Does Plumbers Putty even Solidify? Or how long would it take to solidify? Plumbers epoxy isn't economical because it's expensive for small amounts. Is there something like clay? But much lighter obviously. I really want to perfect this suit but I need a detailing material. Thanks for any help!

 

[Serepheth]

Hey guys i was doing some digging around the forum and online so far I havent found any fiberglass cloth for 50$ for 50yds. I did find a site called thayercraft.com that sells 50 for 50 but i dont know if there are any other sites that are maybe more reputable or if that is indeed a good site to purchase from. but im just looking for the cheapest price. so if anyone knows anything i'd be super grateful. also does anyone know how many yards is contained in the little packages of fiberglass cloth found in most hardware stores? and does anyone have an approximate count on how much yardage they used in building a spartan suit?