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

[Guard1an]

ok guys I have been digging through this super helfpful Q&A for all things resin related, but I haven't seen one thing mentioned that might end up being a bigger help than your standard rondo mix, what about mixing the standard poly "bondo" resin and the "resin jelly" together for the slush instead of the normal resin bondo mix ? I mean the resin jelly is just short strand fiberglass mixed in bondo, so in theory if you where to mix the jelly and resin, which of the two hardeners would you use for a catalyst ? I think the mix would be stronger than the rondo and thinner as well.....thoughts ? I am thinking about doing this to my MMPR super power beat down green ranger helmet after a coat or two of resin on the inside before i try this newer slush mix....

 

[FlyinPhil]

ok guys I have been digging through this super helfpful Q&A for all things resin related, but I haven't seen one thing mentioned that might end up being a bigger help than your standard rondo mix, what about mixing the standard poly "bondo" resin and the "resin jelly" together for the slush instead of the normal resin bondo mix ? I mean the resin jelly is just short strand fiberglass mixed in bondo, so in theory if you where to mix the jelly and resin, which of the two hardeners would you use for a catalyst ? I think the mix would be stronger than the rondo and thinner as well.....thoughts ? I am thinking about doing this to my MMPR super power beat down green ranger helmet after a coat or two of resin on the inside before i try this newer slush mix....View attachment 27974

Take it from someone who went with a rondo slush on their first helmet.... Not worth it. Rondo is quite brittle, and heavy as well. Take the time to do it properly, and put about two layers of fiberglass in your helmet. It won't take you much longer, and you'll end up with a far lighter and more durable helmet

 

[RobotChicken]

I also went the "rondo" method when doing my first Pepakura parts thinking it would help add thickness to the inside for outer sanding while also smoothing over all the interior sharp angles making it easier to lay fiberglass. The weight of the pieces skyrocketed. If I were to continue with pepping rather than switch to 3D printing the parts, I would be going straight to fiberglass after just one coat of resin on the outside. Bondo filler is heavy, even when thinned with resin, and also brittle. It's okay for small areas of just smoothing out contours, but I'd never cover an entire model with it nor slush it around the inside.

 

[Guard1an]

well the advice is appreciated guys, i guess i should have mentioned that I am going for max strength, because when the helmet is done I plan on molding it and casting it, whether its a fiberglass jacket for fiber glass copies or a soft jacket and sloshed copies, btw in the pic below you can see the mix ratios, while the cream hardener mix had better flex the MEK ( normal resin hardener) cured quicker and was much much stronger, stay tuned for helmet findings !!!

 

[KaulinD]

i am making a Venator helmet, and I was wondering if I should cut out the eye slots before I bondo?
(It isn't allowing me to upload a picture)

 

[Chernobyl]

i am making a Venator helmet, and I was wondering if I should cut out the eye slots before I bondo?
(It isn't allowing me to upload a picture)

If you've hardened your piece sufficiently, then yes, you can cut out the eye slots. Otherwise, leave them in until you're done.

 

[Metalloid One]

HI, I hope this is the right place to ask.
I have a question about fiberglass resin, I have fiberglass resined a pepakura helmet while wearing a respirator (outside) and all the proper safety equipment and let the piece cure (again outside).
apon inspecting it the next day i could smell the odor and became fatigued, nauseous, and had a slight headache. to my knowledge styrene is what keeps the plastic a liquid while in the container and evaporates when exposed to air.
so my question is how long does it take for the styrene to be completely gone? do you guys inspect your pepakura hours later with respirators on?
i havent continued working on the helmet. is it ever going to be really safe to wear?
thanks for reading all this.

 

[Chernobyl]

First: welcome to the forums!

Let's deal with your questions in order:

so my question is how long does it take for the styrene to be completely gone?

The time honestly varies - the chemical reaction may take a few days or so to fully complete and exhaust the styrene component. It's just like fresh paint in your home smelling for a few days after you've painted a wall - in a few days the smell and vapours will go away and you'll be perfectly fine.

do you guys inspect your pepakura hours later with respirators on?

As long as you're in a well-ventilated area (outside is best!), you shouldn't have too many issues. With that said, if you'd rather be safe than sorry, it's never a bad thing to wear your respirator around freshly-hardened pieces.

i havent continued working on the helmet. is it ever going to be really safe to wear?

Definitely so. As I said, the smell may take a few days to fully evaporate - this is completely normal. Keep your hardened pieces in a warm (not hot!), well-ventilated area, and check up on them once or twice a day. If you want to speed up the process, some people have suggested rubbing baby powder (talcum powder) into the surfaces to help draw the vapours out and stop it smelling a little quicker - otherwise, patience will win out, and you should be absolutely fine to stick your head in your piece in about three or four days.

Good luck on your build, and be sure to post pictures!

 

[SavedbyGraceG12]

Metalloid One

Also if funds allow, you can always look into Smooth-on's products. They offer resins that don't have a odor.Thats what I've been using. It's really great stuff!

 

[recon313]

Hello guy's a bit quick question on safety working, I've been making helm props from time to time to just spend my time and i've been doing it for almost 5 years. during this five year I read guide do research but not much since I'm only planning on making low detailed stuff and etc. But recently I just past an article that bondo is really dangerous even if we use it outside and for this 5 years I thought it quite safe if I only do it outside in open area. The question is does it really dangerous ? since I never use mask or glove when bondoing and been doing outside(As in most turtorial I see the don't wear mask and also my bondo does not really smell like resin does so I never bother b4), I also sometime don't put it when I only do for 5 - 7 min sanding for very small detail that does not have alot of does. For now my health seems rather fine but it make me worried.

ps:I do wear respirator and glove when resining but not when bondo and I have quite different brand of bondo which I find having more viscosity than the bondo brand

 

[Reclaimara]

Hello guy's a bit quick question on safety working, I've been making helm props from time to time to just spend my time and i've been doing it for almost 5 years. during this five year I read guide do research but not much since I'm only planning on making low detailed stuff and etc. But recently I just past an article that bondo is really dangerous even if we use it outside and for this 5 years I thought it quite safe if I only do it outside in open area. The question is does it really dangerous ? since I never use mask or glove when bondoing and been doing outside(As in most turtorial I see the don't wear mask and also my bondo does not really smell like resin does so I never bother b4), I also sometime don't put it when I only do for 5 - 7 min sanding for very small detail that does not have alot of does. For now my health seems rather fine but it make me worried.

ps:I do wear respirator and glove when resining but not when bondo and I have quite different brand of bondo which I find having more viscosity than the bondo brand

Same here. o.o

 

[Agent York12]

Major Question

Is there a way to use a non-toxic alternative than polyester resin, like epoxy but still make it nice and smooth?

 

[FlyinPhil]

Re: Major Question

Is there a way to use a non-toxic alternative than polyester resin, like epoxy but still make it nice and smooth?

You can definitely use epoxy resin to harden your cardstock model.

As for smoothing, it is possible that there is an epoxy based body filler out there, but it will likely be more expensive. Why not just spend the $40 on a respirator? That alone will likely make up the difference in cost between polyester and epoxy resin, not to mention it is far easier to find polyester resin at hardware stores

 

[777greywolf]

So, Ive used the fiberglass bondo combo before, but never on something with a lot of details and grooves. On my other projects the fiberglass went on the front of the project, would doing this get rid of the details? (this projects details were made of layered thing with 2 mm craft foam)
What would you guys suggest, Im not sure if i want to put it on the inside because the base foam is pretty thick. so im not sure it would really help. Idk Im not too sure.
I am prepared to take my time so doing it in small sections is not out of the question and neither is a lot of sanding

 

[Reclaimara]

So, Ive used the fiberglass bondo combo before, but never on something with a lot of details and grooves. On my other projects the fiberglass went on the front of the project, would doing this get rid of the details? (this projects details were made of layered thing with 2 mm craft foam)
What would you guys suggest, Im not sure if i want to put it on the inside because the base foam is pretty thick. so im not sure it would really help. Idk Im not too sure.
I am prepared to take my time so doing it in small sections is not out of the question and neither is a lot of sanding

In my opinion and many others - you shouldn't mix EVA foam and resin/bondo together because foam is flexible, so it can flex and bend while bondo and resin is hard and will most likely crack if it isn't thick enough (= if you're not doing it the pepakura way) or if bent too much. That's why it isn't recommended to mix those two together like that.
Have resin helmet and want to add foam details? It would works, seen few people do that. But not the other way around.

But, if your helmet is resin, then it is advised to work with bondo - bondo is for smoothing and adding details and profiling (have that edgy surface but need a nice and round one?).
You can easily overdo it as well.

 

[ToxicRob434]

Hey guys I've got one. So after you bondo the helmet and get all the details needed onto it, is it necessary to mold and cast it?

 

[Reclaimara]

Hey guys I've got one. So after you bondo the helmet and get all the details needed onto it, is it necessary to mold and cast it?

No. It isn't.
Molding and casting is expensive (and there are many things that could go wrong making it even more expensive for you) and mostly done if you want to cast the helmet in order to sell it.
But, it isn't necessary at all. Most people don't mold and cast.

 

[ToxicRob434]

No. It isn't.
Molding and casting is expensive (and there are many things that could go wrong making it even more expensive for you) and mostly done if you want to cast the helmet in order to sell it.
But, it isn't necessary at all. Most people don't mold and cast.

Awesome, thanks a lot.

 

[RustyComedy]

Sub for the resin?

Is there a sub for fiberglass resin? I want something a little less poisonous but still works just as well.

 

[PerniciousDuke]

Is there a sub for fiberglass resin? I want something a little less poisonous but still works just as well.

Epoxy resin is an alternative, but not non-toxic. Aqua resin is a non toxic alternative. You can search this site to learn more about their application in pepakura.