ok so i decided to join the halo costuming community and i made a MK IV helmet but it was with regular paper...the fiberglass resin will just make it all droopy if i try to put it on but idk any other ways to harden it, and i really don't feel like making a whole new one out of cardstock....any advice?
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- Thread starter shepdawg
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Darkrider9
Well-Known Member
The main reason we use cardstock is so it doesn't warp while resining and hardening. You can still resin and harden a helmet made of regular paper, it will just be very very very prone to warping. In my opinion you should just remake it, the impact on the finished product will be great. In other words, it will turn out much much better.
Agent Arizona
Well-Known Member
Walmart is cheaper
Odds are, your helmet is already warped and missed shaped from using normal paper. Normal paper cant stand the weight of resin. Honestly, your better off making a new one.
Dark D3s7r0y3r
New Member
I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but even as I've never made anything from Pepakura, I know not to use normal paper.
Sorry, but if you want a helmet looking better that a blob, you'd best remake it with cardstock
Sorry, but if you want a helmet looking better that a blob, you'd best remake it with cardstock
Spitfire22V
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, you don't really have a choice. It would be a good idea to do some reading around the site to learn more about the process, because if you didn't know not to use regular paper, then you've probably missed lots of other important information.
Though, it's a wonder how you'll succeed in the Halo costuming community if you aren't willing to Pep things....
Agent Arizona
Well-Known Member
That is a good point. Everyone is going to mess up at one point in their project. Its not uncommon to see people make the same thing 2 or 3 times before they get it right.
whitedogster
New Member
Try "spray starch" in the laundry section of most appropriate stores. 3 or 4 coats and one of my paper helmets was stronger. Not as good as card and still needed tlc to stop warping but better than without. But as everyone said, go card!
Agent Arizona
Well-Known Member
kinkos can do it.
You have to trust on this. Regular paper will not work. Right immediately you apply resin, you will notice that it starts to sag and warp. Resin is heavier than water due to viscosity. You will just waste your resin.
I suggest that you invest in a printer if you want to continue with this hobby. Printer is relatively cheap, but not the ink.
NovemberAdam
Jr Member
I'm going to go out on a limb and disagree with some of the folk here. Paper is not ideal this is true, and the resin will warp the paper, that is also true. Where I disagree is that you can work with a warped piece. Resin on paper can be heated with a heat gun and shaped after it has hardened. This fact has been a godsend for me as I have had a few pieces warp over time as they have had weight resting on them. It will take a bit more work, and there may be a few places it will be difficult to push out the warp, but it is doable.
Like you said, a few places will be difficult to reshape. It happened to some pieces of mine too. The trick is you reshape it before the resin fully hardened. Resin usually takes 24 hours to fully cure. Once cured, I don't think you can do much. The more you try to bend it the likely it will crack.
NovemberAdam
Jr Member
Seriously hit it with a heat gun, once you heat it up it can be reshaped, even if it's been cured. I've reshapped several pieces that have been cured for months.
Toacrabman
Well-Known Member
You could just hotglue in some cardboard and put in some paint stirrers cut to shape. Heck, even popsicle sticks. Thwn it would not warp, and trust me the cardboard is almost as hard as fiberglass when resined.
Someone mentioned the spray starch, which I have no experience with, but you might be able to get away with buying a clear coat spray paint, gloss or satin, probably doesn't matter. Carefully coat your paper helmet, and it should seal the paper and help keep its shape. DON'T OVER SPRAY THOUGH! Obviously not as strong as cardstock, but it should be helpful. Then I would suggest adding some cardboard struts inside the helmet like Toacrabman mentioned. You only need it to hold it's shape until the resin is applied AND dried. It'd be interesting to see how it turns out. Can you post any pics?
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