How To Detail Armour After Fiberglassing

[Corin]

hey im kinda stumped...ive been looking around as much as i can and i know its going to be somewhere but i just cant find the thread sooooo....how do i add detail to armour after i fberglass it using bondo and just in general plus are there any other good tips on how to achieve ultimate detail.

im working on mark VI btw. cheers!

 

[rhaiyszkie]

hey im kinda stumped...ive been looking around as much as i can and i know its going to be somewhere but i just cant find the thread sooooo....how do i add detail to armour after i fberglass it using bondo and just in general plus are there any other good tips on how to achieve ultimate detail.

im working on mark VI btw. cheers!

you could use the bondo for detailing if you're a master of bondo skills lols, or there are other ways in detailing your armor, like using foamies or cardboard for the details.



i think this thread is what your looking for.

Tutorial: Using Bondo for Detailing

 

[jdawg224]

what are foamies?

 

[LastSpartan]

Foam sheets sold at Walmarts and such. You can cut them and glue to your piece for detailing. Or for Bondo.



Or you could use styrene. You pick what you prefer.

 

[HaloGoddess]

If you are looking into creating some of the small, grooved lines, then you will need a dremel. That is what MOST if not all of us here use. It can help you carve into the bondo, but be careful not to go too deep or you will go all the way through your helmet! D: A dremel is very handy to have when you are detailing your armor.

 

[ClintonH]

If you are looking into creating some of the small, grooved lines, then you will need a dremel. That is what MOST if not all of us here use. It can help you carve into the bondo, but be careful not to go too deep or you will go all the way through your helmet! D: A dremel is very handy to have when you are detailing your armor.

Is it? I'll have to use it more hardly even picked it up on my build so far, only to make a few small holes cause I couldn't find my drill.

 

[HaloGoddess]

Is it? I'll have to use it more hardly even picked it up on my build so far, only to make a few small holes cause I couldn't find my drill.

Absolutely! There are all sorts of different dremel bits that you can buy to get the job done. It can also be used as a mini "sander" to get in some of those small areas that you might not be able to reach so well by just using sand paper and doing it by hand.



It may even be a useful tool to use it you want to add some "chips" into your armor for some battle damage. If you use a small enough bit, that is how you would make the little grooves that you see in some of the helmets that look like lines.



I have used my dremel to cut off some of the excess fiberglass and it works really good. For that you would want to use a cutting disk for the dremel. I'm tellin ya, a dremel can be pretty handy with this armor building stuff.

 

[ClintonH]

Absolutely! There are all sorts of different dremel bits that you can buy to get the job done. It can also be used as a mini "sander" to get in some of those small areas that you might not be able to reach so well by just using sand paper and doing it by hand.



It may even be a useful tool to use it you want to add some "chips" into your armor for some battle damage. If you use a small enough bit, that is how you would make the little grooves that you see in some of the helmets that look like lines.



I have used my dremel to cut off some of the excess fiberglass and it works really good. For that you would want to use a cutting disk for the dremel. I'm tellin ya, a dremel can be pretty handy with this armor building stuff.

Sorry you misunderstood me, I don't actually think a dremel is the best thing for detail. No offence to anyone that uses them, but they are finiky and tend to jump if your not really careful and slow. There are far better way to mold and detail filler. JMO though.

 

[Redshirt]

If you go the Dremel route, be sure to pick up part number 565, the Dremel Cutting Kit -- Drywall and multi-purpose. That conical collar setup lets you control the depth of your cuts. Likewise, you can run it along a guide (like a ruler), allowing you to achieve consistent straight or curved detailing to a uniform depth.



As for using Bondo, it is brittle and inflexible, exactly unlike your fiberglass substrate. To offset this, chop up very short bits of fiberglass mat and mix with the Bondo. This will give it strength. You can vary the amount of fiber in the mix, depending on what your requirements for flexibility are. If able, avoid using Bondo to build any structural pieces.



A better way to add raised detail would be to use a foam that will soak up resin. Cut the foam to your desired shape, soak it in catalyzed resin, and apply, clearing off excess resin. Once cured, then use the Bondo to level and smooth it. If you are fortunate enough to have an industrial fiberglass supplier in your area, I would see what they have.



Another product to consider are glass micro balloons. They are very cheap when compared to resin. They mix in a 1+1=2 style, meaning that a cup of resin plus a cup of micro balloons yield two cups of working material. Not so with other resin extenders like gypsum. Adding micro balloons makes the cured resin or bondo much lighter and much easier to sand and shape. Beware, the resulting product is more brittle than resin or Bondo alone. You can get micro balloons from the aforementioned local industrial fiberglass supplier, or an auto body paint and supply shop (the real ones that supply body shops, not Autozone, Pep Boys, or Halfords (for you UK guys)). Online shops catering to RC airplanes will also sell it.



One final thought. In the end, it all comes down to painting it right. The right mix of base coat, airbrushed shadowing, washing, and drybrushing is what will make your armor become spectacular. Without it, your work will appear very flat. I did up a demo on a thigh piece in my armor build thread that will show what I mean.



Hope that helps,

Redshirt