Progress Update
My Sanding Process:
The Bondo should be hard for this.
I start with a 80Grit Sand paper. Sand all of surfaces. I cheat and use a hand sander.
I find that I can do minor sculpting with the 80Grit. eg. Lower humps, remove deep scratches, etc..
Then I switch to a 180Grit sand paper. I start to polish the rough texture. I find that not much sculpting can be done with this grit. But it really does give a smooth texture. Can remove very minor scratches.
At this point If necessary, I use the Glazing/Spot putty to fill holes and such. Then use the same 180Grit to sand it down and then polish it up.
Switch to a 240Grit sand paper. This is the one that gives it a super nice finish. Can still use spot putty if you have too.
Once done I give the piece a quick rinse with water. This will help to remove any dust that may have built up in any hidden holes in the Bondo. Locate those holes and fill them with Glazing putty. Re-sand with the 240Grit. Rinse. Repeat if necessary.
Finally if your happy with the way it looks. Then switch to a 400 Grit "Wet Sand" paper.
Regular 400grit sand paper will shred to tatters if it is used with water. This is where you put the final polish to the surface. I call this "Finish Sanding". I use a spray bottle with 80% water and 20% Isopropanal (99% alcohol) --> ISO can be found in any pharmacy.
I usually use ISO to clean computer parts. I sometimes spray directly onto the surface and then sand. --or-- spray onto the sand paper and then sand. The wet sanding should give it a nice almost mirror like finish. Perfect for Priming. If I find any pits or holes, then I need to use spot putty and go back to the 240 Grit paper.
Wash. Let it dry. Apply a light layer of primer (I make sure its "Sandable primer." Let it dry. Now have a close look at the piece. If there are any defects the primer will show it clearly. Locate them and re-sand. If everything looks OK then continue with the Primer. Painting would be the next step. (that's for another day)
SOOooopoo... with out further ado... Bondo is finished on Both thighs. (see below)
At first I was a stickler for keeping every sharp edge and detail. Finally realized that I could spend FOREVER doing this and never get it done. My solution was to BEVEL the edges. Looks way nicer and is quicker to do than to keep all the nitty gritty tiny details. It's ARMOR after all... not a Kings formal attire!
Primed and ready for 1st coat of "Oregano Satin" paint. Master Chiefs color
I decided to keep the feathered polygons edges. It just looks cool. Beveled all edges and rounded out the valleys. Applied Bondo to my finger and filled them in.
I will have to say that my Bondo skills are getting better and faster. The real key is to overcome my fear of making a mistake and just "DO IT". I have made lots of mistakes in the last few days. Learning from them and improving upon it will make the work on the next pieces go faster and smoother.
I also started to do a mockup of how I want the plungers to fit.
That blue plunger will eventually get trimmed and painted black.
Yea... ok I have long legs. But the real purpose of the blue plunger is so that I can control the height of the shin. While at the same time protecting the pieces from rubbing against each other. I have it adjusted so the I can go into a crouch position with out any problems. Next step is to get the attachments and padding in place.
I'll go over my painting process in due time. I have to keep focused on the hard labour, due to the remaing time left... 20 days left till Reach!
Oh and before I say "Cheers"...
My inspirational link for Today:
Well I have to give credit where credit is due.
Dogwizard's Frankensuit
It was his thread that got me inspired to add LED's, speakers,
Armor Strapping 101 and to try to make my suit look as AWESOME as his!
Dogwizard --- If your reading this: Kudo's and Thankyou!
Cheers!
