405th - we have a problem
So either the years of Disuse of my fiberglass (the color was thick syrup amber) or it's hardener has turned the batch un-usable. It simply won't harden - I put at least 2x the amount of hardener in it - managed to harden to a gel/partially hardened batch in my container - (PS, don't use plastic containers...the smoke and fumes were bad... and very toxic... and melted the plastic) but parts still didn't get completely solid. Good thing I used the "this forearm looks too small to fit my hand into properly" sized forearm to test on, and not a shin whicn I think will work even though it seems a bit small for my muscular calves....
Well.. this is a bummer. Not sure if it's the fiberglass that's the issue, or if I simply need to add more hardener to the next batch.... Oh and.. yea.. the resin had solidified in the cap making it impossible to pour out normally.... so... I used a sledge hammer and a chisel to pop 2 holes in the container to pour it out...so me thinks the resin went bad.
OH yea.. more words of wisdom.. don't use those cheap spongey brushes either.. they really suck for fiberglass spreading.. yes you CAN use them, but they will get saturated with the junk and eventually twist up and cause the sponge to tear off with the weight, invest in some cheap-o bristle brushes. Leave the sponges for paint.
Just a little progress report on sizing/printing and the like:
Helmet - Printed (20 Pages)
Torso -
Bicept Left - Printed (7 Pages)
Bicept Right - (7 Pages)
Forearm Left - Printed (5 Pages)
Forearm Right - Printed (5 Pages)
Crotch -
Thighs -
Shin Left - Printed (15 Pages HD)
Shin Right - Pepped (15 pages HD)
Boot Left - Printed (9 Pages)
Boot Right - Pepped (9 Pages)
Hand plate Left - Pepped (1/2 page)
Hand plate Right - printed (1/2 page)
Assualt Rifle - Printed (18 Pages, reduced 10% to fit)
Any experienced Peppers on this - I am not exactly sure how I am to connect my shin parts, but I have a few ideas like splitting down the sides and using some elastic banding to do it, butif I think it's too small...I don't really want a gap showing... anyone got any ideas to see if it's too small before I finish the shins? (Finish as in Fiberglass)
On the funny side. Master Chief is one huge fella, I forgot to scale the Right Thigh and finished it - slipped it on to realize just how HUGE it was on me. I can't bend my knee with it actually cutting into my crotch (way higher then a normal fit would be) lolz... my bad.. got ahead of myself I guess. Oh well, good thing I still got time til the big day.
*Edit*
So I used some hot glue and ended up burning my first finger pretty badly spreading it thinly, then I managed to slice into it with a razor blade (a rusty one at that I was moving.. not even pep related ><) so my first finger is pretty much an uncomfy bit to work with, but that won't stop me!
Last night I got my left boot and left forearm done (forearm was redone since the fiberglass never cured hard, and made a bit bigger)
I got the right forearm in front of me being scored/cut out which should be done in about 3 hours. Left handplate is pepped, turned out quite nice too (non HD model) After my right forearm I think I'll take the 1 hour to do the right handplate and finish that off. Then I plan to hit my left bicept and test for size (before I print the right one)
Been having mixed luck with the whole Print out someone in the suit you want, measure, and scale method... supposedly the most accurate but the Crotch, boots, forearms and maybe shins didn't quite work to that - had to increase size for various reasons. (not in shape, muscular calves, thicker wrists, etc)
Anyway, back to work. hope to get some pictures of it standing up someplace soon - kinda need to construct a dummy to put it on.
So either the years of Disuse of my fiberglass (the color was thick syrup amber) or it's hardener has turned the batch un-usable. It simply won't harden - I put at least 2x the amount of hardener in it - managed to harden to a gel/partially hardened batch in my container - (PS, don't use plastic containers...the smoke and fumes were bad... and very toxic... and melted the plastic) but parts still didn't get completely solid. Good thing I used the "this forearm looks too small to fit my hand into properly" sized forearm to test on, and not a shin whicn I think will work even though it seems a bit small for my muscular calves....
Well.. this is a bummer. Not sure if it's the fiberglass that's the issue, or if I simply need to add more hardener to the next batch.... Oh and.. yea.. the resin had solidified in the cap making it impossible to pour out normally.... so... I used a sledge hammer and a chisel to pop 2 holes in the container to pour it out...so me thinks the resin went bad.
OH yea.. more words of wisdom.. don't use those cheap spongey brushes either.. they really suck for fiberglass spreading.. yes you CAN use them, but they will get saturated with the junk and eventually twist up and cause the sponge to tear off with the weight, invest in some cheap-o bristle brushes. Leave the sponges for paint.
Just a little progress report on sizing/printing and the like:
Helmet - Printed (20 Pages)
Torso -
Bicept Left - Printed (7 Pages)
Bicept Right - (7 Pages)
Forearm Left - Printed (5 Pages)
Forearm Right - Printed (5 Pages)
Crotch -
Thighs -
Shin Left - Printed (15 Pages HD)
Shin Right - Pepped (15 pages HD)
Boot Left - Printed (9 Pages)
Boot Right - Pepped (9 Pages)
Hand plate Left - Pepped (1/2 page)
Hand plate Right - printed (1/2 page)
Assualt Rifle - Printed (18 Pages, reduced 10% to fit)
Any experienced Peppers on this - I am not exactly sure how I am to connect my shin parts, but I have a few ideas like splitting down the sides and using some elastic banding to do it, butif I think it's too small...I don't really want a gap showing... anyone got any ideas to see if it's too small before I finish the shins? (Finish as in Fiberglass)
On the funny side. Master Chief is one huge fella, I forgot to scale the Right Thigh and finished it - slipped it on to realize just how HUGE it was on me. I can't bend my knee with it actually cutting into my crotch (way higher then a normal fit would be) lolz... my bad.. got ahead of myself I guess. Oh well, good thing I still got time til the big day.
*Edit*
So I used some hot glue and ended up burning my first finger pretty badly spreading it thinly, then I managed to slice into it with a razor blade (a rusty one at that I was moving.. not even pep related ><) so my first finger is pretty much an uncomfy bit to work with, but that won't stop me!
Last night I got my left boot and left forearm done (forearm was redone since the fiberglass never cured hard, and made a bit bigger)
I got the right forearm in front of me being scored/cut out which should be done in about 3 hours. Left handplate is pepped, turned out quite nice too (non HD model) After my right forearm I think I'll take the 1 hour to do the right handplate and finish that off. Then I plan to hit my left bicept and test for size (before I print the right one)
Been having mixed luck with the whole Print out someone in the suit you want, measure, and scale method... supposedly the most accurate but the Crotch, boots, forearms and maybe shins didn't quite work to that - had to increase size for various reasons. (not in shape, muscular calves, thicker wrists, etc)
Anyway, back to work. hope to get some pictures of it standing up someplace soon - kinda need to construct a dummy to put it on.