PEP Helmet Questions

[crazybunny]

Hey guys, I have a few questions about making the pep armor.I have about half of the paper helmet constructed.im using electrical tape and printer paper. I was wondering, I dont really know what to do after i resin it. Im planning on it being fiberglass, can someone point me in the right direction on fibergalssing it?Do i have to add the paper visor on the helmet as well. And one more question: How much does fierglass cost?Im only 15, but I can work weekends and get 50$ a day from stepdad.

 

[Boomer]

First off, the instant you resin that plain printer paper helmet, it will disintegrate. Use 65lb or 110lb cardstock (available at Walmart, Staples, etc.).

Fiberglass resin at Lowe's (here, anyway) costs about $14 per quart. I used two quarts for both outer resin layer and fiberglass interior.
Fiberglass cloth is $6 for a 3x3 sheet. I used 4.
I'm not sure what the fiberglass mesh tape costs that other people have used, you'll have to find that yourself.

The fiberglass tutorials can be found here and here.

 

[flying squirl]

..... what boomer said with the little addition of "try the search bar".

there realy should be a button that just writes that.

 

[crazybunny]

dang, i got far on the paper helm, youre saying it wont work at all with normal paper?can i make the resin less concentrated or something?

 

[Vexona]

I think any consistency of resin would disintegrate a regular paper helm. I'm afraid you'll just have to redo it with nice card stock: like this.

I ended up making 2 helms just for sizing reasons, so if your reg. paper prototype worked, consider it a successful test run and learning experience It'll go faster next time now that you know how the pieces assemble.


Best of luck,


-Vex

 

[Chewbs]

dang, i got far on the paper helm, youre saying it wont work at all with normal paper?can i make the resin less concentrated or something?

It may be a lost cause but you can try less caustic ways of strengthening your helm, such as standard wheat based paper mache or slowly layering newspaper and white glue mixed with water. Neither will get as strong as a fiberglass helm but it is something you can try.

 

[Sigma LS]

It is possible to do regular paper, just reinforce all the internals with cardboard (the flat kind they make stuff like cereal boxes with, not corrugated). Regardless it will still warp.


Cardstock will save you a lot of headaches, so much so that you might consider just redoing it.

 

[cys920622]

yeah... i did the helmet with normal printer paper (20lb) and saw that it was gona be pulp if any kinda liquid is on it. then i bought 65lb cardstock... 110 might get stuck in my printer and i couldnt find it. i am going to sand it all away anyway.

 

[crazybunny]

wiat, what if i cover it all in electrical tape?make a layer or 2 on the outside of helm, that seems like it would make it stronger against the resin

 

[crazybunny]

Sorry for DP, but can someone answer?Will electric tape over my helmet work or not?

 

[dwoo]

Sorry, but don't think electric tape will bond well. I have used rubber cement and low temp hot glue. Both have there +/-, rubber cement is re-positionable, hot glue is stronger bond. As far as tapes go, I would pick up a roll of masking tape or even scotch tape before a roll of electrical tape. If you really want to try and salvage the hard work you have put into the helmet you made of regular paper, then find some thing that you can spray on in light repeated coats that will harden the paper. Anything that is heavy enough to apply with a brush will be too much for that regular paper once it gets saturated.

-dwoo

 

[Sigma LS]

Neither scotch tape or masking tape will work as the resin will either eat through it or dissolve the adhesive.

Electrical tape is the way to go with external tape even if the bond is a little weaker. Believe me, I've tried them all with pepakura.



Simply coating your helmet with tape won't do you any good. You must reinforce the internal structure.

 

[cys920622]

can resin dissolve glue STICK glue?
like the kind they use in elementary lol