Pepakura mold?

[TheBlackSun]

I've been looking around this site trying to work out how I'm going to make my armor and I was wondering if Pepakura could be used to create a mold. I would also like to know if I would need to do anything to re-inforce(sp?) the 110lbs cardstock or if it would be fine on its own.

Thank you for helping me out!!!

TheBlackSun

P.S. I did look around for this but was unable to find an answer.

 

[ImaGonnaGetYou]

After making the pepakura, you should resin it, then bondo in the details. Sand it to exactly what you want to be in the plastic product, then mold it.

Also, use the search function to find threads similar to what you need before starting a topic.

Hope that helped!

 

[dirtymatt89]

check out my armor thread, i made most of my pieces from pep then molded them... if your not going to be wearing the originals, just pour rondo on the insides of the pieces for strength...

 

[Falling Jihad]

Sure, theoretically you could make molded pep armor but whats the point? You would need about $200 for the initial making of the pep armor and about $1000 + for making the molds. It would be extremely costly if you went this path.
And if your thinking about selling molds of your pep armor, forget about it, b/c its illegal. Most of the pep models were derived from the same basic model and then details were added. So that would be copyrite infringement.

 

[ImaGonnaGetYou]

Sure, theoretically you could make molded pep armor but whats the point? You would need about $200 for the initial making of the pep armor and about $1000 + for making the molds. It would be extremely costly if you went this path.
And if your thinking about selling molds of your pep armor, forget about it, b/c its illegal. Most of the pep models were derived from the same basic model and then details were added. So that would be copyrite infringement.

I believe that could be avoided if enough customizations and details were added pre-mold. Just a guess, though. I'm not a very legal-smart individual.

 

[Sigma LS]

Molding raw pep= ugly and expensive

Using pep as a sculpting base and molding= awesome and expensive


There is much more to pep than you may think. Check out the stickies in pepakura armor.

 

[dirtymatt89]

ugly??? im hurt... j/k, have you taken a look at my topic? mines not the best but ive most definatley seen worse...

 

[Sigma LS]

I dare anyone to take a raw H3 beta, mold it raw (no fiberglass, no bondo) and call it pretty. You'de be lucky if the paper held up at all.

Your stuff is from the second one. I don't see how you could confuse the two. You've seen my stuff too right?

 

[dirtymatt89]

yeah, good stuff

 

[AoBfrost]

Fiberglassing the pepakura piece and bondo'ing it is the major "strength and smoothener" Molding from pepakura can be done, but 110lb cardstock wont work unless it is strengthen with resin and fiberglass, MANY layers.

 

[NZTK]

I was wondering if Pepakura could be used to create a mold.

The short answer is Yes. The longer answer is, Pepakura is simply used for creating an armature, for you to sculpt on top of and take a mould from. The whole point of it is, to use as an aid for symmetry and proportion in your master. You still need to sculpt the details in whatever medium you feel most comfortable with. You can make parts to wear backed with fiberglass for strength with the details sculpted in bondo. Personally I wouldn't, and I would doubt the longevity of such parts.

 

[dirtymatt89]

yeah nz-tk, thats precisely what i did, except ive found it easier to just pour in batches of rondo into the backs of the pieces for strength... it is much easier than fiberglassing, however it pretty much renders the originals unwearable...

 

[NZTK]

it pretty much renders the originals unwearable...

In the long term I don't see the originals as being wearable at all. Why anyone would wear their masters is beyond me.

 

[dirtymatt89]

good point, but many people have asked me if i could wear my originals, i guess because they were pep based, so i thought i'd point that out...