I asume that hard plastic is a better choice then just a pep for airsoft/paint ball. But i wonder if i add a layer of visor mesh (same gauge mesh used for airsoft Tactical goggles) around the helm and armor, then co over it with epoxy, bondo, ect, would it stand up to paint balls and bb's? and i saw a method for bending and cutting motor cycle visors for helm visors, that's a good method for airsoft/paint ball, since the visors are balistics rated (to protect from pepels and stuff from the road) any other ideas?
Plosible Airsoft/paint Ball Proofing Methods?
- Thread starter textex
- Start date
- Status
Psychopanda
Jr Member
The mesh may prevent the BB from penetrating the armor but it will definitely chip the bondo.
Actually. Depending on the regulations where you play, the BB may still go through the mesh.
As for paintballs. I doubt mesh would help. There's a video on the pep page showing what happens when paintball meets helm.
Actually. Depending on the regulations where you play, the BB may still go through the mesh.
As for paintballs. I doubt mesh would help. There's a video on the pep page showing what happens when paintball meets helm.
hellphoenix36
Member
ok, first off, this armor won't stand up to paintball without some SERIOUS experimentation, hardening and cash to spend. think of it like this: a spit ball and a ping pong ball are traveling at the same speed of 300 feet per second. they both hit identical walls made of resin, fiberglass and bondo. which do you think will do more damage? the ping pong ball. the ping pong ball has a larger surface area and has a higher impact ratio. the same thing happens when a asteroids and meteors hit the earth. the larger rock does more damage because it has a higher surface area and impact ratio. because it has a higher surface area the surface which it strikes can not evenly distribute the force as well as it could with a smaller object. compare this to a spitball moving twice as fast as the ping-pong ball and the ping pong ball still does more damage.
with that bieng said, bondo does not take impacts very well, and it breaks quit easily with an impact from a paintball. i suggest taking a piece of card-board, dishing out some time and money into strengthening the piece of cardboard in multiple ways and do shooting tests. hope this helped, but i discourage it for the most part, until a working method can be found and posted.
with that bieng said, bondo does not take impacts very well, and it breaks quit easily with an impact from a paintball. i suggest taking a piece of card-board, dishing out some time and money into strengthening the piece of cardboard in multiple ways and do shooting tests. hope this helped, but i discourage it for the most part, until a working method can be found and posted.
Alright here are few points and food for thoughts
-405th can't actually endorse using armor for paintball and/or airsoft. Simply we are a garage/basement operators, not actually manufacturers test and have the know how and ability to meet safety regulations (ANSI). So everything is done AT YOUR OWN RISK.
-Smooth-cast 320 while strong and is also flexible, which will be more durable against bb hits, which could do the job of withstanding the abuse. Additionally for much more money, Smooth-on supplies the plastic which they make tools out of.
-NEVER EVER rely on your armor as your primary means of PROTECTION. While you might be able to get hold of an ANSI rated lens, its placement on the helmet most likely will not hold to meet ANSI rated specs. Always wear approve safety gear under your armor.
So here is the test for it--------If my helmet fall off in the middle of battle...Am I still wearing protection?
-Airsoft is more likely to hold up against the abuse then paintball. Most airsoft welts go away in less then a week, I still have a paintball welt since a tourney 3 years ago.
-The reason that mesh goggles aren't aloud at certain fields, is b/c bio-bbs (airsoft) are known to crack and break into shrapnel.
-Also when you bend/heat the motorcycle helmet lensnyour are changing its structural/chemical properties so that the lens may no longer be ANSI impact rated.
-405th can't actually endorse using armor for paintball and/or airsoft. Simply we are a garage/basement operators, not actually manufacturers test and have the know how and ability to meet safety regulations (ANSI). So everything is done AT YOUR OWN RISK.
-Smooth-cast 320 while strong and is also flexible, which will be more durable against bb hits, which could do the job of withstanding the abuse. Additionally for much more money, Smooth-on supplies the plastic which they make tools out of.
-NEVER EVER rely on your armor as your primary means of PROTECTION. While you might be able to get hold of an ANSI rated lens, its placement on the helmet most likely will not hold to meet ANSI rated specs. Always wear approve safety gear under your armor.
So here is the test for it--------If my helmet fall off in the middle of battle...Am I still wearing protection?
-Airsoft is more likely to hold up against the abuse then paintball. Most airsoft welts go away in less then a week, I still have a paintball welt since a tourney 3 years ago.
-The reason that mesh goggles aren't aloud at certain fields, is b/c bio-bbs (airsoft) are known to crack and break into shrapnel.
-Also when you bend/heat the motorcycle helmet lensnyour are changing its structural/chemical properties so that the lens may no longer be ANSI impact rated.
ImaGonnaGetYou
Well-Known Member
I wish this would stop coming up. It's nothing but a flame war trigger, and there is no "yes it works" or "no it doesn't work" answer.
It's not recommended, and if it's possible it's sure to cost a sizable amount, perhaps even on par with a costume made only of molded pieces. My advice? Don't. Paintball spreads the impact over a larger surface area. BBs are small and put all of their force into a tiny area, causing more damage.
It's not recommended, and if it's possible it's sure to cost a sizable amount, perhaps even on par with a costume made only of molded pieces. My advice? Don't. Paintball spreads the impact over a larger surface area. BBs are small and put all of their force into a tiny area, causing more damage.
CPTzumwalt
New Member
There is one method besides molding that will hold up to a paintball. Its called the hot glue method. The army of two mask thats in my gallery was built using that method. I put one layer of hot glue on the folded piece, took it to my basement and shot it at verying distances with my paintball gun. Absolutally no dammage. I can repeat my little experiment and film it if you guys don't believe me.
p.s. I don't use that mask for paintball nor do I encourage anyone to use it. It was just an experiment, if your paintballing use regulation masks!!!!
p.s. I don't use that mask for paintball nor do I encourage anyone to use it. It was just an experiment, if your paintballing use regulation masks!!!!
Kuch1k1 said:
I'll be sure to do all apropreate testing b4 marching into any arena. and im thinking i may put a layre of higher gauge mesh over a hard plastic helm, folowed by airsoft mesh, and smooth-cast. I'll test the motor cycle visor befor and after flexing, and renforce the out side with the apropreate color of mesh (blueish in my case for ODST visor) and since i do mostly indoor airsoft, guns dont fire over 360FPS, and there's a limit on equipent and fire rate IE, no pyrotechnics, no full auto(may vary) no impact grenades (solid rubber 40mm rounds) Thanks for the imput ^__^
Last edited by a moderator:
CPTzumwalt said:
Vry nice mask, if you could post the vid of the experemnt, that would be awsome. and also can i know where to find the pep for the mask? i ordered 1 from cactus hobby, but aperently the web master took all the order money and ran off. so im resulting to making my own. (Even if it's not made of steel like the one i ordered....for 80$)
Last edited by a moderator:
ImaGonnaGetYou
Well-Known Member
CPTzumwalt said:
The hot glue method also makes using bondo useless, so whatever the pep file looks like is what the final product will look like, folds and warping included. Also, that method is old and does not reinforce the piece nearly as much as fiberglass does. Plus, if you instead try to hot glue the outside, almost all details will cease to exist, and you'll have a giant rubbery hunk of crap on your head.
I'm trying to get the message out: TEST IT YOURSELF, PEOPLE. There is no known sure-fire way to prove or disprove this idea. If you're not willing to test your ideas on some scrap pepped pieces, it's highly unlikely that you'll ever go through with the project anyway. Get to building if you are committed to completing this, and do some research.
Hopefully people will stop expecting to be spoonfed their information sometime soon and get to testing various ways of paintball/airsoft-proofing armor.
Last edited by a moderator:
battlemaster111
Member
my paintball mask is a bendable like a rubbery material so i waas thinking to use ur mesh as the first layeer then bondo it to create the detail so it looks right then cover it in a coating sorta like plasti dip that should make it slightly more resistant and ur bondo wont chip
ImaGonnaGetYou
Well-Known Member
ldropboy94 said:
Bondo is brittle and won't bend at all. That's why you can't use the hot glue method with bondo; as soon as the hot glue flexes into a different position, the bondo will crack into pieces.
Last edited by a moderator:
battlemaster111
Member
the rubber is to stop the ball without the bondo chipping the helmet is made with fiberglass not hotglue
ImaGonnaGetYou
Well-Known Member
ldropboy94 said:
Ah never mind, I thought you meant you were saying that the rubbery material would be on the inside. If it was, it'd do nothing. On the outside, you'd want something rubber-like that wouldn't be torn apart by BBs or paintballs, but still keep a moderate amount of detail. However, paint would probably chip away from the shots, so I don't really have any recommendations.
Test, test, test. That's all I've got for people who want to try this.
Last edited by a moderator:
CPTzumwalt
New Member
ImaGonnaGetYou said:
You don't need to use bondo on it and if you want to get rid of all the folds just resin the outside. The resin may chip but not as bad as bondo would.
Last edited by a moderator:
CPTzumwalt
New Member
Caltown_ODST said:
Thanks, ya I'll try filming it and getting it uploaded asap. I can't remember the site I got it off of so if you want to give me your email I can send it to you that way.
Last edited by a moderator:
hellphoenix36
Member
hey, how would rondo work? also known as mud. what about smooth-on-rubber? can't u use that in the same way as bondo? just pondering 
CPTzumwalt
New Member
Caltown_ODST said:
Heres that experiment.
Hot glue method vs paintball
Hot glue method vs paintball part 2
Last edited by a moderator:
- Status
