Post Pep Problem And Logistics

[Apocalypse]

Hey all,



I hate to do this because I know there was a post vaguely related to this a while ago, but no conclusion was reached before the thread died, and I dont want to necro.



My problem is as follows. I'm living on campus while I'm at college, and I would like to start what comes after the pepping stages(Resin, Fiberglass Rondo?, Bondo, Sanding, Paint, etc) but since I'm in a dorm, I cant really do that without risking poisoning most of the dorm with the fumes. I've asked the engineering department if they have anywhere I can do this safely, and I've been told that we "dont have any facilities for fiberglassing"(To be read, we dont trust you to not kill yourself without supervision, so you cant do this). Sooo, now it seems I am hosed.



I'm going to keep asking around, and maybe I'll luck out and somebody will help me out some how, but its looking very bleak right now. I dont know too much about the post pep stages, not enough to think of a potentially clever way around the lack of a designated space, and was wondering if anyone has solved this problem, or has some ideas that would work *safely* without risking the quality of what I build. I know Aqua Resin exists, but thats only one of the many steps.



Let me know if you need more info, what kind of questions I should be asking around here, etc. I'm in Santa Clara, CA, so the weather is usually pretty warm, so I've thought about just doing it in one of the grassy areas, or a little bit further from a building, and just sitting out there and watching it while it dries(exciting!), but I dont know if that is even possible(ie, dries fast enough, and becomes safe to move inside within <12 hours), not to mention i'd have to keep people away because they wouldnt have a respirator, etc...



EDIT: I re-read the email chain that was sent to me(Not just faculty member's response who I asked), and they actually say its because of health concerns, and students in general arent permitted to do fiberglassing, so its not as much of a bull$#!Tty excuse as I initially thought. Rondo is a substitute for the fiberglassing stage if I am not mistaken, and is just fumes, so I'm going to try to get around it that way, if thats the case.



I'm still curious if people have ideas though!



-Apoc

 

[Nicktendo]

Forget engineering, check your art department! Although fiberglassing is really fumey, so are most other resins at your disposal. I've actually never used proper casting resin, just fiberglass, so I can't attest to using those. But I know my campus art department has things like ventilation for that kind of thing, although you kind of have to BE an art student to have access to the sculpture lab, it can't hurt to ask!



Also, 'Rondo' isn't really a solution, since it's just a nickname given to the mix of resin (usually fiberglass) and Bondo.

 

[Apocalypse]

Thanks for the quick response!



Alright, I'll give the art department a shot. I guess I was just confusing my materials >.< I was thinking that the only fiberglass was the actual fiberglass cloth, and that breaks and dusts which is the hazard there. I didn't know that the resin, which now that I think about it is "Fiberglass Resin" isn't it, is problematic for the same reasons .



I'll see if I can get this figure out today or tomorrow. I really want to get started!



Thanks!

-Apoc

 

[Nicktendo]

Thanks for the quick response!



Alright, I'll give the art department a shot. I guess I was just confusing my materials >.< I was thinking that the only fiberglass was the actual fiberglass cloth, and that breaks and dusts which is the hazard there. I didn't know that the resin, which now that I think about it is "Fiberglass Resin" isn't it, is problematic for the same reasons .



I'll see if I can get this figure out today or tomorrow. I really want to get started!



Thanks!

-Apoc

Ah, yes. As you may find, many builders skip the clothing and just resin their helmets. The cloth is there for strength, but sanding through cloth gets rough fast, so most just keep to resin and bondo, or a mix (rondo). Here are some resining tuts/vids that I just came across.



http://405th.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24413

 

[Brandon McClain]

The Resins are what is toxic. When it comes to hardening, you can use Aqua resin which doesn't really give of a smell. When you get to the Rondo/mudglassing stage, you will have to find some where that is well ventilated. You may be able to stake out a place on the grass, but you may get in trouble, and we wouldn't want that. The fibreglass matte isn't toxic. You may want to ask the engineering department about their paint booth, it would provide a good work environment for that. For the bondo and sanding stage, you are gonna make a big mess, so you will need to find somewhere that makes that possible. As far as how long the resins take to not be smelly, its a long time, one trick I found is that once it has "dried" ie. you can pick it up, its not sticky and not giving off heat, is paint it with primer. This will eliminate the resin smell and the primer dries fast and once it is cured it doesn't smell. I live in an apartment with 6 guys, so I can't have my raw resin peices smelling the place up. Just some thoughts. Hope that helps.

 

[stilgarhammer]

hello all,

Here is a link for a non-toxic resin that is compatible with bondo.



non-toxic resin

I have a friend that swears it great.



stilgar

 

[Apocalypse]

Thanks for the help guys, I have some more questions though.



I took a look at Aqua-Resin, and it looks like I need 2 of their products, and have to mix them to make the fiberglass resin, that is the equivalent of toxic version. Am I understanding that correctly?



Also, after watching Ben Streeper's videos it seems that Bondo actually contains resin, so I'm guessing that even if I use Aqua-Resin to make the Rondo, it would still be toxic? Chances are no matter what material I use I'm going to buy and use a respirator, I just want to know exactly what I'm dealing with.



Going to try and find the Wood/Metal/Sculpture Shop manager today, so I'll post back whether or not I managed to convince them to let me work there. I may also be able to get an educational discount on Aqua-Resin, if I can convince someone in the art department to let me order through them.



EDIT: I went and talked to one of the faculty members that deals with the sculpture room and got the shaft from them too. The department chair doesnt allow anyone who isnt in a class to work there because there isnt enough room(Which after seeing it, I understand, it wasnt big.) I'm going to try to either find the office of the department chair, or just send an email, and see if I can get special permission, since I can take all my stuff with me when I leave, and will be using 99% only my stuff anyways, and really only need a well ventilated area to work in for a couple of hours, maybe after classes clear out for a day. If that doesnt work out, I'm probably just going to give up, I cant think of anything else to do...



-Apoc