Scout Helmet

[Socket]

Sooooo, I started on this last week. Tell me what you guys think, what I should do to fix things....Etc etc.
I used Nz-tk's "easier" verion. THANK YOU!!!

ALRIGHTY!! I did a BIG edit on this post, so people don't have to scroll around and search for the new pics!
I started bondoing this, and I want to know if I'm doing it "right". If I am using too much...or whatever....

Boring old Picture:

By Socket29 at 2008-09-08

Overall:

By socket29, shot with COOLPIX L5 at 2008-09-25

Slightly sanded:

By socket29, shot with COOLPIX L5 at 2008-09-25

Still unsanded, and I want to know if I am using too much:

By socket29, shot with COOLPIX L5 at 2008-09-25

 

[bigdstainer]

off to a great start i see! so, is the epoxy better in your opinion? I've never used it before. looking forward to some smoothing!

 

[Socket]

I've never tried Bondo, lol. This is my first ever pep. We had some epoxy, so I figured I'd use that instead of buying some other stuff. I doubt this is going to turn out as nice as yours. Yours looks insane!

Eventhough I've never tried the resining on hte outside, i'd definitely recommend trying the Wood Hardener. It took me about ten minutes for the outside and the inside, and it reenforced hte 60 Lb. cardstock enough to fiberglass it.

 

[bigdstainer]

I've never tried Bondo, lol. This is my first ever pep. We had some epoxy, so I figured I'd use that instead of buying some other stuff. I doubt this is going to turn out as nice as yours. Yours looks insane!

Eventhough I've never tried the resining on hte outside, i'd definitely recommend trying the Wood Hardener. It took me about ten minutes for the outside and the inside, and it reenforced hte 60 Lb. cardstock enough to fiberglass it.

That definitely sounds quicker. I typically resin the outside several times, so that it's really fortified. Is the wood Hardener toxic as well? What material is it, anyway? And, try using mud. If you've read the muddy secrets tut, that stuff works wonders! as easy to sand as regular bondo, but you can brush it on, instead of using a spreader and that saves time too!

 

[Socket]

It's from the company "MINWAX" a big yellow metal bottle. It's acetone based, but I've never had a problem with it, and I never wore a respirator. As longas you don't stick your nose in and inhale deeply, you're fine. I didn't really wnat to buy all the stuff for the mud, but I guess I'll have to, I odn't see a diffferent way to smooth the helmet.

Oh, and btw, does the Auto body filler form Bondo harden without hardener? Do I need to use a respirator for that if I use it outside? I don't have any organic filters.

 

[Skippster86]

The bondo will need the red cream hardener. (it comes with it-but buy more)

Oh and fiberglass resin and bondo will require the use of a respirator for health's sake. Nasty stuff it is!

 

[Socket]

Okay, now I'm confused. *Scratches head* In the muddy secrets tutorial, they have three things. "Bondo fiberglass resin" "Bondo Auto body filler" and "hardener". I know the fiberglass resin needs the hardener, but does the auto body filler? I seem to recall someone saying it doesn't in the muddy secrets tutorial. It wasn't very clear.Thanks.

 

[bigdstainer]

Okay, now I'm confused. *Scratches head* In the muddy secrets tutorial, they have three things. "Bondo fiberglass resin" "Bondo Auto body filler" and "hardener". I know the fiberglass resin needs the hardener, but does the auto body filler? I seem to recall someone saying it doesn't in the muddy secrets tutorial. It wasn't very clear.Thanks.

In that tut, it mentions using both hardeners (mix each separately, then add each together and mix) or to use 2x the amount of resin hardener for all materials in one mix. though the latter works, it takes longer to dry, and is really a sticky mess for me. It eats away sandpaper because it gums it up before you really get to start sanding. I prefer using each hardener and a quite bit more bondo than resin, as it's much easier to sand, but you can still add it on with a brush.

 

[Socket]

OK, so the Bondo does reguire a hardener. I wonder if it's possible to only use that for smoothing it out.
The problem is, I have a low low low low budget, and I'm reluctant to buy expensive things, when there is the possiblity for doing it a cheaper way. Which is why I hardened the helmet with the wood hardener and not the resin.

 

[bigdstainer]

OK, so the Bondo does reguire a hardener. I wonder if it's possible to only use that for smoothing it out.
The problem is, I have a low low low low budget, and I'm reluctant to buy expensive things, when there is the possiblity for doing it a cheaper way. Which is why I hardened the helmet with the wood hardener and not the resin.

Gotcha. Well, bondo alone is pretty cheap. Walmart has it for $10 i think. it works quickly, remember to make what you're going to use or you'll end up wasting material!

 

[Socket]

Alright, I really appreciate you helping me on this. Thanks

 

[tlither]

Looks like your off to a great start. I'll have to look into wood hardener as an alternate. For 60 pound stock that looks like it held up real well. Good job.

 

[ACDCrockr209]

Welcome to the scouts brother !

The helm looks great by the way Im doin the easier version too.

What color is yours goin' to be once its finished?

 

[Socket]

I'm actually recreating my multiplayer armor. So the helmet will be a white primary and a maroon secondary. You can see me in the little sig pic.

 

[Boris]

nice start you got there....Keep it up!

 

[Socket]

BUMP for update. See first post.

I hope this is allowed...I just hate always having to search through threads for upadte pics...so i just edited the first one...

 

[bigdstainer]

BUMP for update. See first post.

I hope this is allowed...I just hate always having to search through threads for upadte pics...so i just edited the first one...

Looks like you're off and running. Everything looks like it's shaping up well. Do you use spreaders to add the bondo?

 

[Socket]

I'm using a putty spreader. It's pretty much made to spread anything that's goopy. It's a flat piece of metal with a plastic handle. It works really well, and you can mix the bondo really fast.
I also decided not to use the mud technique, because I would have to buy the Resin for that, and I don't have the funds for that, and Bondo seems to working fine for me. /run-on

 

[bigdstainer]

I'm using a putty spreader. It's pretty much made to spread anything that's goopy. It's a flat piece of metal with a plastic handle. It works really well, and you can mix the bondo really fast.
I also decided not to use the mud technique, because I would have to buy the Resin for that, and I don't have the funds for that, and Bondo seems to working fine for me. /run-on

Right on. It seems like it's going well. Bondo tends to sand quicker and easier anyway. Keep it up!

 

[LastSpartan]

It's allowed, don't worry

It looks good in the #2-3 pictures, but in the 4th one, I think you are using a bit too much. Use skin-thin layers and don't worry, you can sand thru the paper.