Warped Helmet

[strangeranger]

Any one have advise on how to keep armor from warping, my test helmet turned out lopsided after applying resin and fiberglass.
Thanks,
David

 

[sonic sod]

hey bro a warped helmet/prop can be very annoying i know , best thing to do is when it comes to the hardening stage instead of using loads of resin at once use a litle glaze but alot of coats and make sure they dry after each coat. after each coat u can apply more and more>

sonic

 

[Skiitzy]

Another very helpful thing is to put supports on the inside whether it be popsicle sticks or card stock
Also looking forward to seeing more!

 

[ventrue]

It helps to use heavy paper and to put in support struts yourself if the model doesn't have any. Wood sticks work well.

 

[Jimmy Da Moose]

Also, If a piece turns out warped after resin/clothing, you can use a heat gun to soften the resin/cloth and bend it back in shape. You can only do small pieces at a time, as it cools fast, so I don't know if it would work on a helmet that's warped that bad.

Note: I'm not sure if it applies with bondo or a rondo mix, I haven't tried.

 

[EMAW09]

Ben streeper has a really nice thread called from pep to finish. One of the best pieces of advice he gives are to break up the helmet into sections when you are resining. By doing small sections instead of a large coat it helps with warping. He also has some vids up

http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/22923-How-To-Make-A-Helmet-From-Pep-To-Finish?highlight=from+pep+to+finish

 

[Arioch]

I put a couple thin layers of spray paint on before resin. Then I brush on a few thin coats of resin. Then I line the inside with resin. Then I put more resin on the outside if needed. I havent had warping issues yet. But breaking it up into thin small coats is great advice.

If it still warps, heat it up and reshape it. And yes, this works on resin, bondo and rondo.

 

[project phoenix]

all this stuff is good, but I just want to add that you should put a layer of JUST resin on before the fiberglass. good luck!

 

[strangeranger]

How would you support the inside if you are adding resin and glass to the inside, wouldn't they get in the way? I did use a light coat of resin prior to glass at least I thought I did. I will try to go lighter next time.

 

[strangeranger]

Thanks for the help

I am going to try the heat gun to see if I can salvage it, if not I will continue to finish it as a practice project. I like the spray paint idea to give it some light strength prior to resin.

 

[ventrue]

How would you support the inside if you are adding resin and glass to the inside, wouldn't they get in the way? I did use a light coat of resin prior to glass at least I thought I did. I will try to go lighter next time.

Didn't see the fibreglass part. The struts are supposed to be in there while you resin the outside. Once that is done, the model should be sufficiently stable to hold without them and to survive glassing it.
The "light coat" part was referring to the resining step, not to the glassing step.

 

[strangeranger]

I get it now, the sad thing is I remember reading that.
Thanks