Weight of builds

[icydee]

hi

I have searched but not found (probably because it's difficult to get 'good' search terms) for the weight of finished builds.

For example I did a foam build recently that was 30lb (about 13kg) but this is not typical of the builds I see here.

I am planning a new build, using pep files, card, resin process but I have nothing to go on as to it's finished weight.

I have seen comments that pep/card/resin is about 3 times the weight of foam, but that does not help.

Can people post the weight of their build, and the type (resin or foam) here so that we can all get an estimate?

Cheers...

 

[Blorin]

First off this probably should have been asked in one of the help stickies, you might have gotten the answers ya needed in one of those without haveing to make a new post.
Anyway i am by far no expert I have'nt even finished my first build yet. It is my understanding that going the pep route can be alot more heavier than foam because if you use alot of rondo to strengthen the pieces it adds a ton of weight.
But if you go with just glassing the inside and use as little bondo on the outside the piece is going to be alot lighter than if you used rondo. The downside to that is you run a lot bigger risk of sanding through the part because there is little behind the paper in the way of filler.

as for specific weight thats going to vary from one persons build to the next cause of different build styles, materials, sizes, and whatnot

I hope this gave you a basic understanding on what to look forward to, again im a noob so i really am not sure if my answer is correct or not, you really should have asked this in one of the help stickies

 

[Zaff]

The hardest part there is that there is no set definitions for how much a project will weigh at the end. Obviously it varies based on material (Foam vs. fiberglass), but also how much material is put into it, as well as the methods used. A fiberglass build could have anywhere from 2 to 5 layers of fiberglass mat, which will cause a great deal of variance in the weight. A build reinforced using two layers of fiberglass and a layer of "rondo" will be slightly heavier than a build reinforced with three layers of fiberglass, as the cloth is slightly lighter per volume than a straight rondo mix. What you're building will have an impact, too. The Halo 3 Mark VI chest armor, for example, would weigh more than the Reach Mark V, which would likewise weigh more than the Halo 4 Wetwork, even using the same material and number of layers. And then there's the simple factor of scale. A full set of Mark VI armor scaled for a petite woman will be significantly lighter in weight than the exact same armor configuration scaled of a tall and well-muscled man. The estimate of fiberglass being roughly three times the weight of a foam build is probably as close as you can get. A Halo Reach Mark V chest built in fiberglass will be roughly three times the the exact same chest piece in the exact same scale. More so if you use several layers of fiberglass.

This is why many who do their initial build in fiberglass will get it to the point that it's been bondo'd, sanded smooth, and primed/sealed, and then make a mold of it and recast the piece in silicone, plastic, or a similarly lightweight casting material. You get the detail (mostly) of a fiberglass built piece at a fraction of the weight, plus the ability to pull replacement casts if a piece gets lost or damaged.

 

[icydee]

Making a mold of the (almost) finished piece sounds good, but a great deal more work. I suppose I could start assuming pep/rondo and if the weight looks too much convert to a mold + plastic.

I still don't have any idea of the actual weight. Just a simple 'I'm 6ft, this is my armor, made using foam/fibreglass/pep+rondo and it weighs 30lb' will give me a better idea than I have at the moment.

I am not looking for exact figures, just something I can use to estimate...

The reason I am so keen to get figures, is a project which will be 3m high. I am sure I can guestimate the final weight if I have some figures to compare. That alone will determine the materials.

 

[CasualCosplayer]

Well my ODST armor weights around 8 to 10 Kg with the padding. It was made with the standard process -pep-resin-fiberglass-bondo-paint
The weight actually depends not just on the materials but from how much pieces the armor is made of. For example - ODST - 23 parts
- MK. VI - 16 parts

Pat-

 

[foxleader]

Well my ODST armor weights around 8 to 10 Kg with the padding. It was made with the standard process -pep-resin-fiberglass-bondo-paint
The weight actually depends not just on the materials but from how much pieces the armor is made of. For example - ODST - 23 parts
- MK. VI - 16 parts

Pat-

well my odst has the extra pockets or backpack. so it's more like 15 lbs for me.