Bondo/Rondo/Spackling Paste/Elmer's White glue?

GStam66

Hunter
Hey, I just finished my pepakura helmet construction. Joints are held together with hot glue on the inside and regular elmers white glue has been smeared on the outside to help strengthen them. The joints seem secure but the helmet itself has a bit of flex and give to it.

I don't have the space, resources, or expertise required to use fiberglass and resin to strengthen the helmet, and I was planning on doing paper mache but on a test mask I did months ago, it turned out kind of sloppy. I was reading Antmans tutorial, and he says to use bondo, but it looks more like a spackling paste he used in his pics. But from what I've read, people say that the spackling paste will begin to crumble and fall apart because its so brittle. I need to even out the edges on the dome and cheeks a bit, but I have no idea what product to use.

As far as a sealer, I have heard to use polyurethane spray, or miniwax polycrylic sealer, etc. Not sure which product to use, or when to apply it.

Then again, the paper mache mask I made is pretty solid, so I could paper mache the inside of the helmet? But that doesn't help even out the edges obviously.

Advice/input please? I haven't seen this topic covered in the stickies, and other threads mention using fiberglass, which I'm going to pass on.
 
In the first vid though, the guy mentioned that he used fiberglass resin to strengthen the outside, so that the helmet didnt get soggy. I was trying to avoid the whole fiberglass route.
 
I decided to use the spare cardboard/stock to reinforce the inside of the helmet with a second layer, and secured it with quite a bit of hot glue. I think I used 5 or 6 sticks to coat each seam/joint. It really stiffened up the helmet, all except in the very back (keyslots) and the front that will need to be cut out for the visor. All I need to do is coat the outside with something to help even out the cheekbones and the dome. Not sure if I should go straight to bondo or spackle or whatever needs to be used on the outside, or if i need to seal it first?
 
fiberglass resin without the fibers is pretty brittle. it doesn't take much impact to break it (i can easily snap 1/8" thick polyester resin with my hands).

beyond that i can't really offer any advice. i don't work with pep/templates/etc.... and don't ever scratch build anything to wear. all the stuff i work on is meant just to be a master to make a silicone mold of then cast in resin. so i use a lot of bondo / apoxie sculpt and other stinky materials to make the originals. they weigh 20 pounds when i'm done, but they work well for molding :)
 
Hey, armor weight adds to the realism lol. Knights in armor shouldnt prance around as if theyre wearing feathers, ya know? haha

I'm going to try that resin/smoothcast method. I have a test subject so I dont mess up the real thing lol. Based on what Ive read, 2 outer coats oughta do it, then coat the inside with the smooth-cast, and it should (hopefully) hold up as well as fiberglass. If it turns out good enough, I might reinforce the armor the same way. Crunch time beginnnssss NOW! lol
 
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