finished pepakura props / costumes?

ok, so both being a mac user and being a fan of traditional carving / sculpting methods, i've never used pepakura.

i keep seeing people asking for templates for things, but see very little actual finished, wearable stuff.

who out there has made stuff from pepakura files all the way through painted and wearable? pictures? i'd love to see how it actually works!

Well, you'll find a lot of quality builds over on the 405th for Halo armor and helmets. Though, you'll also see a lot of poor completed costumes too.

I built my custom Mando armor and helmet completely from Pepakura. T-Bone here has built a beautiful Royal Guard helmet from one of my files. I'm nearing the end of my DC-17 build. I made Pepakura templates for that but built it using sheet styrene instead of the usual card/fibreglass/bondo method. That's fine for helmets and armor but no good for weapons really.

I'll post some WIP pics of my Mando armor:












Done!!!


The DC-17 so far:






I also built my Snow Clone helmet(now available as a kit )using Pepakura to get the guts of it done before building it up and detailing it later.









Feel free to poke around my Photobucket albums.

http://s364.photobucket.com/albums/oo81/SPCPICS/

Outstanding, Skip, as always. If I'm not mistaken, didn't you use some sort of pourable resin to cover your pieces first? If that was you, what was the stuff called?

Some people call it "Mud", other(such as myself) call it "Rondo". It's basically Bondo/filler mixed with fibreglass resin in a 1/1 ratio. Mix it, then add the hardener. The filler and resin are both polyester based so the hardeners are compatable in most cases.

I didn't discover it by myself(can't take credit for that), I read about it on the 405th. Works well for smoothing out large areas and domes! Saves a heap of sanding and waste of filler too.

I used Rondo for my Mando armor but for my Mando lid and Snow Clone I used standard filler as I hadn't discovered the Rondo method.

Thanks very much, glad you like my work.

I will add though that Pepakura is a great tool. Especially for those who have no sculpting skill or access to CNC or 3D printing tech. However, it still takes a lot of work and patience to make a Pepakura piece GOOD! Many have give up on Pepakura projects as they hit a wall during the filler/sanding process and give up. I think that's why many people out there kinda look down on Pepakura as a realistic method to produce quality costume pieces. The see some of the (dare I say it) half a**ed builds out there and make their minds up based on that. If you look around though you'll see the dedicated and talented people who can take card,FG, and filler and make some truly wonderful pieces!! You'd never know what the origins where unless you were told.

Thanks, Skip. Great info. And after watching your build, and seeing your Pep files, I can definietly say that it's a option for a build (I'm just not that patient, heh).

And I'm done jacking your thread, stormtrooperguy.

Actually you did my a favour. I meant to post about the rondo in my first post here but forgot. LOL!

I'm working on another Pepakura based helmet right now but I'm not ready to show it yet. I think STG already knows what it is??

Well, I'm glad to have helped. Watching your progress (and yours, stormtrooperguy) is a pleasure. Maybe all this "watching other people do the hard work" will make it a little easier when I start my armor...

very cool! you know it never clicked for me that your snowclone helmet was from your pep files. i'm a smart one

LOL! Someone wasn't watching the WIP thread.

Yeah, i'd love to have the courage to do what you sculptors do. I just get set in my ways and stick to what I know.

Originally Posted by Skupilkinson

Some people call it "Mud", other(such as myself) call it "Rondo". It's basically Bondo/filler mixed with fibreglass resin in a 1/1 ratio. Mix it, then add the hardener. The filler and resin are both polyester based so the hardeners are compatable in most cases.

But Andrew, when creating the "Rondo", what kind of hardener do you use for the mixture? The liquid catalyzer for the resin, the pink paste for the bondo, both of them at the same time? Can the "Rondo" be easyly sanded?

I think I heard somewhere that a 1/1 mix of the resin hardener and the bondo hardener works best. That way both substances have enough hardener to make them do what they're supposed to do.

Also, I'd imagine that even if the "Rondo" isn't as sandable as you'd like, you still wind up with a nice even surface to begin with, so later bondo coats don't have to be as thick.

Of course, as usual, I could be wrong...

No, you're close.

The Rondo is very sandable actually. Not as sandable as plain Bondo/filler due the the resin content but easy enough to not cause a problem.

I use the filler/Bondo hardener as it changes the colour of the Rondo mix so you get a better idea as to whether or not you used enough hardener. Plus the resin hardener I've found doesn't work as well.

Hey Brian, is there anything in particular you want to know bro?? I'm happy to explain as best I can??

So, for the Rondo challenged such as myself... could you possibly break it down a bit more. Maybe even with pictures?

I've been considering trying my hand at some pep for a while now but just wasn't ever sure how to make the jagged edges so smooth without spending YEARS filling.

Pics? Like a step by step in pictures? Yeah I can do that I'll be in the garage in Thursday working on a lid so I'll see what I can do.

hey could u guys please send me some pep files please

Originally Posted by max

hey could u guys please send me some pep files please

there are lots of free ones on the 405th forums and in the tamasoft.com pepakura gallery

Originally Posted by max

hey could u guys please send me some pep files please

You can also see my blog. The link is in my sig,

Very nice. Please tell me what is this green thig what u are using on picture number 6? This a clay or something else.

Thank you.

The green stuff is body filler. Normall the filler is grey and turns pink/red when you add the hardener but that brand was green for some reason????

Originally Posted by max

hey could u guys please send me some pep files please

of what? i think you need to be a bit more specific

hello there !
I just see this thread and you do a very nice job !

I just wonder if you could made a pdf tutorial with a little more explanations and details about "Bondo" like the ref of the products you use and a step by step pics album, please.

I want to try myself using pepakura tech but I don't really understand some words about the hardeners you use as the words in French are a little bit different ^^

Hi,

I'm not sure if I have time to write a full tutorial. I also find it difficult to find the right words sometimes to explain things. LOL! For more info on Pepakura, your best bet is to visit the 405th Halo costuming forum. There are loads of tutorials there, that explain all you need to know.

Also, if I did list the products I use here, you may not be able to get them in France? For example, "Bondo" is a US brand that we don't get here in the UK. Though any polyester based car body filler is suitable.

ok thanks ^^
In fact, as Bondo is a brand (I visited their site), which product did you use ? (3M™ Body Fillers, 3M™ Fiberglass Repair, Hardeners,... ). In France we have stores called "Nauroto" or "Feuvert" And they have this kind of products but I'm really new at creating props with this material, I usually use pvc sheets but I don't completely like it ^^"

I use U-POL. I get it from Ebay or my local Halfords store.

I can't see what's in your shopping cart at styletuning but U-POL is the brand of filler I use.

oups ^^"
sorry I wanted to write : http://www.styletuning.com/fibre-verre-upol-p-4147.html and http://www.styletuning.com/resine-up...r-p-41003.html

but I see what is it. ^^ thanks for all

Yep, that's what you need for fibreglass. Then you need a filler to smooth the outer surface.

did you mean that moreover the two products I posted before, I have to use a polyester mastic or something like that ?

sorry fo all my questions but I'm really interested in this kind of making props ^^"

Yes. You fibreglass the inside of a part for strength. Then the filler is for the outer surface to make it smooth.

OK ! I understand ^^
Just one question to make it really sure : is this the filler ? http://www.styletuning.com/resine-up...r-p-41003.html or this is a part of the fibreglass step ? I think it's the filler but I want to be sure at 100%

That's fibreglass resin. You use that with fibreglass sheet/cloth to make it solid/rigid. You need a seperate filler for the outer surface.

Okay that's all clear ^^

thanks a lot !

Happy to help.

Can I get the link for the DC-17 pepakura file download if I ca even download it?

It's for sale only. If you visit my blog you'll find out more bro. The link is in my sig.

amazing man hey what do you use to coat the cardstock in one reason i went with cardboard over pep files is because of how thin the cardstock is how the hell did you get it so thick and even like that

Bondo/car body filler. That seals in the card and smooths out the final piece.

WOW!!! could you send me those pepakura models please ? I've already done pepakura but i haven't got those models and i can't find them !!!!

Originally Posted by choubabear

WOW!!! could you send me those pepakura models please ? I've already done pepakura but i haven't got those models and i can't find them !!!!

skip says about 4 posts above that the models are for sale via his blog. he spends a lot of time developing them, so it's only fair that he get some modest compensation for the effort

yes you're right