Resin/Fiberglass/Bondo Question

I just want to make sure that I'm doing this correctly. My wife and I are working on costumes and this is my first time working with Fiberglass/Bondo to shape and work with items. So we wouldn't hurt any of the other armor pieces we worked with first, I decided to try my hand at Pepakura first.

I created the Pepakura armor piece (shoulder bells). Then did 2 coats of resin on them, then fiberglass clothed them and resined them again. I then sanded it down to smooth it and get rid of anything jagged. Now I'm going to use Bondo to shape and create better curves to fill in dips and even it out. Then I'll sand that and then primer and paint it.

That sound about right? Am I on the right track?

Thank you.

Pretty much!

If you wanted to take it one step further, you can take a mold of the part and then just cast it in solid fiberglass or resin. but thats a whole other thing lol

A rather expensive whole other thing, IMHO... :wacko

Yes, but your final product will be much lighter, (depening how much bondo your piece had in the first place) and you would then have the option to sell copies to make up that extra expense.

Lou, I thought you didn't want to do that any more. Sounds like the bug might be biting a little bit lol.

I'll be working on a Pre-Vizsla and my wife will have a Bo-Katan armor. We haven't figured out yet if we were going to buy our first set of armor or make it. Right now we are leaning towards buying it and then making a different set. I did pick up some Sintra to work with and we already have our helmets. Before I dove into and started working with a set I needed practice with the dremel, shaping, sanding and painting. I didn't want to spend money on a set and then ruin it and since this is all new to me I figured I would need something to practice with. I also didn't want to start cutting the Sintra yet until I felt more comfortable using the dremel. I did do some trimming on our helmets though.

So that started me with Pepakura. I wanted something relatively easy to start with to get the hang of the process so I used a template for Boba Fett Shoulders and created 2 shoulders. Working with the hot glue gun while working with Pepakura ... is interesting.



I then did 2 coats of resin on the outside to strengthen it. I had thought about filling it but decided against it since I was also going to fiberglass it to get used to that process. I used a spray adhesive to stick the fiberglass cloth around it for even more support. Then I added another 2 coats of resin to it. I gave it a decent sanding to smoothen it out and then mixed up some bondo and added to it. After a bit of sanding I ended up with:


I sanded some more and wanted to put a coat of primer on it to see how it ended up. I used a self etching primer to spray on it. I probably got a little too anxious since it seems I need a bit more sanding I think. The white smudge at the top is dust from when I picked them up and moved them to take pictures.


I'm guessing part of the bondo chipped or it isn't sanded as completely as I thought since there are small little etches in the surface. That could also be because I'm using dremel multi-max to sand, instead of sanding it by hand as well.


I'm not sure why there are lighter/darker circles with the primer coat. Is that because of not sanding it properly as well or is it the primer I used?


I'm not too worried about the center area too much, but I'll need to figure out how to make the outside parts smoother (better sanding I'm guessing?). Although I was thinking of painting it as is and try to use those etches as a type of weathering by dry brushing them. For the center region area I am going to cut a rectangular piece of sintra and dremel etch a Mythosaur on it. It is to get more practice with the dremel. I also wanted to created a multi-layer effect to the armor by making the emblem be attached like a patch, then have it be a paint job. At least that is the plan.

Haha Jc, no, not for a while...after i move i'll have space and hopefully time, and i'll do a little here n there, but not now. Just gonna do Got2bFett's JP and then break time!


DS...Looks like your doin great to me! Those circles are probably the primer just ahering to the different layers of bondo as you fill and sand dips and bumps. Depending on how much hardener you put in the bondo it technically can be a fraction harder or softer after it cures up so that would make the primer react differently on it. But after a few coats and mayb using the bondo spot filler and hand sanding the finla layer or 2, you shouldnt have any issues.

Ok so I did a light sanding and applied a second coat of primer and that seems to have evened out the color at least. I do need to get a lighter gray/silver primer though. The color ended up being much darker than the color on the cap and I wanted something a bit lighter to start out with. There are still some little notches but I think I can work with it enough that it should be fine at least.




With my next experiment I cut me out a piece of sintra and then traced a Mythosaur on it. I then dug in and got some practice with my dremel. This would probably work a lot better with wood but then I couldn't probably bend it to shape it. I wonder how this would work with PVC instead of sintra. It wasn't as clean as I wanted to be but I didn't think it was that bad for a first attempt. I put a coat of primer on it. And then I used some black paint and painted in the raised parts.


I definitely want a lighter primer. Then just need to figure out what color to make the patch, probably something slightly different than the actual armor color. But this was more of an experiment for learning different techniques.


I placed it on the armor to see how it would look. It almost has the effect I'm looking for though. Probably some more experimenting with the color and painting, since it really is just primer and some black on the top. Actually getting it with a color that contrasts with the shoulders would probably be better. But I don't think it is too bad for a first time through.


I did a little dry brushing on the part that I carved out to see how the jaggedness would look. If I pick a different color than the actual emblem it might be enough to give it a bit more pop. A different angle shot


At least now I feel a bit more confident working with actual armor pieces though. I am still a bit doubtful but it is time to start looking at where I'm going to get my Death Watch and Night Owl armor set at least more seriously now.