Hello all, I just wanted to post some pictures that I've been taking during my latest build. Sorry it isn't Fett related, but my bro beat me to it and it about half way through the build already. This is just a basic as all get-out bondo and fiberglass resin tutorial for n00bs. If you are a vet and see that I jacked something up, let me know.
First off... you need a pepakura base. I used the 110 card stock.
WHAMO! 8 hours of dinking around compiled into 3 images!
Then you need to apply resin to it to stifffen it up, I used a Bondo brand fibeglass kit. This helps it keep its shape when you get down to sloshing "Rondo" around inside of it.
Now that you have let that dry for a few hours, cut up a bunch of fiberglass near your work area. this is important because you won't be able to cut it effectively once you're all gooey.
Next, its time to bust out the "Rondo".
I use a 1:1 ratio of bondo to resin. Then to get the consistency of pancake batter so it will slosh well and self level, I use the clear liquid hardener that came with the resin. You can also use the cream hardener that came with the bondo but it makes a thicker paste that is red.
I only mix 2 tbspns of bondo and resin each and add approximately 24 drops of hardener. WARNING: you will only have about 3 minutes to work the stuff before it starts to set, then you're screwed. Use less hardener if you want it to harden slower.
Also you'll notice throughout my pictures that I started the application with syrofoam cups... which is bad. Foam cups melt when contacted by the Rondo mix and it can get messy. I later opted for aluminum cans which I cut in half. These worked much better.
Now take that goo and pour it into the piece and use a brush or something to help it around the inside coating every inner surface.
Once you get an initial coat in there, I start to apply the fiberglass matting we cut up earlier with the next batch. Just put a dab or two on the mat then press it into place. The mat will pull apart and is lame to work with, there are other alternatives but this is what I had on hand. Just get it in place and dump more Rondo onto it and try to smooth it out.
Holy smokes that was easy and fast right?!?! Actually it still kinda sucks and its messy. At this point I would like to thank my beautiful girlfriend for taking the pictures and putting up with the smell.
Once it is all cured, flip that sucker over and coat the top. Doing this should allow you to sand the sucker's high points down to a more aesthetic roundy-shape later. I just painted it on as this allows you to continually work it and avoid drips and irregularities more which means less sanding later.
Once you get that all cured and feel you have adequate thickness to sand down the undesired harsh angles and high points, get suited up to sand (respirator, coveralls, and goggles). Find a location that can get hardcore dusty with rondo and take course grit (like 80grit) and hammer those angles out. If the piece is supposed to have angled parts... just don't sand across those.
You can see here there is a color difference as I sanded through the outter coat of Rondo and into the paper, then into the interior Rondo. This is what we coated both the inside and outside for... to get the thickness we needed to round her up. Then once it is sanded and you start to fear you may break through, stop and apply more Rondo!
Repeat until you are happy with the end result. I have to go finish this sucker right now, I should have more pics up of the finished product in a bit. Good luck!
First off... you need a pepakura base. I used the 110 card stock.
WHAMO! 8 hours of dinking around compiled into 3 images!
Then you need to apply resin to it to stifffen it up, I used a Bondo brand fibeglass kit. This helps it keep its shape when you get down to sloshing "Rondo" around inside of it.
Now that you have let that dry for a few hours, cut up a bunch of fiberglass near your work area. this is important because you won't be able to cut it effectively once you're all gooey.
Next, its time to bust out the "Rondo".
I use a 1:1 ratio of bondo to resin. Then to get the consistency of pancake batter so it will slosh well and self level, I use the clear liquid hardener that came with the resin. You can also use the cream hardener that came with the bondo but it makes a thicker paste that is red.
I only mix 2 tbspns of bondo and resin each and add approximately 24 drops of hardener. WARNING: you will only have about 3 minutes to work the stuff before it starts to set, then you're screwed. Use less hardener if you want it to harden slower.
Also you'll notice throughout my pictures that I started the application with syrofoam cups... which is bad. Foam cups melt when contacted by the Rondo mix and it can get messy. I later opted for aluminum cans which I cut in half. These worked much better.
Now take that goo and pour it into the piece and use a brush or something to help it around the inside coating every inner surface.
Once you get an initial coat in there, I start to apply the fiberglass matting we cut up earlier with the next batch. Just put a dab or two on the mat then press it into place. The mat will pull apart and is lame to work with, there are other alternatives but this is what I had on hand. Just get it in place and dump more Rondo onto it and try to smooth it out.
Holy smokes that was easy and fast right?!?! Actually it still kinda sucks and its messy. At this point I would like to thank my beautiful girlfriend for taking the pictures and putting up with the smell.
Once it is all cured, flip that sucker over and coat the top. Doing this should allow you to sand the sucker's high points down to a more aesthetic roundy-shape later. I just painted it on as this allows you to continually work it and avoid drips and irregularities more which means less sanding later.
Once you get that all cured and feel you have adequate thickness to sand down the undesired harsh angles and high points, get suited up to sand (respirator, coveralls, and goggles). Find a location that can get hardcore dusty with rondo and take course grit (like 80grit) and hammer those angles out. If the piece is supposed to have angled parts... just don't sand across those.
You can see here there is a color difference as I sanded through the outter coat of Rondo and into the paper, then into the interior Rondo. This is what we coated both the inside and outside for... to get the thickness we needed to round her up. Then once it is sanded and you start to fear you may break through, stop and apply more Rondo!
Repeat until you are happy with the end result. I have to go finish this sucker right now, I should have more pics up of the finished product in a bit. Good luck!
