The PEPAKURA question thread - PLEASE READ RULES IN FIRST POST!

[Shinrai]

Well cause I wanted the intricate details and shaping that Pepakura files can guarantee. Also I know how to go about adding Fiber Glass Resin to give it a shiny metallic look. What would you suggest? I'm all ears.

It just seems to me that this would be more trouble than it's worth. The level of detail you can theoretically get out of pepakura is going to be lost in trying to deal with the fact that it's an awkward shape to deal with...I have to assume you'd end up working in most of the grooves and filligree type details AFTER finishing it, at which point it doesn't matter what the undercarriage is. (Also you'd almost certainly have to glass them for strength, and that'd be awkward both to do and then to wear....on that note, I'm not sure why you're thinking of resin = "shiny metallic look", resin is generally structural not cosmetic.)

My initial inclination is to say that if I wanted to do it quick and cheap, I'd form the main structure out of some type of foam rods. If I wanted it a little sturdier (or I wanted to go crazy and make them mechanically operated) maybe wood rods. Then I'd do all the detail work on top of that with an epoxy clay or worbla or whatever the hell floats your boat. Make the basic shape and then work up from there, is what I'd do. Pep is great for specific details but most of the length of the shafts is very, very regular - I see that as something I'd add afterwards, not try to build into the structure. (My philosophy in general is that pep is for helping with interesting *shapes* not so much interesting *details* but that might just be me.)

 

[laellee]

OK, just to specify on what has been discussed....
First off, Iron Spider's legs, while easily dumbed down to cylinders, are not even close to that. They are woven and intricate (even in the simple pictures put up to defend or deny)structures. Having said that, yes, there are 100 ways to make them, using everything from tubes to clay. A lot of stuff.

Point is, Pepakura is not for everyone. Depending on your skill level, there is easier, but there is also MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. Also, when it comes to detailed things very much like the Iron spider's legs, it's perfect to get both a comfortable scale and a comfortable detail. And, for Shinrai's suggestion of the detail level,(My philosophy in general is that pep is for helping with interesting *shapes* not so much interesting *details* but that might just be me.), that all comes down to the pep you start with and the details you hope for. I can safely say that a statement like that is limited to the time you want to put into your pep.

Back on the Iron Spider, feel free to PM me. I'll be the first to say, it's not an easy build, but I'd love to see you go with it.

 

[Shinrai]

Yeah, let me be clear: I'm not saying it can't be done or even that it shouldn't be done this way. It just surprised me as your first choice for a build like this. I would be super interested to see it take shape in any form, of course!

 

[fyreant]

Hey guys I haven't been on here in a while since I did my Iron Man Mark VI build but I remember that there was a video tutorial on how to setup several Pepakura Designer settings for foam builds. I was pretty sure that Stealth did the video originally but I can't seem to find it and the links in the OP appear to be broken. Can anyone point me in the right direction of the video I am referring to? thx

Ant

 

[Laureley]

I'm looking to create a female space armour suit...... However It is impossible to find a pepakura file for the parts I need such as the chest piece. If someone has a file with female armour parts I would be extremely grateful!

 

[yojay]

Hey guys I haven't been on here in a while since I did my Iron Man Mark VI build but I remember that there was a video tutorial on how to setup several Pepakura Designer settings for foam builds. I was pretty sure that Stealth did the video originally but I can't seem to find it and the links in the OP appear to be broken. Can anyone point me in the right direction of the video I am referring to? thx

Ant

Stealth dropped out of the pep community sometime last year, maybe longer and deleted his YouTube presence. I never saw an explanation other than he was quitting. You might need to find another pep tutorial channel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fyreant]

Stealth dropped out of the pep community sometime last year, maybe longer and deleted his YouTube presence. I never saw an explanation other than he was quitting. You might need to find another pep tutorial channel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I PM'ed him and he said the same basically. Oh well. I will just find another tutorial for the time being. thanks!

 

[TheDosher]

I have a question about scaling. I built an Mark 4 armor which fits me perfectly. When I check its scale factor in Pepakura Designer, it shows 25.411754 for all parts. Now I downloaded Mark 42 files and tried to re-size them. When I check their scale factors, some of them are 418.501055, some 49.852399 . When I change them to 25, they become incredibly smaller. I don't understand why scale factors are so different from each other. Can anybody explain me that ?

 

[laellee]

I have a question about scaling. I built an Mark 4 armor which fits me perfectly. When I check its scale factor in Pepakura Designer, it shows 25.411754 for all parts. Now I downloaded Mark 42 files and tried to re-size them. When I check their scale factors, some of them are 418.501055, some 49.852399 . When I change them to 25, they become incredibly smaller. I don't understand why scale factors are so different from each other. Can anybody explain me that ?

Scaling is based on the size of the original modeler's scale, there is no standard size across the board. Your best bet is to go to the individual threads where you downloaded each set of files, and see what the default scalings are listed as. From there, you'll likely have to adjust the scale of each part to fit you, since each default scale size will likely also be a different height (some are for 5' tall, some 6'4, some 6'9, etc) You can use the point-to-point measurement tool to help estimate the correct scales for you.

 

[TheSymbiote]

Alright, perhaps instead of chronicling my progress on my komodo costume, I'll just put up a couple questions here.

I have not found a non toxic alternative to bondo. The only thing I heard one person say was plumber's putty. Does that work?

EDIT: Also,is paper mache a suitable alternative for hardening pepakura to using resin? It might sound silly but it's cheap.

 

[Shinrai]

Bondo you might be able to replace with various epoxy clays and such but really bondo is just fine as long as you're in a reasonably well-ventilated place...I normally don't even wear a ventilator to mix bondo outside. FWIW plumber's putty and most epoxy clays are more-or-less self-curing bondo anyway, albeit probably with different chemical mixes.

There isn't really a good alternative to resin that isn't either much heavier or weaker-and-or-more-brittle (which may not necessarily be a problem if you're not going to wear it, but if you are...). Various kinds of resin will have different levels of outgassing but they'll also have different strengths, working times, cure times, etc. If you're concerned about polyester resin my understanding is epoxy resin puts out way fewer fumes (but also takes a lot longer to cure). I have heard of people using paper mache and it is certainly hard, but it's apparently really awkward for a costume piece and won't hold up very long anyway...I wouldn't bother.

 

[TheSymbiote]

Awesome, thanks! So I'll use epoxy resin to harden it and then decide what I want to smooth it.

 

[TheSymbiote]

Sorry for the double post (is double posting 'culturally' acceptable on this forum? I know on some it is not tolerated, and on some it's a part of everyday life) but I just realized something.
I know I'm using epoxy, but I have no idea between the different brands what I should buy (heck I probably don't even know a fraction of the brands out there). You'd think there'd be some sort of FAQ about these things-- I'm sure they come up often with complete n00bs like me.

 

[Bogleo]

Sorry for the double post (is double posting 'culturally' acceptable on this forum? I know on some it is not tolerated, and on some it's a part of everyday life) but I just realized something.
I know I'm using epoxy, but I have no idea between the different brands what I should buy (heck I probably don't even know a fraction of the brands out there). You'd think there'd be some sort of FAQ about these things-- I'm sure they come up often with complete n00bs like me.

This might help you understand resin and how to use it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmB0yw3sOY&spfreload=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTB8ZBLH39s&spfreload=10

I think the epoxy resin he uses is Epoxamite from Smooth On.

http://www.smooth-on.com/Laminating-Epoxies/c1335_1336/index.html

 

[TheSymbiote]

Thanks!

I actually chose the wood glue method. I'm pressed for time and money, and this was something I could get quickly and doesn't cost too much. I put on my first coat about 5 minutes ago. I have supports in so that it doesn't warp, and I've got a fan on it. I'll update my topic when it's all done.

 

[TheSymbiote]

As far as Bondo alternatives go, how about elmer's wood filler? http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1920998

It looks like a less toxic alternative to Bondo, and it's about the same price.

Also for sanding it, should I buy a respirator? If so, should I buy one of the cheaper ones that come in packs or the more expensive ones?

 

[TheSymbiote]

Alright you guys. I've put the wood filler on my test helmet. It looks okay, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to go with. I put some spare plastidip spray that I had in the garage on it, and it doesn't crack after that, which is a definite plus. I'm just not satisfied with the level of smooth on it.

 

[Bogleo]

Alright you guys. I've put the wood filler on my test helmet. It looks okay, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to go with. I put some spare plastidip spray that I had in the garage on it, and it doesn't crack after that, which is a definite plus. I'm just not satisfied with the level of smooth on it.

Maybe you should post some pictures.

 

[TheSymbiote]

I re-smoothed and re-sanded a couple more times with wood filler, and it worked! Not quite as smooth as it could be, but smoother than it was.

Boom! Picture. I made it. Thanks to those who answered some of my questions!

EDIT: I may post more later when the rest of the costume is done, BTW.

 

[Aaran Jolly]

I had to rebuild my Computer, and over time I lost my CD for my Cameo. I tried to use the drivers at http://www.silhouettefr.fr/silhouette_drivers.html as listed in the guide but it errors out. Can I ask someone to zip up their driver file from their CD to download? Thank you.