how long can pep last without warping?

D

ddrfreaktom

New Member
hey, I just started and I couldn't find an answer to this question after looking through the forum and googling it(found an article suggesting using hot glue to help but it didn't really answer the question for me :wacko). Im looking to build my first pep suit from syrus54, and since the way the files are, you cant modify it with pep viewer(i'll have to build every piece and make sure they fit before fiberglassing). I was just curious on how long 110lb assembled cardstock will keep shape from your own experiences. I might resin the piece to help with it keeping shape, but I don't think i'll get around to fiberglassing til everything is assembled and fits my body. Im afraid if I keep a piece (without fiberglassing) too long, it'll lose it's shape and begin to warp. If I at least resin the piece, will this help with the problem? What have you guys done in the past to keep a piece from warping when you had to take a break/move onto another piece?

Thanks again, for reading.
 
ddrfreaktom said:
hey, I just started and I couldn't find an answer to this question after looking through the forum and googling it(found an article suggesting using hot glue to help but it didn't really answer the question for me :wacko). Im looking to build my first pep suit from syrus54, and since the way the files are, you cant modify it with pep viewer(i'll have to build every piece and make sure they fit before fiberglassing). I was just curious on how long 110lb assembled cardstock will keep shape from your own experiences. I might resin the piece to help with it keeping shape, but I don't think i'll get around to fiberglassing til everything is assembled and fits my body. Im afraid if I keep a piece (without fiberglassing) too long, it'll lose it's shape and begin to warp. If I at least resin the piece, will this help with the problem? What have you guys done in the past to keep a piece from warping when you had to take a break/move onto another piece?

Thanks again, for reading.
Click to expand...

Honestly my experience has been that they begin to warp fairly quickly. I built quite a few pieces of my IM suit and had the paper on a mannequin and they began sagging and even tearing in a matter of days. I found that resining them inside and out added A LOT of durability, but still left them able to be reshaped with heat from a simple hairdryer. I'd recommend resining them as soon as they are complete and then waiting to add the fiberglass until you can get everything fit together properly.
 
It depends on where you live. I live in an area that is particularly damp so for me it's immediate. Taht is if my card has been stored sealed and I print immediately. Otherwise it's pretty well warped even before printing.

It's not the only reason I don't use pepakura (I do my own templates) but is one reason why I sorted out a better substrate to work over, at least for props and costume elements that need to be a bit "boxy".

Anyway, yeah resin asap. It's a little wasteful but not very and far less wasteful than the alternative. I tend to combine tasks: I'll cast a small greeblie while painting a support layer on a larger item. Or vice versa. I do still have a fair bit of product that wound up in the bin.

I use epoxy resin exclusively, it mixes with different fillers to be everything from a filler to glue to gel coat.
 
ahh ok, thanks for the input guys. I live in a desert so I guess I have a little more time to work with my build. Though it is getting cold outside so im not sure how resin will cure if it gets too cold.

I don't know anything about resin, so im not sure what the difference is between the regular stuff and epoxy resin. I've heard of rondo but I've never worked with that either. Hopefully this will turn out ok since it'll be my first time going this route.
 
Rondo is just a mixture of polyester resin and body filler. It works nicely as a slush filler for pieces that are going to be cast at a later time, instead of fiberglassing, but I've found that it's too heavy and brittle for long term use.

In Colorado where I am, I've found that I can pep a part in cardstock and let it sit for quite a while without it warping. I did lose a couple of bicep/shoulder parts for my Halo armor because they sat at a funny angle for MONTHS, but that's been the only issue I've encountered with warping. Dry environments give you a MUCH longer working time.
 
so I've finally begun cutting out the pieces last night and this whole time, I thought 110lb cardstock was a lot heavier(trading cards thickness). I didn't realize how thin and flimsy it actually was. Thank god dry environments helps with its structural integrity, since it's getting cold and resin wont cure in low temps. Have any of you guys resined during the winter months with some nearby source of heat? I don't have a garage so im trying to think of ways I can help it cure b/c I don't want to wait til spring to begin, and im definitely not doing it inside. I've read of some resin being able to be used indoors but I don't know the difference.
 
I use Polyeurethane varnish on my pep files. It dries fast and is almost as rigid as resin when dry, it's also much cheaper and doesnt react with the fiberglass.
 
oh really? I might give that a shot. I just recently ran across a tutorial suggesting smooth cast 300 after a layer of resin so you can skip the FG entirely. You also dont have to sand so that's a plus. Now I wonder if varnish would react with smooth cast lol
 
Model Railroaders make buildings with ultra-thin plywood. It's laser cut with notches and tabs to 'snap' together. The general thought is that a coating of paint on both sides of the plywood will help seal things and prevent warping... I think for cardstock you might experiment with other wood sealers. But work on something that the cardboard won't be glued to!
.
--Paul E Musselman
 
I live in Thailand and it can get very humid here, even an open pack of cardstock will feel less rigid a few hours after it's been opened. I coat mine in Polyeurethane varnish, within a couple of hours of finishing the piece. i have never had one warp yet. Plus it saves on grp resin as it makes the paper very rigid and is much cheaper.
 
You can use an epoxy based resin instead of polyester resin. Much less brain eating smells. It can be used indoors without fear of killing the cat. Might have to go to a marine supply store though.
 
i have an 1 year crysis suit on paper an it didn't warp yet, and probably never will, it depends how many suports parts the paper has
 
Where / how are you guys storing your cardstock, to prevent the paper from absorbing moisture?

Is it worth the trouble to put a fresly opened pack in a plastic bag or a sealed container? (maybe like a small cooler?)
 
anybody? :unsure

Do you leave your opened cardstock pack laying around, or do you take precaution to try and keep it sealed somewhere (big ziploc bag, sealed container, etc?)
 
hello ddrfreaktom.110 lb is to too heavy so you must find ways to support it because it will propably not hold.but about pepfiles if you put them together nicely with hotglue and keep them safe i think you will never have any problems.the only think that harms pepfiles connected with hotglue is if you live in a very hot place.i have pepfiles from ironman suit 6 months and i still haven't put the resin on it and it looks just fine.
 
I did my IM chest piece about 6 months ago, and have it sitting inside my spare bathroom shower stall on top of some boxes, etc. Room is fairly well heated/cooled and the piece does not appear to have warped from what i can tell. The file has some support pieces to be used during resin/fiberglass stage that I never cut out and used. The chest is supported in the middle facing up to the ceiling and just kind of "hangs" there.
 
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