Advice for a UK n00b? Respirator & resins. [Hopeful Iron Man Helmet project]

[Madosheet]

Hi RPF-citizens!

I've been lurking here for the past fortnight looking at a lot of peoples costumes, mainly their Iron Man helmet builds and I am blown away by all the talent!
I'm also very amazed at how welcoming the prop making community is - I've been apart of other communities for other hobbies and when there are constant repeats of n00b questions or things you can easily find in FAQ's or just a bit of searching, usually I see these new users get flamed SO quickly, but here people are still so nice and willing to help and answer questions!

(I couldn't see a introduction section on the forum, so I decided to post here along with some questions)

I've wanted to buy a good looking, wearable and displayable Iron Man helmet for the longest time, but only recently have I done some proper searching and that's how I came across the pepakura method to create your own costumes. After about a week and a half of pretty extensive researching and reading on these forums, over at the405th and YouTube tutorials I think I've got a pretty good grasp on the whole process from the pepakura to the resin/fiberglass and then the body filler. (Oh, this will be my very first venture into anything like this, so I have like non of the tools that everyone seems to just have lying around the house xD )

Anyway, I wanted to be 110% sure before beginning, especially regarding the safety side, which is the main questions that I have.


I understand the importance of having a good respirator when doing resin/fiberglassing/sanding and understand you need a respirator suitable for organic vapour fumes - all the ones that I've seen recommended generally look like this, with replaceable cartridges:-

But when I've been searching for such respirators in the UK, the most popular ones that appear on the UK Amazon, UK 3M and DIY/hardware stores in England, many have these ones:-

3M 4251 FFA1P2RD Maintenance Free Reusable Half Mask (Pack of 1): Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools


I wanted to know
1. Do they do the same thing?
2. Are they as good?
3. Am I correct in thinking they only last a certain amount of time before having to dispose of them?

I also saw this one (below) being recommended on the405th, but, it doesn't seem very...legit? I found it on eBay delivered from Hong Kong or China and the price is only around £3 equivalent to $5ish...that doesn't seem right especially when I see most good respirators around the 20-30 dollar/UK pounds mark.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V1NF-NEW-...=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&hash=item3380da52b0


Secondly, from reading on the forums on posts by projectearth7 (such amazing work!!) and others including tutorials on YouTube (mainly STEALTH's which has helped a lot! ), an alternative to polyester resin, which after some research has scared the crap out of me with the health hazards and toxicity , is polyurethane resin(?) which is lower in toxicity and safer?
I couldn't find the ones that STEALTH and others suggested in his videos and wondered if the one I found below is a viable UK alternative?

Polycraft SG2000 - 500g Fast Cast Polyurethane Liquid Plastic Casting Resin Kit | eBay

Polycraft SG2000 Paintable Fast Cast Polyurethane Liquid Plastic Casting Resin - mbfg.co.uk

If not, is there one I can find in UK for an affordable price that anyone could recommend?

And finally, people who do pepakura in the UK, is 200gsm about the correct weight paper I should be using? I've seen people suggest from 160gsm all the way up to 280gsm and I don't think my little home printer can even handle anywhere near 280!

I know this was a looong post, and thank you to anyone who has read this far! An advanced thanks to anyone who can help out and answer too

I hope to begin this project soon, once I'm fully confident I know what I'm doing, safety-wise and er hands-on-wise xD

Thanks!

 

[NeonHybrid]

The issues with polyester resin will only come up when you don't have sufficient ventilation or a respirator. As long as you have one with organic filters you should be fine. I work in a workshop with a large scale set of industrial extractors so working with resin isn't a problem. If you are looking for cheep basic materials in the UK Halfords is a good place to get pretty much everything.

 

[Propsjonnyb]

Resin work is more critical, regarding health and safety, particularly disposal , but old clothes , aprons, goggles/safety glasses, mask and gloves are all useful and essential equipment , Resin's main components are toxic and exposure to fumes , spillage obviously has risk , good care and housekeeping are highly recommended , As a good starting point I would suggest Alex Tiranti's who tend to have a good range and are very helpful to beginners. 220 to 250 gsm is best good card stock , Staples is a good source . Polyurathane resins are good , but your better using a fast cast thermotropic resin ( sets because of a thermal reaction between the two liquids, if your gpoing to use paper then you must seal it first (( on both sides !)) with several coats of any water soluble PVA glues use disposable brushes and wait until the piece is dry before applying the next coat , this does two things hardens off the paper and give you a surface you can key ( use sanding blocks - course, medium, fine) before applying coats of resin in the same way , I use soft white tissues, which I apply over the fresh coated resin to add strength and thickness , both inside and out , finish when dry with a good sanding all over ,use a car body primer ( to show up spots and bumps) and repeat the process , until you have the smooth surface you require , final coat of primer , let dry then finish with car body paints , finish with a final coat of clear matt or clear varnish to your own preference .

 

[jmgrice]

Bentley chemicals supply the smooth on alternatives for the uk that stealth mentions. I can vouch as ive used them. You have to ring for a price but they ship fast. Pay on card over phone. They do testers which is good. Then you havent got to buy a gallon up front. And the tester is more then enough for just a helmet. Probably 2.


J
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[mattycsi]

For cardstock try Wilkinsons, they do a pack of ten sheets of card at 240gsm for a pound. I got some for my Dredd helmet (first pep) build and it went through my (very) budget home printer absolutely no bother at all.
I think they do a 280gsm for the same price so could be worth a try also, I would have but they didnt have any when I went.

Wickes do a respirator that seems to do the job against very fine dust and particles, aqueous mists, fibres, inorganic and organic vapours and gases at £30. I havent got one yet as I've just finished cutting out
Wickes Master Respirator with Cartridges - Respiration - Workwear -Tools, Electrical & Plumbing - Wickes

Also sign up to the Aldi and Lidl newsletters, they often get in a lot of diverse tools which are quite cheap and in my experience very good quality for the cost. At the moment they got in a hell of lot of air compression gear. If I had the space, and could sneak it past the wife, I'd be all over it.

if your going to use paper then you must seal it first (( on both sides !)) with several coats of any water soluble PVA glues use disposable brushes and wait until the piece is dry before applying the next coat , this does two things hardens off the paper and give you a surface you can key

Is this process just for using polyurethane resins or does it apply to polyester/fibreglass too?

 

[Pro Mod]

The 3M 4251 is an excellent mask and I’ve had many of them over the years.
Spares are not available and they're designed to be disposable.
Any product by 3M or other well known brand will conform to all current legislation.

I recently purchased a Sundström SR90-3 'Half Mask Respirator' and it is excellent.
It comes with an organic and a dust cartridge and just as importantly pre-filter papers.
As the name suggests they filter the initial dust / particles before it gets to the main cartridge, thus extending its life.
The great thing is that you can use it with either cartridge or you can clip them together and it then works for both dust and fumes!

I bought it from an industrial supply company called Arco (branches all over the UK).
Before selling it to me they asked what it was being used for and how often it would be used.
They selected the correct size for my face (to ensure a correct fit), assembled it, before talking me through how to use the harness, when to change the filters and how to maintain it.
Basically great service for something that only costs around £21.00. :thumbsup
Arco Website - Sundström SR90-3 Half Mask Respirator from Sundstrom - Product 168810

If personal safety is your main concern don't buy a £3.00 mask!