Fiberglass a Pepakura Daft Punk Helmet

[MrMiniBeast]

So I have my Thomas Daft Punk helmet here, and I want to fiberglass it and eventually make a mold out of it. This means it has to be strong, and it can be filled in on the inside as much as it needs to (it won't be worn, the casting will). I've never fiberglassed anything before, can anyone give me a detailed rundown on the process? Such as how many layers on the inside and outside and how to use fiberglass cloth?
Thanks!

p.s. I just joined this forum so hi everybody!

 

[zacboring]

Use the cloth (or mesh) on the inside ONLY. If you put it on the outside, you'll cover up the smaller details and you definitely dont want that. As for the resin itself, I normally do one coat on the outside and two on the inside (one coat first, add mesh over-top of that, then another layer of resin over the mesh). But you can do as many layers as it takes to either side.

 

[MrMiniBeast]

Use the cloth (or mesh) on the inside ONLY. If you put it on the outside, you'll cover up the smaller details and you definitely dont want that. As for the resin itself, I normally do one coat on the outside and two on the inside (one coat first, add mesh over-top of that, then another layer of resin over the mesh). But you can do as many layers as it takes to either side.

Would this be strong enough if I wanted to make a mold?
Also, does it matter of I do a coat on the outside or inside first?

 

[The Ronin]

Generally I do a thin coat of resin outside to start, then a thin coat of resin inside. After that I layer glass mat and cloth on the inside with as little resin as possible (the fiberglass is what adds strength, the resin is just a stiffening agent) but if you're just going for moulding purposes the extra weight isn't a big deal. A couple layers of the fiberglass should net you with something strong enough that it wouldn't break even if you tossed it across the room. Mat works better in areas with lots of contours, and cloth (the woven kind) works better for larger flat expanses.