Foam or Resin?

[karlfr]

ok so im about to start my second iron man project...

i previously don a MK6 in resin and fiber glass etc and last night tried my luck with the MK42 in foam.

iv don the face plate and can only say... i felt it was actually harder!

i have been using the thinner foam as i wanted to do it as a test to see how i got on. Iv already done the pep of the MM42 helmet over the weekend so may just carry on with resin that.

i will be doing the full suit this time round and that will be in foam.

all i wanted to know was if it would be better in the long run for the helmet to be in foam or resin?

 

[1ManOnFir3]

Helmet - definately resin. However if you're making a full suit i would make the suit out of the thicker foam, as it naturally curves in two directions unlike paper, and you can resin it without bondo if you want to later.

 

[karlfr]

ok cool.. i did think that.

thanks

 

[Mitcheg1]

Definitely thicker foam first and foremost. I typically use 7 and 12mm foam. The 2-3mm craft foam is way too soft and can't be sanded easily. Also, coat with plasti-dip or an equivalent.

As for pep vs foam. Foam requires more work up front, but takes less time on the back end for me. Pep assembles very quickly, but the resin/bondo, sand and repeat process is time consuming. It will be better for a helmet (I'm actually doing a Star Wars TFA stormtroper helmet that way)