bigjustin12
Active Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Your helmet looks fantastic. Can't wait to see more updates.
Your helmet looks fantastic. Can't wait to see more updates.
Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - New pics of full suit WIP - page 4
- Thread starter dariang
- Start date
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Thanks, guys!
Thanks for the tips. I've watched both of those videos, but yes, I guess you are right that I could just treat the faceplate area and neck opening as one big base. Should be interesting to see how this works. I feel like it will be a very tough challenge.
And yes, Rebound-25 costs almost 250 bucks for a gallon at the only store where I can get it. I might have to start selling these helmets after! haha
:darnkids
Thanks, guys!
Thanks for the tips. I've watched both of those videos, but yes, I guess you are right that I could just treat the faceplate area and neck opening as one big base. Should be interesting to see how this works. I feel like it will be a very tough challenge.
And yes, Rebound-25 costs almost 250 bucks for a gallon at the only store where I can get it. I might have to start selling these helmets after! haha
:darnkids
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Well, I didn't plan on it, but I think when it is all finished and I am happy with it, I'll see if there is any interest (I could screw it up before it's done!) and then make a decision. It would be nice to pay off the materials...
:darnkids
Well, I didn't plan on it, but I think when it is all finished and I am happy with it, I'll see if there is any interest (I could screw it up before it's done!) and then make a decision. It would be nice to pay off the materials...
:darnkids
Rainemaker
New Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Yeah man i am in the same boat. It would be great to mold the entire set but it would be pretty expensive. It would be really nice to just be able to cast a new part if something happened to one of mine or I could re-use a part for another set. Getting the money back on materials would be great for sure.
Fantastic work on your build keep up the good work!!! Looking forward to seeing your progress on this one.
Yeah man i am in the same boat. It would be great to mold the entire set but it would be pretty expensive. It would be really nice to just be able to cast a new part if something happened to one of mine or I could re-use a part for another set. Getting the money back on materials would be great for sure.
Fantastic work on your build keep up the good work!!! Looking forward to seeing your progress on this one.
Drack
Sr Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
This is one serious looking piece of work my freind! You see so many start the IM helmet but most never seem to see it through to getting it perfect. I confess I was one of those people but then bondo work just wasn't for me.
Keep up the good work,
Tom.
This is one serious looking piece of work my freind! You see so many start the IM helmet but most never seem to see it through to getting it perfect. I confess I was one of those people but then bondo work just wasn't for me.
Keep up the good work,
Tom.
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Didn't realize I didn't answer this question until now. Sorry! The backpiece already is detached and the magnets are in half in place to reattach it. I did, however, try to put it on with the faceplate and jaw removed and the backpiece still attached and it worked, though my ears folded forward and it was very uncomfortable.
A good thing about this helmet, though it may look a little awkward with the rest of the build, is that I made it as big as it can possibly be because I have a fat head, but there is still only JUST enough room for me to get it on. I hope it doesn't look too weird when the whole suit is done.
Also, thanks everyone for the encouragement and kind words! You are keeping me motivated!
Didn't realize I didn't answer this question until now. Sorry! The backpiece already is detached and the magnets are in half in place to reattach it. I did, however, try to put it on with the faceplate and jaw removed and the backpiece still attached and it worked, though my ears folded forward and it was very uncomfortable.
A good thing about this helmet, though it may look a little awkward with the rest of the build, is that I made it as big as it can possibly be because I have a fat head, but there is still only JUST enough room for me to get it on. I hope it doesn't look too weird when the whole suit is done.
Also, thanks everyone for the encouragement and kind words! You are keeping me motivated!
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Help!
I put on the first and second layers of rebound 25 on some other parts today, and I forgot to use the Ease Release 200. Will I have to restart? Or should I continue but just take off the mold very carefully? I don't want to waste any more rebound on useless layers if I have to restart, which is why I'm asking.
Thanks!
Help!
I put on the first and second layers of rebound 25 on some other parts today, and I forgot to use the Ease Release 200. Will I have to restart? Or should I continue but just take off the mold very carefully? I don't want to waste any more rebound on useless layers if I have to restart, which is why I'm asking.
Thanks!
pitufovengador
New Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Very promising indeed!
Very promising indeed!
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Thanks a lot, guys! I'm going to post another update soon on how my moulding process has been going.
Thanks a lot, guys! I'm going to post another update soon on how my moulding process has been going.
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
THE HELMET
Step 4: Moulding
It feels like it's been awhile since I've moved on to another step. Work has been crazy/fun, people have still been visiting, but now it's winding down and I have been researching/buying all the products I need for the Moulding and Casting stages.
This was my very first mould I've ever made, and watched a bunch of videos for research and read a lot on here. I could only find videos documenting the moulding process on closed helmets, nothing on the Iron Man helmet in 4 pieces (I'm sure you'll all post a thousand links to where it is located now!), so I did screw up majorly in one part, but I think I've fixed it.
Here we go:
1. So I lined the edges entirely with tinfoil. I did this because I saw some other people do it their videos, and this is so you can extend the rubber mould past the edges, giving you more room to fiberglass up the sides on the finished product so you don't have any weak edges. These also came into play later (which you will see in another post) for a different reason.
2. Once tinfoiled, I used my trusty drink mixer as a stand and then covered in Rebound-40. I was going to use Rebound-25 like everyone else but the store only had this. Again, knowing NOTHING about this process I was a little worried when they said it would cure thicker, but it actually worked out really well.
3. I did the next layer using the Thi-Vex II thickening agent. I broke my mixing stick on this step! Following a really detailed youtube video, I did two layers of this. The first layer was to cover the whole thing, the second layer was to do the edges and the keys (those lines that are sticking out).
Note: Those keys weren't enough. I actually had to throw away the original fiberglass shell, make a bunch of balls around my helmet with the silicone, and then fiberglass it all over again. I'll explain and show later.
4. I then followed another youtube video and made the fiberglass shell (which was a waste BUT a learning experience). I had a friend help with the first half, and we didn't saturate the fiberglass enough. But on the second half I went to town and really realized the difference. I still went ahead with it and drilled the holes and clamped the two sides together.
WHERE I SCREWED UP: So watching the full helmet mouldings on youtube, I saw some people cut their mould in half, or cut a line along the back to peel if off easily. Me, not knowing how hard or easy this hardened silicone would be, cut the line in the back thinking I needed to.
ADVICE FOR PEOPLE MOULDING/CASTING YOUR 4-PIECE IRON MAN HELMET: You don't need to cut that line. Because it's open in the front, you can just peel it from that direction. This stuff is actually pretty easy to bend (you can flip it inside out and it still doesn't screw up.. at least with rebound-40). So now I have a cut line in the back of my mould which will probably show up in the cast (hoping I can sand it or something). That's another reason I re-did the keys and mother mould, because I wanted it to fit even more snug and perfectly so I could try to close that line as much as possible. If it is at all loose, the cut line will appear even more in your casts.. or so I imagine.
5. Here you may be able to see the difference in my shells. They are way better now as I did the other pieces because I noticed that my main helmet part was falling off the sides (as I didn't have enough keys on it), so I didn't take that chance with the rest. I also saturated the #&@* out of the fiberglass to make it super hard. That last image there is of the faceplate pulled out of the mould. I think it looks like it will work.
6. And here is my workbench with a bunch of random Iron Man bits everywhere.. and the drink mixer.
Next Steps:
I have some more photos of my second attempt at the shell and the keys on my main helmet mould, I will upload those when I can.
I've purchased white unwaxed gelcoat, an MEKP catalyst for it, some yellow pigment dye (for the faceplate, thanks ProjectEarth for the cool idea!), and I have my fiberglass matte. I think I am going to make my first cast tonight and see how it goes. Wish me luck, I am super nervous because I don't want to have to redo any of the moulds and start over again.
Please, if anyone has some advice on the next steps, or something I should fix in the next hour before I make my first cast, let me know!
:darnkids
THE HELMET
Step 4: Moulding
It feels like it's been awhile since I've moved on to another step. Work has been crazy/fun, people have still been visiting, but now it's winding down and I have been researching/buying all the products I need for the Moulding and Casting stages.
This was my very first mould I've ever made, and watched a bunch of videos for research and read a lot on here. I could only find videos documenting the moulding process on closed helmets, nothing on the Iron Man helmet in 4 pieces (I'm sure you'll all post a thousand links to where it is located now!), so I did screw up majorly in one part, but I think I've fixed it.
Here we go:
1. So I lined the edges entirely with tinfoil. I did this because I saw some other people do it their videos, and this is so you can extend the rubber mould past the edges, giving you more room to fiberglass up the sides on the finished product so you don't have any weak edges. These also came into play later (which you will see in another post) for a different reason.
2. Once tinfoiled, I used my trusty drink mixer as a stand and then covered in Rebound-40. I was going to use Rebound-25 like everyone else but the store only had this. Again, knowing NOTHING about this process I was a little worried when they said it would cure thicker, but it actually worked out really well.
3. I did the next layer using the Thi-Vex II thickening agent. I broke my mixing stick on this step! Following a really detailed youtube video, I did two layers of this. The first layer was to cover the whole thing, the second layer was to do the edges and the keys (those lines that are sticking out).
Note: Those keys weren't enough. I actually had to throw away the original fiberglass shell, make a bunch of balls around my helmet with the silicone, and then fiberglass it all over again. I'll explain and show later.
4. I then followed another youtube video and made the fiberglass shell (which was a waste BUT a learning experience). I had a friend help with the first half, and we didn't saturate the fiberglass enough. But on the second half I went to town and really realized the difference. I still went ahead with it and drilled the holes and clamped the two sides together.
WHERE I SCREWED UP: So watching the full helmet mouldings on youtube, I saw some people cut their mould in half, or cut a line along the back to peel if off easily. Me, not knowing how hard or easy this hardened silicone would be, cut the line in the back thinking I needed to.
ADVICE FOR PEOPLE MOULDING/CASTING YOUR 4-PIECE IRON MAN HELMET: You don't need to cut that line. Because it's open in the front, you can just peel it from that direction. This stuff is actually pretty easy to bend (you can flip it inside out and it still doesn't screw up.. at least with rebound-40). So now I have a cut line in the back of my mould which will probably show up in the cast (hoping I can sand it or something). That's another reason I re-did the keys and mother mould, because I wanted it to fit even more snug and perfectly so I could try to close that line as much as possible. If it is at all loose, the cut line will appear even more in your casts.. or so I imagine.
5. Here you may be able to see the difference in my shells. They are way better now as I did the other pieces because I noticed that my main helmet part was falling off the sides (as I didn't have enough keys on it), so I didn't take that chance with the rest. I also saturated the #&@* out of the fiberglass to make it super hard. That last image there is of the faceplate pulled out of the mould. I think it looks like it will work.
6. And here is my workbench with a bunch of random Iron Man bits everywhere.. and the drink mixer.
Next Steps:
I have some more photos of my second attempt at the shell and the keys on my main helmet mould, I will upload those when I can.
I've purchased white unwaxed gelcoat, an MEKP catalyst for it, some yellow pigment dye (for the faceplate, thanks ProjectEarth for the cool idea!), and I have my fiberglass matte. I think I am going to make my first cast tonight and see how it goes. Wish me luck, I am super nervous because I don't want to have to redo any of the moulds and start over again.
Please, if anyone has some advice on the next steps, or something I should fix in the next hour before I make my first cast, let me know!
:darnkids
Last edited:
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Well, I poured the gelcoat in tonight on the faceplate, chin and back neckpiece. I'm saving the big piece for last. My main piece of advice, though it's hard to take (and keep in mind I'm a newb at this), is don't be scared to improvise and experiment!
I couldn't find a thread that said specifically WHAT to use and HOW to use all these different products, and that's because everyone has their own methods. Best thing is to just try it out, even on smaller test pieces if you have the time.
I was going to just do the faceplate, but after I gooped it, the can said "may take 4 hours to cure", and I got impatient. It's been a few hours and it's pretty hard right now there are some thicker parts that still need curing. I will get some good pictures tomorrow after I fiberglass the faceplate and pull it out. If that piece works, I'll fiberglass the chin/neck pieces. If it didn't work out, I may add more gelcoat to the other two pieces or scrap em and start again.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your casts as well
Well, I poured the gelcoat in tonight on the faceplate, chin and back neckpiece. I'm saving the big piece for last. My main piece of advice, though it's hard to take (and keep in mind I'm a newb at this), is don't be scared to improvise and experiment!
I couldn't find a thread that said specifically WHAT to use and HOW to use all these different products, and that's because everyone has their own methods. Best thing is to just try it out, even on smaller test pieces if you have the time.
I was going to just do the faceplate, but after I gooped it, the can said "may take 4 hours to cure", and I got impatient. It's been a few hours and it's pretty hard right now there are some thicker parts that still need curing. I will get some good pictures tomorrow after I fiberglass the faceplate and pull it out. If that piece works, I'll fiberglass the chin/neck pieces. If it didn't work out, I may add more gelcoat to the other two pieces or scrap em and start again.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your casts as well
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
THE HELMET
Step 5: Casting
As mentioned in my last post, I poured the gelcoat into the face, chin and neck piece, hoping I wasn't screwing anything up. I was told I didn't need a release agent for these, and I was told I was. I was also told to lightly dust the mould with baby powder. I tried all these different techniques just to test out the differences. So far, the only difference I noticed was that there seemed to be MORE bubbles when I used the baby powder, but that could very well be for some other reason. Anyways... check out my pics!
1. So here is the mould with the gelcoat in there. As I mentioned in the last post, I put yellow dye in this one.
2. Here is the back of it after I fiberglassed it and pulled it from the mould. The resin I used was EXTREMELY thick compared to the smoothcast 321 I used when making the master copy and so this new copy weighs a lot more but it's a lot stronger. The resin I'm using now is just the regular bondo fiberglass resin you can get at Canadian Tire. I thought I would give it a shot and it seems to be working well. Only problem is that EVERYTHING sticks to EVERYTHING when you work with it.
3. ZOMG it worked! This is after I cleaned up the edges. It looks pretty spot on, though I won't be celebrating until after the main helmet is done and everything lines up. *fingers crooossed!*
4. Here is the chin piece next to the original. It actually looks even better and it's way stronger than the original. I'm quite happy with how things are going. Edging all of the pieces though is a b*#&h. Any tips out there??!
5. And here is a picture of the pulled faceplate, chin and neckpiece. They are actually looking and feeling very sexy.
6. Tomorrow, I fiberglass the inside of the main part and pull it, edge it, and FINALLY see if it all fits together.. so. extremely. nervous.
Any tips on how to edge these faster?! It's taking me around 25-30 minutes to edge each piece..
:darnkids
THE HELMET
Step 5: Casting
As mentioned in my last post, I poured the gelcoat into the face, chin and neck piece, hoping I wasn't screwing anything up. I was told I didn't need a release agent for these, and I was told I was. I was also told to lightly dust the mould with baby powder. I tried all these different techniques just to test out the differences. So far, the only difference I noticed was that there seemed to be MORE bubbles when I used the baby powder, but that could very well be for some other reason. Anyways... check out my pics!
1. So here is the mould with the gelcoat in there. As I mentioned in the last post, I put yellow dye in this one.
2. Here is the back of it after I fiberglassed it and pulled it from the mould. The resin I used was EXTREMELY thick compared to the smoothcast 321 I used when making the master copy and so this new copy weighs a lot more but it's a lot stronger. The resin I'm using now is just the regular bondo fiberglass resin you can get at Canadian Tire. I thought I would give it a shot and it seems to be working well. Only problem is that EVERYTHING sticks to EVERYTHING when you work with it.
3. ZOMG it worked! This is after I cleaned up the edges. It looks pretty spot on, though I won't be celebrating until after the main helmet is done and everything lines up. *fingers crooossed!*
4. Here is the chin piece next to the original. It actually looks even better and it's way stronger than the original. I'm quite happy with how things are going. Edging all of the pieces though is a b*#&h. Any tips out there??!
5. And here is a picture of the pulled faceplate, chin and neckpiece. They are actually looking and feeling very sexy.
6. Tomorrow, I fiberglass the inside of the main part and pull it, edge it, and FINALLY see if it all fits together.. so. extremely. nervous.
Any tips on how to edge these faster?! It's taking me around 25-30 minutes to edge each piece..
:darnkids
Last edited:
martcpl705
Well-Known Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Wow great helmet
Wow great helmet
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
Thanks, man!
I haven't had to buy new filters for it yet, they came with the respirator, BUT, I do remember seeing some in Canadian Tire, I just don't know if they would fit that model.
Thanks, man!
I haven't had to buy new filters for it yet, they came with the respirator, BUT, I do remember seeing some in Canadian Tire, I just don't know if they would fit that model.
Tigerblood
Well-Known Member
Re: Iron Man Mark 7 Fibreglass Build - [Pic Heavy] WIP
just a li'l advice: putting too much resin doesn't make it stronger. It will seem it is, but it will be actually brittle. I'm not sure how heavy your face plate is, but if you actually use 2 layers of fiberglass, it will be stronger and lighter. All you need is get the fiberglass mat/cloth wet, you don't have to saturate it.
just a li'l advice: putting too much resin doesn't make it stronger. It will seem it is, but it will be actually brittle. I'm not sure how heavy your face plate is, but if you actually use 2 layers of fiberglass, it will be stronger and lighter. All you need is get the fiberglass mat/cloth wet, you don't have to saturate it.
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