:thumbsupWow! You guys are so, so awesome! I appreciate so much the thought each you are putting into this to help me on this build!
I assure you all that it was not time wasted as this build will be to a completed suit! God willing!
I was going to "quote" each one of you by way of response, but as my posts are already way too long, for brevity (thats a laugh) :behaveI will just paraphrase with credit/nods to each one of you if you dont mind!
Dancin and Surreal, you are both absolutely correct! The stress of sanding is 100% the downfall of the spackle method! I will have to absolutely use smoothcast or fiberglass the insides of the pieces especially the larger pieces if I am to succeed in my plan!
Where I tested and flexed the plain spackle, it crackled or slit along very fine hairlines and even flaked off in spots like Surreal had offered! I like the sculpey clay idea but I have to admit the stuff here is too pricey for a large suit. It might be cheaper on eBay..? I like the clay as well, but as it stays soft, and I am going to have to be very thin in spots I worry about adherance and durability, even if I varish it.
Zachary, wow thanks for the input! I will have to say that is good news and I needed to hear that it had been done succesfully,and your comment gave Surreal the jog to get me looking for Mightyjohn.
Surreal, I will look up that MightyJohn thread!
I have suspected pretty early that if I were to make my base strong enough I will have less issues. I also had even thought to maybe get my spackle close to where I wanted it through thin layers and sanding, then give it a thin coat of resin, priimer or even smooth cast. Then finish again, primer and finish sanding. Then go onto make my mold.. wheeew whata process!
I also have very, very exciting news! You saw in my last post, that I had mixed the high strength spackle with sandable wood glue and it works!!!! Outstandingly if I say so myself!:cool
It is a little stickier to sand and you have to dust off the part, but it sicks like well,,,,glue? Flexibility was wayyy better and the only cracking and chipping I had was over the untreated spackle that I had left on the back part of the piece!!! :thumbsup
The chip you see on the upper edge was just an accident when I slipped with a sanding block, but it is clearly further evidence that fiberglass or another method be added to insure stability and sufficient durability!!
I have to tell you I am excited and spackle is so much less difficult to work than Bondo...
Here is the picture!! Now remember this is a test bed and not a final product. It is pep covered only with an inside/outside single thin coat of autobody resin with no glass> I have only rough sanded it, manhandled it and even knocked it on the ground to bang off the stickier dust!!!:lol It is very, very flexible at the edges and open areas. Soft almost. You can even still tear the paper!
Clearly several more sandings and applications of mud would need to be applied. But the ability to keep my edges and use and Xacto blade to carve in sharp seams was there as well. This represented about 15 minutes of block, and emry board work with Xacto to carve out corners!:cool
I am researching the smooth cast this weekend between obligations and part building.
I think I'd prefer painting in some smoothcast, but glassing the inside is no issue if it will allow me to work the cheaper and far easier to manipulate my spackle glue mix... My only issue now is drying time, but honestly gentlemen, with so many parts to build, I have tons of time to lay up a piece then let it dry as I keep on working on other parts. The time gained in sanding/finishing will more than offset the lost drying time!!!
