The PEPAKURA question thread - PLEASE READ RULES IN FIRST POST!

[Vitrolic]

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread helping; it's been a great use to me reading through. This is my first project, planning to build an Iron Man suit (massive surprise), and am a little confused by the various methods for strengthening it, so I was hoping someone would tell me if I'm on the right track. At the moment my plan is:

Pepakura files assembled on 300gsm card
Several layers of polyurethane varnish, inside and out
Fibreglass resin with kitchen towels (I saw this mentioned about halfway through the thread as a substitute), on the inside
One layer of bondo, on the outside
Paint

Does this seem feasible? Or overkill for that matter? If any of it is unnecessary, I would be particularly keen to drop the fibreglass resin step due to material costs.

 

[Wes R]

There are a few things that you'll need to figure out your scaling. Pencil, paper, ruler or measuring tape, full standing pic of the character in question, and a calculator helps. The numbers I will use are arbitrary, so don't use them, I'm just giving examples of how to do the math.

Print a pic of the character standing as straight as possible, and measure the total height of the character in the pic (in millimeters) from the bottom of the feet to the top of the helmet. We'll call this value "X" (we'll use 8" or 203mm)

Now measure the height of the kid (in millimeters) and add 10mm for growth. This will be value "Y" (I'm gonna guess 4' or 1219mm +10mm=1229mm)

Divide Y by X

1229/203=6.054

Round that to a simpler 6.05 and you now have a scale factor!

Now take a measurement ofthe just the helmet in the pic from top to bottom. Be as precise as possible! (I'm gonna guess 30mm)

Now take that measurement and multiply it by your scale factor

30x6.05=181.5

Round up to 182 because pepakura designer doesn't do half millimeters, and this is the height that you'll enter in to the scaling option.

You should now have a correctly scaled helmet!

*Remember, I pulled the actual numbers out of my ass, don't use them! Also, this isn't foolproof, so don't blame me if you're a little off

I got lucky in that Kat's height is on the wiki. Isaac i was just guessing. i might make these outfits a bit bigger anyhow since kids seem to grow like weeds.

 

[EyeofSauron]

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread helping; it's been a great use to me reading through. This is my first project, planning to build an Iron Man suit (massive surprise), and am a little confused by the various methods for strengthening it, so I was hoping someone would tell me if I'm on the right track. At the moment my plan is:

Pepakura files assembled on 300gsm card
Several layers of polyurethane varnish, inside and out
Fibreglass resin with kitchen towels (I saw this mentioned about halfway through the thread as a substitute), on the inside
One layer of bondo, on the outside
Paint

Does this seem feasible? Or overkill for that matter? If any of it is unnecessary, I would be particularly keen to drop the fibreglass resin step due to material costs.

most of the stuff is ok. varnish im not really sure what it is, but if its something like resing it will work. i wouldnt go with the towels and resin for strengthening, i prefer slushcasting. the reason is, that if youre not gonna cast and mold it, its more wearable if its slushcast, because the cloth will be uncomfortable
one layer of bondo probably wont be enough. also its not: put on one layer, but much more several, and spot filler.
also you should use a primer before painting

 

[The Ronin]

I got lucky in that Kat's height is on the wiki. Isaac i was just guessing. i might make these outfits a bit bigger anyhow since kids seem to grow like weeds.

Right, but do you know the exact height of her helmet? That's where yore gonna have issues in the math. You may know the exact height of the character, but not the exact height of the armor piece. Also, is that height listed in the wiki the armored height or the naked height? Having a number like that presents too many variables for my liking. Printing a pic and measuring that makes for a nice constant.

 

[Wes R]

Right, but do you know the exact height of her helmet? That's where yore gonna have issues in the math. You may know the exact height of the character, but not the exact height of the armor piece. Also, is that height listed in the wiki the armored height or the naked height? Having a number like that presents too many variables for my liking. Printing a pic and measuring that makes for a nice constant.

Yeah i'm going have to find a good pic of kat and go from there. I did the math for the handplate and it was way off. I might also take detailed pics of the action figure so i can see the shapes i need. I need to see some tutorials on using foam too in case it's something different.

 

[lolzprox]

Hi guys, i just joined the forum like today, and im having some questions about building of iron man suit.

Basically, i made iron man mark VI suit out of foam, including the helmet, and it is also my very first suit, results are fine, just that it wasn't up to the expectations i had for it, especially the durability and the shape of the helmet.

Now i'm thinking of using the normal pep method to make a new suit, preferably the helmet first, but my biggest problem im facing is that, i live in Singapore, and this country don't sell Fiberglass, Resin and Bondo! Any substitution for these three items? Please, and suggestions are appreciated .

Or if there are alternative methods which still give a rather good product in the end, that is also really appreciated.

THANKS! Hope someone will help me asap...

 

[Rennoc]

DO you just eyeball it to figure out how much each piece needs to be folded in order to get the shape or is there an actual method?

 

[thepman1]

Hey! I'm looking to build an Iron Man suit (surprise surprise) to wear at parties and Halloween, etc. I was wondering what the cheapest method was to create a full suit at a quality/durability level similar to the classic resin/fiberglass/bondo method. Being a almost broke student, I'm trying to build it for under $100, but based on my research so far it looks like that won't happen. Is foam cheaper? Are there any steps I can sacrifice in the name of my wallet, or cheaper alternatives to resin/fiberglass/bondo materials? What would be the average cost for a project like this? I'm willing to spend more time on the project if it means less of the green stuff. Oh, and tools/equipment aren't an issue.

Thanks,
-Pete

P.S. I apologize in advance if this has been covered; I've spent hours on this site and the 405th's site and I couldn't find much regarding costs...

 

[EyeofSauron]

Hey! I'm looking to build an Iron Man suit (surprise surprise) to wear at parties and Halloween, etc. I was wondering what the cheapest method was to create a full suit at a quality/durability level similar to the classic resin/fiberglass/bondo method. Being a almost broke student, I'm trying to build it for under $100, but based on my research so far it looks like that won't happen. Is foam cheaper? Are there any steps I can sacrifice in the name of my wallet, or cheaper alternatives to resin/fiberglass/bondo materials? What would be the average cost for a project like this? I'm willing to spend more time on the project if it means less of the green stuff. Oh, and tools/equipment aren't an issue.

Thanks,
-Pete

P.S. I apologize in advance if this has been covered; I've spent hours on this site and the 405th's site and I couldn't find much regarding costs...

i dont think its possible

either you go the expensive route with pepakura, or even scratchbuilding, to have a quality suit, or you go the "cheap" route by making it out of foam. but even with the foam build, you wont be able to do it for less than 100 bucks. im guessing thats about as much as you would need just for the foam. also paint is expensive.
but it definitely needs less materials. all you need is foam, pva glue, gluesticks/hot glue gun and paint. PVA glue isnt all that expensive, it can be bought in 5 litre buckets pretty cheap. you can use cheap paints, but i guarantee you, that you wont be happy with the results

 

[white434]

Okay guys, I have been looking at materials to use to pep an iron man suit just like a lot of people on here. I am new to the pep scene and am very excited about the possibilities with it. I have read through the forum for days and haven't seen anybody mention or experiment using a thinner more durable plastic material for the pep. The material I had in mind is just using a rubbermaid container to cut the pieces because their containers aren't brittle when bent and it would be sandable to an extent. Does anyone think this would be an acceptable material for the whole suit? I haven't started my build yet but I did find a good deal on 1/2" foam so I have approximately 60 square feet of it for when I hope to build a war machine later.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[daniloferro]

Very helpfull... Thanks...

 

[thepman1]

i dont think its possible

either you go the expensive route with pepakura, or even scratchbuilding, to have a quality suit, or you go the "cheap" route by making it out of foam. but even with the foam build, you wont be able to do it for less than 100 bucks. im guessing thats about as much as you would need just for the foam. also paint is expensive.
but it definitely needs less materials. all you need is foam, pva glue, gluesticks/hot glue gun and paint. PVA glue isnt all that expensive, it can be bought in 5 litre buckets pretty cheap. you can use cheap paints, but i guarantee you, that you wont be happy with the results

So assuming I didn't have a price limit for the pep build for a quality suit, but still wanted to keep it relatively cheap, in what price range are we talking about?

 

[Pilot]

Okay guys, I have been looking at materials to use to pep an iron man suit just like a lot of people on here. I am new to the pep scene and am very excited about the possibilities with it. I have read through the forum for days and haven't seen anybody mention or experiment using a thinner more durable plastic material for the pep. The material I had in mind is just using a rubbermaid container to cut the pieces because their containers aren't brittle when bent and it would be sandable to an extent. Does anyone think this would be an acceptable material for the whole suit? I haven't started my build yet but I did find a good deal on 1/2" foam so I have approximately 60 square feet of it for when I hope to build a war machine later.

Thanks,
Brian

Ah, Rubbermaid.

Upsides: It's relatively inexpensive, fairly easy to cut, and can be formed and shaped to some extent by using a heat gun.

Downsides: It's polyethylene, one of the alkene (or olefin if you're old school) family of plastics. Very, very difficult to get anything to stick to it. Glue, paint, whatever...the stuff is slippery by design. It's inherently resistant to chemicals. Many nasty solvents come in polyethylene containers.

People end up riveting pieces together, and then you end up with hundreds of highly visible rivets in your costume. (I kind of like that look, actually, but you'll catch flak from the costuming purists about it.)

You can get paint to stick to it - for a while, anyway - by roughing up the surface with 120-grit sandpaper and then using the Krylon Fusion line of paint. This will eventually flex and peel though, because you're still relying on a somewhat dodgy mechanical bond with a chemically resistant material.

It's also possible to "prime" alkene materials by flame treatment...a good, hot blue flame like you get from a propane torch will actually alter the alignment of the little hydrocarbon molecules on the surface of the plastic and marginally improve its adhesion. This comes at the expense of finding that very fine line between "prepped surface" and "flaming molten plastic burned my garage to the ground." It also won't make a whole lot of difference in the long run.

The only real way to bond the stuff with confidence is to use a plastic welder, and that's kind of an art form in itself.

If I weren't so lazy, I'd find some links to the work of (banned former RPF member) Master Le. Virtually all of his construction material, regardless of what exotic name he makes up for it to make himself sound like even more of a tool, is Rubbermaid. His costumes look great from about thirty paces but really start to fall apart visually as you get closer to them.

In closing, Rubbermaid is the devil and you'll probably want to shoot yourself in the face after going down that road.

Fin.

 

[EyeofSauron]

So assuming I didn't have a price limit for the pep build for a quality suit, but still wanted to keep it relatively cheap, in what price range are we talking about?

i can tell you approximately, what went into my warmachine so far:

2 500 packs of cardstock: 20 bucks.
5 litres of resin: 30 bucks
5 m² of fibreglass cloth: about 20 bucks

i still need more resin to finish a few more parts so its at least 40 bucks for resin

and after that, theres still about 10 kg of filler at least, for the whole suit. after that. at least 4 cans of red automotive color, 1 can of gold, and 4-5 clear. plus about 10 cans of primer.

id say about 300 to 500 bucks, overall. that is, if you want to directly wear it. if you want to cast it, double the amount

 

[white434]

In closing, Rubbermaid is the devil and you'll probably want to shoot yourself in the face after going down that road.

Fin.

:lol I believe with the very informative response you provided, I will be sticking with foam. Thank you so much for spending the time to give such a detailed description of the downfalls.

Brian

 

[thepman1]

i can tell you approximately, what went into my warmachine so far:

2 500 packs of cardstock: 20 bucks.
5 litres of resin: 30 bucks
5 m² of fibreglass cloth: about 20 bucks

i still need more resin to finish a few more parts so its at least 40 bucks for resin

and after that, theres still about 10 kg of filler at least, for the whole suit. after that. at least 4 cans of red automotive color, 1 can of gold, and 4-5 clear. plus about 10 cans of primer.

id say about 300 to 500 bucks, overall. that is, if you want to directly wear it. if you want to cast it, double the amount

D: Jeez I had no idea it would be that expensive... maybe I'll just make the helmet...
If anyone knows how to cut corners to reduce cost without sacrificing too much quality/durability that would be great. How much cheaper would foam be? Could I combine foam for some parts like the body and pep for the helmet and such without it looking ridiculous?

Thanks for the prompt and informative replies eyeofsauron! Everyone on here is super helpful.:thumbsup

 

[EyeofSauron]

D: Jeez I had no idea it would be that expensive... maybe I'll just make the helmet...
If anyone knows how to cut corners to reduce cost without sacrificing too much quality/durability that would be great. How much cheaper would foam be? Could I combine foam for some parts like the body and pep for the helmet and such without it looking ridiculous?

Thanks for the prompt and informative replies eyeofsauron! Everyone on here is super helpful.:thumbsup

foam is definitely cheaper. i imagine, 100 bucks in foam get you a full suit, and after that you would only need pva glue to seal it, and then a couple of spray paint cans to paint it, so somewhere around the 150 bucks mark.

ive seen amazing builds with foam, but in general, its not as detailed. and nowhere close to as durable. still. for costumes i prefer foam lately. its way faster, with some effort, you get decent detail, its cheaper, and as you really dont wear it that often, it has some lifespan to it still. also, you wont worry so much about it getting damaged

if i were you, id go the route most people are going these days with these im suits. build the suit out of foam, the helmet out of pep. because effectively, its the helmet that gets you the attention.
If you want to go really budget, look up the 25$ iron man build here on the forum

 

[Rennoc]

Wow 300-500 sounds cheap to me lol.

I'm a Star Wars Costumer and that's how much your average kit will cost not including all the other accessories you need. Armor only.


Question though...Do you need to put the spacers (or paper bars) inside the armor if you're going to resin it? Do they help keep the shape or what exactly is the deal with them. I'm planning on starting this week. I did a trial run making the forearm out of regular paper. Now I just need to get the 110lb cardstock.

 

[EyeofSauron]

if you are going to build a star wars armor out of pepakura with these materials, you wouldnt need more or less money. but if you buy a kit, you also pay for the worktime put in by the seller. depending on the piece you do or do not need spacers. if the piece is big and has big spaces in between (for example my warmachine chest), then you should do spacers
i learned that the hard way

for other stuff, you need spacers just to keep it in shape over all. the portal gun i built has rounded shells, and theres no chance to keep it in shape without the spacers

on other stuff, its not really usefull, and in the way. small parts with little spaces generally dont need it

 

[thepman1]

foam is definitely cheaper. i imagine, 100 bucks in foam get you a full suit, and after that you would only need pva glue to seal it, and then a couple of spray paint cans to paint it, so somewhere around the 150 bucks mark.

ive seen amazing builds with foam, but in general, its not as detailed. and nowhere close to as durable. still. for costumes i prefer foam lately. its way faster, with some effort, you get decent detail, its cheaper, and as you really dont wear it that often, it has some lifespan to it still. also, you wont worry so much about it getting damaged

if i were you, id go the route most people are going these days with these im suits. build the suit out of foam, the helmet out of pep. because effectively, its the helmet that gets you the attention.
If you want to go really budget, look up the 25$ iron man build here on the forum

Thanks for the help eyeofsauron. I think I'll start with a pepakura helmet and see where that leads me. I was hoping for the quality of a fully pepped suit but it looks like foam is the better way to go. I'll try and build everything for $100 or under, maybe cut some corners here and there. I'll let you know how that goes

Thanks,
Pete