Warped Fiberglass

M

Miker545

New Member
Ok Fiberglass. I keep getting mixed answers.
Can a fiberglass/resin helm be warped in the mail?
Once it is Warped can it be reshaped?
Can you reshape it with a heatgun/hairdryer?

I keep getting different answers from everyone I ask so hopefully someone will know here and I'll be able to get an answer. LOL I hope the answer to all of them is yes.
 
Yes, it can be warped in the mail. If it was sent befor it was "cured".
When fiberglass has cured, it can not take another shape.. unless You brake it.
And it will not work with a hairdyer or heatgun...sorry.

"Fiberglass" are cunstrukted with polyester resin AND fiberglass, the fiberglass are what it sounds like thin thin glass that are put together.
Polyester resin are kind of brittle without a fiberglass strip, but if You mix them together the are strong as hell.

Hope this helps.
And I get a feeling that You wanted another answer. :lol Sorry

T
 
Cured? How do you cure it? Also I guess I posted this in the wrong section ment to put it in the prop. Its a helm. Also are you sure? If it is I'm going to have to get my money back and if i can fix it I wont thats why its so important for me to find out.
 
Cure. You know hardened, toughened, tempered...
When the plastic is hard. :)

And I am very sure that after that the FG cant warp. That is one reason why You put fiberglas in there.

T
 
Yah but you cant see the dammage to well in photos. It's bad enough to make the helmet uterly unusable though. Physicaly and visualy. Now your sure about that ive got a pm wating to be answered by another helmet maker for a 2nd check. So cured is just after its been dried and after that its not realy moldable. If that is the case then I'm definatly going to be geting my money back he claimed i could easly fix it. Its lookin more and more like ive been stiff armed here. I'll edit this post in a min with a pic of the helm.

EDIT: Here you go

I'm getting ready to post a reveiw on this guy to so that he dosnt do this to anyone else I'm just waiting till i get my facts strait and everything gets resolved.

I wouldn't be so mad if the entire helm wasn't a shotty job though but oh well I've learned a good leason from this at least.

thanks for the help.
 
I have been working and dealing with fiberglass parts for years.

I have seen KITT (Knight Rider) dash boards warp after years of being in the sun
but only slightly. The same goes for custom car bumpers. But, A part of that size
would have to have come out of the mold that way.

Either his master had these problems, or his part lifted a bit while being laid up.
If you get another and find the same problems, then I would say his mold has
these issues. The helmet would then need to be filled in and perfected, then
recasted properly to get a nice one.

Inproperly mixing the resin will cause problems as well. I have heard it before.
Anyone can splash resin and cloth together, but if it isn't done properly, it isn't
worth the time put into it.

Keep us posted on what happens with things.
 
Well i saw the original get sculpted and saw the first helm that came out and it was nice but mine is olmost entierly flat on the right side or the top part in the pic. And he is no longer making the helm and refused a refund so I'll have to see what he thinks of my new foundings.
 
Well then i finaly tracked down the exact items its mad eof or i think i did.

Kit is fiberglass/bondo resin mix and 1/1 scale.
or
Using a silicone mold with a fiberglass mothermold jacket to hold the shape.

It's one of them blah this guy dosnt seem to know what hes using anymore than me.
 
Actually, you can deform fibreglass with heat particularly if it's only a few weeks old. Technically, it takes nearly thirty days for fibreglass to fully chemically cure. It's been known for fibreglass cars in California to distort in the hottest of summers. Use a heat gun and you'll soon see how soft (relatively) it can get. However it is far more heat resistant than most plastics. It also depends how thick the lay up is and what quantity of "filler" has been added to any of the layers.
 
I woulden't try heating it back to shape. I dont think that works, and if it should bend slightly it will not look nice.
I would clame a new one from the maker.

T
 
No refunds and he's not making them any more best i could get is him to do more work and I found someone else who had one of his helms and he did some reforming to his as well with a heat gun. So I guess thats the best I can do.
 
Convenient that he stopped making them after you got yours and he refuses a
refund. If someone pulled that with me, I would restore that one as best I could,
and make my own mold off it. Or have it done if you can not yourself.

I know recasting is considered a NO NO, but he seems to be ripping you off.
So you gotta do what you gotta do, right. I guess as long as you didn't turn
around and sell them, your safe. I to, would also tell people to be cautious
in dealing with him.

Sounds to me like he knew youwere sent a bad part and doesn't wanna take
respocibility for it. Sorry to see you got shafted.

(Edited for crappy spelling. LOL)
 
I think You should demand him to make and send You a new one, OR get You hard money back...
A deffect helmet was NOT what You paid for, so if he tell's You that he stopped making them...well that might be true BUT he must still have the mold?.

What's his excuse?

T
 
Another sure fire way of warpage is if the gel coat has been left for a while before laying up the matting.
 
I would but this stuff abviusly is warped by heat i cheacked and someone with the same helm has had problems with it warping on the way to him and has fixed it with a symple hair drier.
Is there anyway might be able to fix this up so it isnt so easly warped incase i have to ship it to a convention or new home or somthing of the likes or if i just decide to sell it?
So I can't say for sure it didn't happen in the mail and its itherfix this helm my self or send it back to him to fix which will cost another 10 -13 bucks plus waiting and sence I've made him mad by already aking for a refund I don't feel sending it back for work would be a verry smart thing to do.
Don't wory I will be posting a review on him verry soon just as soon as everything gets settled down and I make sure my facts are strait.

Mike

Jeesh what a way to enter the prop collecting world. :lol
 
In my experiences, the only time we got a helmet that "warped" was when the hardener went bad and it didn't set at all....I've never seen a helmet that was properly cured to get warped by heat. I've heard lots of complaints about this item though. Halves not fitting together...when it's supposed to be finished...horrible to customers, and does not take criticism lightly. Just do what you gotta do to get your money back. If it was me, I would give a refund, or make a new one. It's the humane thing to do.
 
I received one of these kits (And that means it wasn't cut, wasn't painted, etc.. it is what it is... A KIT) and there was some small warping from heat, but nothing that wasn't easily fixed with a heat gun. The person who did this one for me (which is the same guy obviously since he is the only one that does these) said that it has sat in the sun after he moved, and that's where the warping occured, but I was fine with this since I got it at the low price I did.

The helmet is excellent in my opinion, but just like ANY kit, weather it be a gun, a prop, a figure, that is not finished, then you are going to have to put work into it to make it look like what you wanted.

I'm going to enjoy working on mine and making a nice display piece.

Berry
 
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