Okay, I did a search and no one has ever brought this up so I figured I’d just ask. I built my most recent proton pack out of styrene.
I was thinking of fiberglassing the inside of the proton pack shell to give it that little extra strength. I have a very basic understanding of doing fiberglass (as in I’ve read a few tutorials but never did it myself); and the thing that I’m curious about is since its going to be on the inside of the shell, can I just do the layer of either just the resin or just the fiberglass mat or do I have to do the whole shebang? I know this is probably a stupid question but I figured I’d ask the experts of this prop making community for a little help (can’t hurt to ask)!
You can also use fibeglass tape, the kind of self sticking tape used for sheetrock. It comes in a roll and is self sticking, cut pieces to length, stick them in place and cover them with resin.
So you are saying, I’d line the inside of my pack with this fiberglass tap, then hit it with Sheetrock Durabond Setting-Type compound and it will harden up and give me a little more piece of mind? Is the setting-type compound I mentioned what you mean by resin? I’m just double checking.
I think irricanian is suggesting that you use the fiberglass tape, and then hit it with fiberglass resin. That durabond compound seems to be just a filler type compound and will only provide smooth, easy applied finish. It will not from what I can gather, strenghten the fiberglass tape. It is like bondo, or other filler, just on powder form.
When fiberglassing, remember to use a breath mask (not the usual paper type, but a better one), and work on well ventilated area, otherwise you are inhaling the resin fumes, which are VERY harmful. The fiberglass resins are usually on the same place where you would buy the fiberglass mat. Do remember to grab some rubber gloves too, as you DO NOT want to get your fingers sticky with the resin.
Resins them self are usually two part, one resin, and one hardener. The exact mixing ratios vary, so you should read the instructions fully. Resins cure faster when exposed to heat, so be sure to take this into account when you are beginning your work. Also, DO NOT mix all of your resin in one go, you will get a VERY nasty surprise. The resin creates heat when it cures, and more heat, the more aggressively it cures, more heat it creates. This will end up in a disaster, if you work inside.
I usually use normal fiberglass mat, cut it to palm sized pieces, (using gloves, the fiberglass dust is nasty and harmful too), then I mix a small amount of resin, and use old or cheap paintbrushes to spread the resin on the fiberglass. You can also dip the glass mat into the resin, but you then will need to make a larger dose of the resin, and if you must stop your work, the resin is lost. The fiberglass mat takes a while to melt a little, so at first you might think that it will not follow the inner contours of your pack. Do not worry, in a minute, the mat is more pliable.
I don’t know about the fiber glass tape, but I think you should apply some resin into the inside of your pack, then slap the fiberglass patch into the resin, and apply more resin on top of it. Overlap the fiberglass patches when you work, so they will support each other. In a few moments, you have covered your entire pack. Just remember to mix a little amount of the resin, and take your time.
You might want to try the fiberglassing on something else, like some old box or something to get the feel of the work, if you have not done it previously. Not only will it let you know how the fiberglass works, but there is less chance of you somehow ruining your outstanding pack.
Hope this helps a little.
Cheers, and do remember to use gloves and breath mask when fiber glassing.
You bring up a good point I did not think about. I understand that the resin heats up as it cures. Does anyone think this could be bad for my pack, since it’s made out of styrene? Styrene becomes pliable when heated and I don’t feel like melting my pack. As for the rubber gloves and mask, they were on my list of stuff to pick up for this little project once I get the details squared out.
Good idea. Still, it should not be much of a problem if you do thin layers with resin and fiberglass. The chain reaction begins when you mix up a quarter gallon or more resin in one go. I do not remember that the resin heated all too much when I have done fiber glassing, I did some hills and other scenery for tabletop games with fiberglass, and used styrofoam to make the basic form of the hill. When I laid the fiberglass and resin, I first covered the styrofoam with aluminum foil, and the resin did not melt the styrofoam when it cured. But, as you have finished protonpack, I would test it on a spare sheet of styrene before trying it on the real deal. You can also try to do the work when it is a bit cooler, if possible. That way you have a bit more time to lay out the fiber glass and resin. Still, you need to check the instructions on the resin, it may not work in too low temperatures.
I do not think that you’ll have any trouble with overheating and ruining your pack, but I’d still try the fiberglass on some styrene box. You’ll get the feeling for the fiberglass, and see the results before you try it on the real pack.
The tape i suggested is self sticking so you can place it exactly where you need it first, once you’re happy with that (and you can overlap and overlay it) then you can brush on a thin layer of resin and you should not have heat issues with small thin layers BUT you might want to do a test piece first, even a piece that has been painted on the back side just to make sure your paint does not come off due to ANY heat generated from the resin reaction.
the other reason I suggested the tape is you can put it on before applying resin so you know it will end up where you put it and you can work much faster (resin cure times vary due to time, temp. humidity etc) I’ve had whole batches gel up before I could get them applied due to mat sticking to gloves and everything else.
Good luck, oh and no DURABOND…unless your drywalling your workshop at the same time :lol:
Nope, no need to do any drywalling in my workshop. I just figured I’d double check what you mean since I’m not completely familiar with fiberglass.
But I do like your idea Irricanian. I think I will probably do this since this will be my first time doing this and it doesn’t need to be pretty, just functional.
I re-enforced a sintra fett pack with fiberglass and it worked out well. just be sure to use thin layers and sand the inside so the resin has something to stick to.
on a side note, I would recommend cloth instead of mat. mat is thicker and can be pulled apart by hand, which makes a big mess when your trying to rub it into place. I buy the cloth, cut it diagonally so it dosen’t fray, and use that to make my fiber glass shells. I’ve also used this technique to reinforce balsa master molds.
This is what I did this morning. I lined it with the fiberglass tape last night. I was mostly doing this to reinforce the top of the pack, because of the weight of the gun, I was starting to get stress cracks after taking it to events. That’s why most of the work is up top and in the center of the cosmetic plates. It was also a pain in the ass because I had to cut grooves into the supporting walls of the shell so I could interconnect the boxes and still have it sit right on the motherboard.
