Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club
Mandalorian Armor => Equipment & Accessories => Jetpacks/Backpacks => Topic started by: VikingWagen on Aug 08, 2010, 10:06 PM
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So I am making a backpack and I have found this perfect piece of Styrofoam but the real question is what can I do to coat the material to prevent the spray paint from eating through it? Anyone?
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Thin down some elmers glue with water and use a brush to coat it.
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Use it as a base template but dont use it for the build. Make it out of cardboard and fiberglass it.
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its a really thick vacuum form foam for packing, any thought on fiber glassing that? or do you think it'll melt through it as it heats up?
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Nosaj is using it for a shield for his son. I've seen it use on verps and the like. Make sure the glue seals well and you sand well too.
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Heres the shield W.I.P. Ijaat mentioned...
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=28500.0
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its not exactly the pink foam or craft foam, its like the foam that holds a product in a box to keep it from rattling around mebbe I should take pics? :D
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Speaking chemically, they are virtually the same once impregnated with elmers and fiberglassed. Pink foam is just a little tighter packed in the 'cells' of foam, is all. Give it some extra love with the seal and fiberglass treatments and your fine, or you could try to template and recreate in pink foam or cardboard.
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sweet! thanks guys I am going to try this out this week I'll post up some WIP
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Just remember when sealing the foam you're going to want to do several layers of the Elmers before the fiberglassing. If you have one small spot that the fiberglass can seep through it'll melt the entire piece. Wish ya luck and I look forward to seeing your W.I.P. ;D
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Yes, VERY important about the elmers glue! ;D
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The Fiberglass resin alone will eat and melt that styrofoam quick, fast, and in a hurry, and could even pose a fire hazard. Resin gets very Hot when it is curing, that is why you should only mix it in paper or metal containers.
I would suggest not using styrafoam at all. as A'den suggested, you can use it as a template for cardboard, or plastic. At the end of the day, Styrafoam will just end up looking like styrafoam (IE- cheap)
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Spanner.... I've worked with styrofoam and pink board for years doign 40k terrain. The elmers glue seals it against the fiberglass reacting and melting it and causing any hazards. And once it's covered in fiberglass and sanded, bondo'd, and painted, if it's done right with the proper attention, it won't look any different or worse than anyone who builds something out of carboard and fiberglasses it, or hammers flat sheets of metal or anything.
Styrofoam props tend to look cheap and like crap because, quite frankly, the largest amount of people who use them are looking for a quick way out, and a cheap way out, and don't bother to put in the proper effort and work.
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Honestly why not put a layer or two of paper mache or Water Activated Paper Packing Tape then fiberglass? maybe try out the Aqua resin to see if it will work as well..
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Strength.. Paper mache will fall out. Aqua resin, as far as I remember, it still an exothermic reaction, and thus will melt. Water activated packing tape could work, but like Nosaj said... You get one gap (easy to do with tape) or soak through (in the case of the tape) and it's all shabs up.
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If you are going to glass it anyways... why not just make it hollow? at least then it will be lighter, and you can put a camelback in it. glass a shell, build some light aluminum braces... badda bing.
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If you get the resin set you can cut most of the styrofoam out of it, or if you have a good strong wind, melt the foam out. Much like lost-wax casting.
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If you get the resin set you can cut most of the styrofoam out of it, or if you have a good strong wind, melt the foam out. Much like lost-wax casting.
great Idea, Ori.
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sweet I can't wait to test some of these ideas out I'll post updates when I begin this week, it makes me pretty happy that when I ask a simple question I can get alot of different examples and ideas to try, much appreciated fellow mandos! ;D
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No worries thats what we're here for. ;D However check out my thread tomorrow evening for a surprising result that will help you further.
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So I had a breakthrough on the back pack, Kilz sealer is awesome, just a couple of layers seals the foam and allows spray paint with "No Disintegrations" also my brother informed me of a product called Foam lock or Foamlock not sure of spelling that is specificaly meant for hobby styrofoam coating to seal it and allow painting....I know the Kilz works after some preliminary testing, WIP soon! ;D
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here is the pics after applying 2 layers of Kilz sealer with some cheap brushes, here are also some components I'm going to be adding
electronics
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0511.jpg)
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0512.jpg)
tubing
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0513.jpg)
innercasing
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0514.jpg)
real fancy doodads
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0515.jpg)
texturing
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0518.jpg)
after doodad addition and 2 layers of kilz
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0524.jpg)
baselayer, notice the absence of pitting of the foam, mission of accomplished!
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0526.jpg)
initial weathering
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/johnnycxxx/IMG_0528.jpg)
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Lights!!!!!! I like lights!!!
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hehe I don't think its going to be together by dragon con 8( but pretty soon I am a big fan of lights!