Hello Spec Ops Community,
So, it's been a few weeks since I've obtained a set of fiberglass DT Armor and I think I've bitten off just a tad more than I can chew alone and without the proper guidance. Before I post the questions, I would like to state that I have next to no experience doing anything armor related, save for maybe some dry brushing/weathering--I'm pretty good at that--but everything else is extremely new to me. That being said, before I go out and purchase half a dozen new tools for the work I need to do, I'd like to go into this comfortably and knowing what to expect and do without making too many mistakes (and hopefully no major ones).
Also, I would like to state that while most of these questions are about heat guns and trimming/mending, a few are about painting and audio as well; but the majority in the list are about the subject matter. I hope that's not too much of an issue--just wanted to post the entire list in the hopes that maybe a few people see it and can offer even a little bit of advice, tips, guides, anything at all to help me out.
That being put out there, here are the questions I have about my armor:
1.) The biceps, shins and hand guards all need to be warped/expanded in order to properly fit me. Since I'm working with fiberglass, I was told a heat gun would be the best way to fix these and have them fitted to size. What kind of heat gun, gloves and tools would you recommend for that process?
2.) A lot of the armor casts have to be trimmed or sealed (imperfections on the edges, excess molding on the edges, etc.). I read that a dremel bit tool with 80 grit sandpaper would likely be the best way to trim any excess/thicker bits without damaging the armor. For filling, I heard Bondo is best--and I do have some, but I'm not great at using it. Any tips for Bondo sealing and molding would be appreciated too.
3.) Every time I spray, I keep getting imperfections in the paint job. I washed the armor several times to clear any fiberglass residue, I sprayed in ideal temperature/humidity conditions, but I keep getting these "tacky" looking paint jobs and I'm wondering why and how I can get them to look polished and clean like so many other armors. About the only pieces I'm happy with (save the helmet) are the shoulder bells.
4.) There are a few pieces that will need to be glued (thermal detonator, wrist rockets (which I'm considering repainting to be a bit more metallic in appearance). I have Loctite Vinyl and Plastic sealer--but I have to be honest, I'm a bit leery of using that on heavier stuff, because the scope on my SE-14r blaster didn't hold up with it for very long, despite waiting 72 hours to handle it. I also have E6000, but I've had some bad experiences with that too. Any other recommendations or should I just use Velcro?
5.) Speaking of Velcro; what would you recommend for adhering Velcro onto certain pieces without worrying about the sticky backing falling off?
6.) I'm also looking for a way to make my helmet's audio be heard more clearly from outside of the helmet. You can hear it if you're right next to me, but in a crowded room or area, it'd be nearly impossible/very difficult if you were any farther away than say 3 feet or so.
Any help that any of you who have built DT's or have even worked with fiberglass before can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I'll check back in soon!
Hello Spec Ops Community, So, it's been a few weeks since I've obtained a set of fiberglass DT Armor and I think I've bitten off just a tad more than I can chew alone and without the proper guidance. Before I post the questions, I would like to state that I have next to no experience doing anything armor related, save for maybe some dry brushing/weathering--I'm pretty good at that--but everything else is extremely new to me. That being said, before I go out and purchase half a dozen new tools for the work I need to do, I'd like to go into this comfortably and knowing what to expect and do without making too many mistakes (and hopefully no major ones). Also, I would like to state that while most of these questions are about heat guns and trimming/mending, a few are about painting and audio as well; but the majority in the list are about the subject matter. I hope that's not too much of an issue--just wanted to post the entire list in the hopes that maybe a few people see it and can offer even a little bit of advice, tips, guides, anything at all to help me out. That being put out there, here are the questions I have about my armor: 1.) The biceps, shins and hand guards all need to be warped/expanded in order to properly fit me. Since I'm working with fiberglass, I was told a heat gun would be the best way to fix these and have them fitted to size. What kind of heat gun, gloves and tools would you recommend for that process? 2.) A lot of the armor casts have to be trimmed or sealed (imperfections on the edges, excess molding on the edges, etc.). I read that a dremel bit tool with 80 grit sandpaper would likely be the best way to trim any excess/thicker bits without damaging the armor. For filling, I heard Bondo is best--and I do have some, but I'm not great at using it. Any tips for Bondo sealing and molding would be appreciated too. 3.) Every time I spray, I keep getting imperfections in the paint job. I washed the armor several times to clear any fiberglass residue, I sprayed in ideal temperature/humidity conditions, but I keep getting these "tacky" looking paint jobs and I'm wondering why and how I can get them to look polished and clean like so many other armors. About the only pieces I'm happy with (save the helmet) are the shoulder bells. 4.) There are a few pieces that will need to be glued (thermal detonator, wrist rockets (which I'm considering repainting to be a bit more metallic in appearance). I have Loctite Vinyl and Plastic sealer--but I have to be honest, I'm a bit leery of using that on heavier stuff, because the scope on my SE-14r blaster didn't hold up with it for very long, despite waiting 72 hours to handle it. I also have E6000, but I've had some bad experiences with that too. Any other recommendations or should I just use Velcro? 5.) Speaking of Velcro; what would you recommend for adhering Velcro onto certain pieces without worrying about the sticky backing falling off? 6.) I'm also looking for a way to make my helmet's audio be heard more clearly from outside of the helmet. You can hear it if you're right next to me, but in a crowded room or area, it'd be nearly impossible/very difficult if you were any farther away than say 3 feet or so. Any help that any of you who have built DT's or have even worked with fiberglass before can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I'll check back in soon!