THE GALACTIC SENATE

Plo, Kalkamel,

with reference to these photos:





Did you leave the inside of the faceplate/dome in the raw fiberglass state (with all that "webbing texture") or did you also sand and painted those areas?

I know Kal installed padding on the inside of the facemask, but I'm not sure if he painted it before that.

Kal is currently out of town, so I better let him clarify when he gets back.

Thanks for the info, Plo.

I'm slowly working on a new costume involving a helmeted character. A prop maker has offered a fiberglass helmet but he did caution me about the 'smell'. I put on Don's Biker Scout fiberglass helmet before for the fun of it and I also noticed this putrid smell. Do you know of any way to 'detoxify' the fiberglass smell?

renzaijh wrote:Do you know of any way to 'detoxify' the fiberglass smell?

There's nothing like leaving it in a well ventilated area and let the smell dissipate naturally over a few years...

In the meantime you can try applying a sealant over the areas with exposed fibreglass. Be sure to choose a non-toxic sealant that do not exude irritating odor. Another way is to seal it with automotive body filler, and then paint over it after its been sanded and primed.

Yes, the de-tox treatment is a must. I tried on Don's Biker Scout helmet and it was fiberglass...Boy, does it smell.

Wow! Stickied! This is my first!

Anyway, the putrid fiberglass smell can be a bit overwhelming... when I first got my Red guard helmet for example, I thought someone had pissed into it previously. In the case of this Vader lid, what I did was once the painting was completed, I fixed my electricals (two fans) on the inside and covered the wires as well as the entire inside of the helmet with foam padding, the type you can get at any haberdashery. I was fortunate to find the black colored variety instead of the typical beige one so it suited the Vader lid. Its very comfortable and to be honest, I can't smell the fiberglass at all. I'll take some pics tonight and post them.

On my Red Guard helmet, I didn't pad the inside as it was already claustrophobic as it it, adding padding would make it even worse. So what I did was wash the insides with scrubbing brush (the gentle variety, not the steel wool!) and a pleasant smelling soap. After a few wash, the smell is not as bad. But make sure you wash with hot water (but not boiling), they tend to get rid of the smell better.

Oh, and to answer the earlier question, I'm about 450 km north of the Causeway ... in KL.

Hahaha. So much for me thinking you were in Singapore.

the 2 part epoxy is the usual A+B epoxy brand ? Any specific brand recommended? (pm if its not convienient to post here)

and the clearcoat? what was used? nice shine it had.

The brand's 'Pioneer', its an All Purpose Structural Epoxy. One part is reddish and the other is light grey. I'll take a pic and post here when I'm free.

The clearcoat was applied by a professional auto spray shop.

Clap ! Clap ! Applause !
You are talented!
Great works done here!