How to kill boredom when you are not building observatories.

[ourkind (Carlos)]

Looking good!

[bloodhound31]

Ta mate.

Primer sanded back to reveal low spots. Ready for final (hopefully) coat of body filler to complete shaping and smoothing.

[bloodhound31]

Yeah I know, they are all starting to look the same. This is hopefully the third and final layer of body-filler, curing overnight and ready for final sanding tomorrow. Then the detailing starts and it really starts to look the part!

Sorry, this is a bit of a blurry one. Stuck with only a crappy phone-camera today. I was in a hurry....sue me.

[Tandum (Robin)]

baz, do you have a job?

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by Tandum

baz, do you have a job?

Full time tree surgeon mate.

[bloodhound31]

Home from work - Too wet to build the observatory. To light to go inside the house. (Wasted daylight) Started fine-sanding and trimming edges etc. Now back to wedding-photo processing!! Busy life!

[bloodhound31]

Third sanding and some detailing. Made the cut lines to separate the face-plate. Coated with etch primer to reveal rough spots for fill and finishing.

[bloodhound31]

More sanding, more filling, a little more detailing. Built up the bottom lip a bit. Cut in a couple of join-lines. Primed again - it helps locate rough patches.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Starting to look real smooth now. Pretty cool!

[omegacrux (David)]

Back from my sabbatical of book reading and documentarys
Looking good

David

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by omegacrux

Looking good

David

Thanks David.

1.Building up the bottom lip and correcting some distortion caused by excessive sanding on one side of the chin. Starting to shape the crown recess and tidying the eye edges.

2. Added a little too much hardener to the mix, causing it to go off VERY quickly! Goes lumpy and gets very hard to work, spread and smooth. Will go over it with a thinner mix after it cures.

3. Looking more symmetrical. Time to sand it again.

[bloodhound31]

1. Shaping the chin and bottom lip. Cutting in seams.

2. Chin starting to shape up and look more tough, rigid and tech.

3. Ready for yet another sand.

4. Lookin cool.

[bloodhound31]

1. Seperated the face-plate and gave it a trim and tidy on the edges and inside. First spray of chrome to get a bit of an idea. More sanding on the outside to be done, with each coat getting smoother.

2. Faceplate back on. Contrast shot.

[Varangian (John)]

When you're finished bury it in your backyard in order to spin out archaeologists in 2000 years.

I really like it, you should build the whole suit and try to power it

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by Varangian

When you're finished bury it in your backyard in order to spin out archaeologists in 2000 years.

I really like it, you should build the whole suit and try to power it

Sounds like fun mate.

Still some work to go, but starting to look the goods.

[bloodhound31]

Faceplate in the raised position.

[bloodhound31]

1. Found a nice fine woven fibreglass cloth in Bunnings for $17. Much better than the chopped-strand mat.

2. Comparison between chopped strand fibreglass mat and woven fibreglass cloth.

3. The finer cloth is easier to lay and cut to shape and size.

4. Resin applied to fibreglass cloth on the inside of the faceplate. Edges will be trimmed after curing overnight.

5. Fibreglass cloth and resin applied to layer the inside of the helmet. Edges will be trimmed after it has cured overnight.

[omegacrux (David)]

That will firm it up nicely
Good job

David

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by omegacrux

That will firm it up nicely
Good job

David

Yep, it's mega strong now.

1. Reinforcing the inside with fibreglass cloth and resin.

2. Before I trim the cured fibreglass edges off, a little filler to finish off shaping the helmet recess.

3. Got a curve on the cheek I'm not happy with. It's a little too smooth and round, so I've built it up a little to reshape it to be more angular and with a sharper corner.

4. Faceplate has had it's last application of bog. Very fine except on the cheek corners and a small flat spot on the top left forehead.

5. Scruffy lookin' Tony Stark.

[bloodhound31]

1. The weakest part of the helmet is the recess at the top-centre that centres the faceplate. I've already cracked it twice while sanding it. Solution - a piece of scrap brass plate.

2. Bent the brass plate to conform with the helmet contours.

3. laying fibreglass mat over the brass plate.

4 & 5. Fibreglass mat over brass plate resined and curing.

6. Shinier and shinier!

7. Faceplate off.

8. Faceplate on.