Why fiberglass cloth?

Indeed.

You can make it solid out of casting resin.

Another good technique is car body filler over chicken wire.

Papier mache works as well. (newspaper or brown parcel paper soaked in wallpaper paste and applied over a frame)

Without knowing exactly what you are doing and what strength is needed, its hard to recommend ..

To tell the truth, I'm making a pair of gauntlets for a display mannequin. I've already sculpted the master, and made a negative cast in plaster.

The Natural Philos>

Sig makes a material called Ceconite that can be molded. It's used in models for cowlings, fairings, etc. However, papier mache would be the cheap way to go.

Morris

Why _not_ fiberglass cloth, and what do you mean by that phrase?

Do you mean woven cloth which is extremely difficult to laminate over tight compound curves, and is nearly impossible to finish so the woven pattern doesn't show? If so then you may want to consider mat, which uses the same glass fibers as the cloth but orients them randomly so they'll conform to a curve better. This random orientation also doesn't make a strong pattern that'll show through your paint at any temperature other than the one at which you finished your model.

If you just want to get away from the itchiness of glass then go with the other suggestions on this group, or start wearing all cotton clothing.

Playdough is my favorite medium for building everything! :D

There is the Taylor Paper Glass method. You don't have to us fiberglass if it isn't a structural part that'll have a lot of stress. Any kind of matrix cloth that can soak up polyester or epoxy resin ca exhibit various properties of strength in tension and torsion; muc less so compression (which is why it is often bonded to something, thu composite).

For what you're wanting to do, I'm not certain you even need that. might be tempted just to use poster board and cover it with some chea polyester cloth (dressmaker's lining) and then coat it with polyeste resin (cheaper and easier to work with EXCEPT MEK - take the warning)

-- dapple6

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That's a great idea. I'm thinking of foregoing the negative cast bit and just adding materials in the order

thin polyester resin layer over a cardboard master strips of cotton cloth and polyester resin final coat with polyester resin automotive putty

and sanding everything to get rid of the cloth weave pattern.

I don't think I would have told that.

Cruisemon

Looks like Celastic is a good choice and is still available from theatre supply shops. Sig used to sell it but no more. Check this link