shdwtrpr13 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I got home today V day and found on my step a box and inside that box was a helmet kit from KS. After the child like excitement and dry fitting I started inspecting the 4 pieces of the kit. As I was looking over the visor well...take a look. IMAG0340 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0339 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0342 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0341 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0338 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0343 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0344 by shdowfire, on Flickr so what do you guys think...can it be worked with or should I contact them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TB5994 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 i'd give them a shout... those are some nasty pulls... ask for a better shroud, you cant work with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 just making sure I have all my base's covered here. the back curve of the helmet. IMAG0348 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0347 by shdowfire, on Flickr IMAG0345 by shdowfire, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chex Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Typical KS pull. Their molds just keep getting worse, and they seemingly refuse to clean them up. The last few KS buckets I've built have been pulls like that, so getting a replacement is likely to just be the same. You pretty much have to work with what you have. It can be made to look good. Just take it slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TB5994 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 it can be "ironed out" believe it or not... using a modeling iron, you can locally heat the area to rework to a degree the affected area... personally, send it back and buy a better quality lid, seeing as its where the most focus will be when your wearing it, its best to be the best you can afford... Rose parade, I wore FX armour and a GF lid... the complements I got were awesome, I had to point out to them I was wearing the same armour as them, they were convinced it was 100% GF... but they spent 95% of the time staring at my helmet (finar finar!) Mikes right... not very likely to get much better tbh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yeah, sadly...that's the KS way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 I guess I'll be contacting them tonight about the visor with the pictures and see what I can get them to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 By the way I never heard or GF before. Do you have contact info for them or their web page. Send me a PM if you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrewDiver Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 i just looked at my KS lid i got the day before yesterday, and noticed the same thing with mine albeit not as bad but it's still there, i don't think i will be purchasing from them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TB5994 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 GF or Follano is one of the original stormtrooper armour makers, long since put out of business by LFL... http://www.starwarshelmets.com/imperialfanGF.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Ah a shame. Well until SC is finished with tweekinh thirty bucket I'm stuck with the KS. I hoping I don't have any issues with them helping on the visor or I will have to inform them of their declinig favor with the TB builders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katsu Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 I got a particularly nasty KS pull myself. I am unfortunately of a XXXL sized hat, so the KS is probably the only one that fits me (I can't even use the welding rig inside it's such a tight fit). It definitely is a pain, and I've sort of paused working on cleaning it up while I get settled back into school. The low quality accessories, the lazy pulls, and the "meh" accuracy of the bucks bogs it down, a shame for sure. Does this mean you're ditching it for an SC helmet when available? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BenPass Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 I've got to say that this does not encourage me. I've got an order that I placed from KS back before Christmas, and it's supposed to ship out next week and I am majorly worried about the quality now. Good luck on getting that cleaned up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrewDiver Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 I've got to say that this does not encourage me. I've got an order that I placed from KS back before Christmas, and it's supposed to ship out next week and I am majorly worried about the quality now. Good luck on getting that cleaned up! keep on them about tracking information, i got an email stating "it will ship this week" well... four weeks later still no bucket, when i emailed em back asking about it (several days and emails later) i got tracking info, and it came the next day, all in all it's an ok helmet but one of the ears is a bad pull, i can salvage it but for what i paid and the wait it should be darn near perfect, i will never order from these clowns again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted February 18, 2013 Author Share Posted February 18, 2013 just emailed them after a weekend of checking with my garrison and the one a state over seeing if we had an ABS guru around. so I hope to get some feedback this week and I'll keep you guys up to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukscout Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Michael thanks for posting over the last year I'm getting very concerned about new and existing members on here purchasing and getting below-standard helmet kits from prop makers something has to to be done as it's not fair on the members who buy these kits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miqt Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Ive got one of those! Its partially assembled and literally in my spare plastic bin. Faceplate might make a neat wall hanging with some more work. Some people have built beautiful buckets with this kit. Not me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Just started trimming my KS tonight. I've got that same wobble in the lower back section of the visor where it meets the back part (pictures 3 and 4), and the bottom return edges are definitely not symmetrical. I am thinking about tracing it on some paper to make a template and trying to cut out another from sintra that I won't mind having to carve up. I don't think the face, back or dome has any major problems. I'm trying ABS scraps in acetone to make paste overnight and might try just filling in a little. I've had very bad luck trying to locally heat and shape ABS here. I always end up shrinking the part I'm working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Well until people start complaining, sending items back and demanding a better pull or their money back, this situation is just going to continue. If you think that it's not good enough, then the likelihood is that it isn't. It's a sad fact that the more people keep saying, oh, that's just how the KS is, you'll have to deal with it, the more it becomes acceptable and the more that people will be paying over the odds for something that is not fit for purpose. I don't know how much the KS bucket is, but I suspect it's over $100. And for something that you have to do a stack of remedial work to once you get it, isn't really acceptable in my eyes. So this is about an attitude change within the community. It's about not putting up with stuff that you think is sub-standard, and not telling others that they should put up with the things they think are sub-standard. Having seen the pictures, there is nothing more that can be said about it other than it is a bad pull. There isn't much wrong with the visor buck, but where it has ballooned over the edge of the shroud is where it hasn't pulled properly. It just hasn't vacc'ed down over that edge. The bit in the ear does seem to be a damaged buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topherhunter Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Crud, I just ordered my KS bucket (head size L, afraid that SC won't work for me). Now I'm scared!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'd complain to them, but i didn't place the original order. Also, it took something like 7 weeks to get it, so who knows when I'd get another. Just compared it to a KS that was received last October and the little wobble in the back left of the visor is there too. That means if I send it back, I'll get the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdwtrpr13 Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 well here's the update folks. I got the replacement piece back and it seems of lower quality then the first visor. I'm taking the whole kit to my garrison armor party this weekend to go over it with some greate armorsmiths. If it's deemed a loss I'm either going to send the whole kit back and tell them to refund me do to low quality or give me a better pull. Also I contacted SC tonight to inquire on their helmet dome. In a post last year after they redid their helmet they mention modifying the dome. I heads on the medium range so if the domes done I'll jump on that in heart beat. I just want to say I hate how this makes me feel. I don't make alot of money and when I pay for something that is supposed to be made good I expect to get something good. No spend alot of money on something that is not made with pride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fistful of Energon Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Damn, I just placed my order for a rough kit last night. As someone who is new to all of this I am a little more than worried after reading this thread. would I have better luck upgrading to a finished helmet? would more care and pride be taken if they were to assemble it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonewolf Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 So sorry to see we have to put up with this sub standard costuming, now if you were getting the stuff cheap because it is a poor pull it is almost understandable. This particular helmet [in the pics] can be improved a lot, but it is a fair bit of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonewolf Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Here are some pics that may help, my KS, after a lot of work, Seam filled, primered Visor straightened, granted it was not as bad as your version, Beside an early version of my lid[centre] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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