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DK5IDE's RS Helmet Build WIP


DK5IDE

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Yep. I've spent way more time getting alignment right and trimming the visor than I thought. I'm still shaving off more on visor top. Like you said, it's scraping on the sides. I'm going to try sanding down the little "nub" that acts as a backstop on the right side as well. Thats where the plastic catches, bends, then POP. The pop is only happening on that side for some reason. Dunno about that 8th vent - isn't 7 lucky? Back to sanding...

 

hahaha ... finally get to see someone with the same issues :)

 

i drill the holes off center too -- the premade marks are no good!

 

your top view looked like mine until i realized opening the visor full up nicks the paint .. if you look closely at the sa one you posted .. from bolt to where it starts to curve with the helmet is straight for a few inches ... i went this route instead of having a nice tight gap around the visor/helmet

 

 

POP!!

yeah i got that too on my first helmet ... the other 3 builds there is no pop ... my pop is on the right side and not sure where or why its there ?!?!?!?

 

 

now ... add the 8th vent ;):)

 

:bikerscout:

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  • 1 month later...

I used a belt sander to separate the front of the snout from the backing plate. I then filed and sanded down the extra plastic flange that built up where the left side of the aerator and top part meet.

 

IMG_5281%20copy-L.jpg

 

 

I then glued the cleaned-up part onto my homemade backing plate. I wanted to make my own so that it would be more uniform in depth. Not sure if screen accurate that way...

 

IMG_5286-L.jpg

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that extra material has been on all the snouts i have gotten from them. they have to know they have a hole in their mold ... and i wonder if this is something they dealt with on their signature kits ?

 

the backplate has been pretty rough on my last 2 kits ... i had to sand them down alot to get them to sit correctly. i didnt remove the backplate like you did but, i understand why you did. and the backplate sits in the recessed area of the snout so, as long as you didnt make it to thick then you should be fine.

 

this is what i dealt with on my last kit :(

fins broke and their mold broke off in the fins ... had to get a replacement snout greeblie from them

LeKvGwg.jpg

 

 

nice to see you progressing along and paying attention to those small details ...

 

looking good and as always keep us posted :)

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that extra material has been on all the snouts i have gotten from them. they have to know they have a hole in their mold ... and i wonder if this is something they dealt with on their signature kits ?

 

the backplate has been pretty rough on my last 2 kits ... i had to sand them down alot to get them to sit correctly. i didnt remove the backplate like you did but, i understand why you did. and the backplate sits in the recessed area of the snout so, as long as you didnt make it to thick then you should be fine.

 

this is what i dealt with on my last kit :(

fins broke and their mold broke off in the fins ... had to get a replacement snout greeblie from them

LeKvGwg.jpg

 

 

nice to see you progressing along and paying attention to those small details ...

 

looking good and as always keep us posted :)

 

Thanks, man. Getting back at it after a break during the holidays. Did a test fit with backing plate and may have to shave off some depth to get it to sit in their snugly. Sorry to hear about those fins. They are razor thin.

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  • 1 month later...

On to paint. I used Vallejo Model Air Light Gray for base plate and Tamiya Semi Gloss Black for the aerator. I found the Light Gray to be closer to the LFL reference pix, though the gray in photos does range a bit depending on lighting.

 

IMG_4672-L.jpg

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Priming and sanding took a couple of rounds. What looks seamless with bare ABS shows every little divot once primer lays down. I put down Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (gray), then sanded areas around the seams where the helmet halves joined. There were a lot more prime/sand cycles than I expected. I took down any spots with 400 grit, then wet sanded with 800. Didn't quite get every bump and nick out, but came pretty close. I did find some LFL referenced that showed the seam appearing though the paint, so I guess screen accurate. -_-

 

IMG_4591-L.jpg

 

]IMG_4594-L.jpg

 

IMG_4595-L.jpg

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your getting closer to the end and its looking really nice!

 

you mentioned the light grey for the snout ...

ive looked at several pictures of the snout too ... and im not sure its just lighting that makes some look darker than others.

i tend to believe different shades of gray where used.

 

and as far as the divets.bumps/nicks/scratches/pinholes ect. ...

look for a high build primer in gray at an auto parts store, itll fill in all those imperfections.

 

 

the seam is ok, my cracked seam has grown on me ... like you said, screen accurate :duim:

but, i see your frown so, maybe try the high build primer ;)

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Thanks for the tip. I've already painted this one, so will try the high build primer on my second bucket. Building two at a time.

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I painted the bucket with Tamiya (gloss) White enamel. With the soggy weather, took about 2 weeks on and off. Tack cloth solved the initial dusty bucket issues. I also found that using the air nozzle on my compressor to blow off dust helped as well. I did try to polish the paint after it dried with Novus 2/3, but saw little effect. Here's the faceplate with a super dark lens installed. It's going into a friend's display cabinet so I don't need to worry about seeing trees out of it.

 

IMG_4741-L.jpg

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Just lovely work, I love the attention to detail, Its really paying off.

 

Making your own backing piece for the snout was exactly how I did mine on my fibreglass scout that I modded a few years ago and it was a nice touch :)

 

I'll definitely be using your tips for overcoming the little problems on my RS build.

Could you tell me what the model of iron is that you have there?

I can't find anything that substantial online and a make would help.

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Just lovely work, I love the attention to detail, Its really paying off.

 

Making your own backing piece for the snout was exactly how I did mine on my fibreglass scout that I modded a few years ago and it was a nice touch :)

 

I'll definitely be using your tips for overcoming the little problems on my RS build.

Could you tell me what the model of iron is that you have there?

I can't find anything that substantial online and a make would help.

 

Thanks, spacebob. The model is a Coverite "21st Century" Sealing Iron. Ordered it on Amazon. I used it for a TK suit as well. It's served me well. Good luck with your build!

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I ordered a 3M headband off Amazon. It looks pretty close to the original. Listed like this on Amazon:

3M Speedglas Welding Helmet Headband and Mounting Hardware, Welding Safety 04-0650-00/37140(AAD)

 

 

IMG_4721-L.jpg

 

 

I set it inside the bucket and eyeballed where to cut and drill the hole to allow it to be riveted to the sides. Similar cut is used for the other side. When trimmed, it looks like this:

 

IMG_4736-XL.jpg

 

 

I used a white-headed rivet to save the paint. Here's the position before riveting in.

 

IMG_4722-L.jpg

 

 

Interior shot, riveted in place. I saw LFL references on this technique but never saw a clear shot of how it aligns inside, so hope this helps.

 

IMG_4791-L.jpg

 

 

 

Final install.

 

IMG_4792-XL.jpg

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Last looks. All markings are water slide decals except the vent lines on back of helmet. Those are similar to a vinyl sticker.

 

IMG_4811-XL.jpg

 

IMG_4812-XL.jpg

 

IMG_4814-XL.jpg

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Beautiful :) I think you have the glossiness just right.

are the decals easy to do? I used to have trouble with them as a kid and even screwed one up on my bandai shoretrooper kit recently, I noticed they give you two sets.

 

I ordered an iron too thanks, they are available in the UK

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Beautiful :) I think you have the glossiness just right.

are the decals easy to do? I used to have trouble with them as a kid and even screwed one up on my bandai shoretrooper kit recently, I noticed they give you two sets.

 

I ordered an iron too thanks, they are available in the UK

 

Thanks, spacebob

 

I hadn't done decals in 30 years, but Googled a couple of vids. I cut each marking out individually, soaked each in water for about 20 seconds or so, then they easily slide off onto wherever you need to apply. I wet down the contact point on the helmet first, but that's probably not necessary. Once down, you have a couple of minutes to reposition as needed, work out any bubbles, then blot away the water. Easy enough.

 

For the vertical vent lines on the back of helmet, I removed the opaque backing, positioned them, and only burnished the topmost areas of the lines. Then I removed the top clear layer and burnished the lines individually so that they stayed even.

 

Good luck with the ironing!

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Thanks Ron, I'm in overdrive getting as much advice as I can, I'm not going to rush this as I'm enjoying it to much.

 

Also I've been doing some research into the differences/variances in the measurements to the pencil cutlines.

Would you mind measuring your helmet if I post some pics showing the way I've settled on to make it simple for newbies like me.

 

I could post pics on your thread or start another?

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Thanks Ron, I'm in overdrive getting as much advice as I can, I'm not going to rush this as I'm enjoying it to much.

 

Also I've been doing some research into the differences/variances in the measurements to the pencil cutlines.

Would you mind measuring your helmet if I post some pics showing the way I've settled on to make it simple for newbies like me.

 

I could post pics on your thread or start another?

 

Sure thing, post here and I will send measurements. Considering all the amazing stuff you've built in the past, dunno if you qualify as a newbie. ;-)

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Fantastic, here we go...

 

webmp69.jpg

 

Could I have measurements from these points to their corresponding points on the other side,

 

webwb276.jpg

 

And these points to their corresponding points on the other side also.

(I know I forgot about C nevermind)

 

Then I can just halve the numbers and use to check pencil marks smile.png

(This is my fiberglass inaccurate scout I've had for years just for demonstration purposes.)

 

Thanks Ron, these will be a big help.

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Fantastic, here we go...

 

Could I have measurements from these points to their corresponding points on the other side,

And these points to their corresponding points on the other side also.

(I know I forgot about C nevermind)

 

Then I can just halve the numbers and use to check pencil marks smile.png

(This is my fiberglass inaccurate scout I've had for years just for demonstration purposes.)

 

Thanks Ron, these will be a big help.

 

spacebob, sorry for the delay. Needed to buy a proper tape measure to get around those curves.

 

Here are my numbers:

 

A 31.8 cm

B 30.5 cm

D 38.6 cm

E 22.9 cm

 

Hope it helps and good luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

On my second build, I used 762s' magnet closure tutorial to bring the visor into close alignment with the bucket. You can find his tutorial here: http://forum.bikersc...l=&fromsearch=1

 

This method is great for bringing the two halves closed and keeping them that way while trooping.

 

Here's what my magnet placement looked like before priming and painting. Note that the magnets go on both sides.

 

IMG_5131-XL.jpg

 

IMG_5133-XL.jpg

 

 

The halves line up much more closely now:

 

Helmets%20Closed-XL.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been working on my RS build for a while now. I guess my trouble is the inside connecting strips. How do you get them to line up so flush with the curves and get them seated so close together? I'm worried about hiding the Bondo that's comes through from the outside.

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I've been working on my RS build for a while now. I guess my trouble is the inside connecting strips. How do you get them to line up so flush with the curves and get them seated so close together? I'm worried about hiding the Bondo that's comes through from the outside.

 

Hey Jimmyc,

 

For the connecting strips, I took some of the spare ABS in the RS kit and just hand shaped them, rather than using a heat gun. I worked out the shape a bit, set it in place, then adjusted again by hand if needed. After shaping each piece, I set them in without gluing and marked the positions in pencil, numbering each so I remembered what order they went in. I glued them in place with E600 and kept them in place with several Neodynium magnets. I had to tape some magnets in place to prevent them attracting laterally to each other. I invested in many more magnets of the larger1/2 size so the pull was greater. That pull strength makes the seams come close together and prevents the Bondo from creeping in. Any that does make it through is easy enough to take off. Hope that helps and good luck on your RS!

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  • 1 month later...

Second helmet complete! Used Krylon Fusion per 762s' recommendation. This paint doesn't go down as easy as the Tamiya white, but I think the overall color and shine is better match for SC armor.

 

 

IMG_6663-L.jpg

 

IMG_6665-L.jpg

 

 

IMG_6668-L.jpg

 

IMG_6669-L.jpg

 

IMG_6670-L.jpg

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