greenyone Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 10 minutes ago, rawktrooper said: Looks good! I might have to find one of those for my own I still have the included lens in mine. When you get to the hinge part let me know. I can send you some photos how I modified my MC bucket for a 2-stop opening. It works really well and you can't tell its any different from a distance. The Hobart lens is cheap and from an optical standpoint is 1000% better than the MC included lens. I can't recommend it enough. As far as the visor opening goes, I've played around with it and I don't really care for how I'd have to space the face/visor out from the bucket to gain the necessary clearance for it to open cleanly. My noggin fits in there with it closed so I think I'll just keep the mating lines tight for aesthetics and forego the wide opening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 4, 2019 Author Share Posted April 4, 2019 As I work through this helmet build I'm left wondering where the idea for a white plastic chin cup come from? Seems most helmet kits come with them but I can't seem to find any movie still images of a TB with this displayed. Best shot I've seen is this one, but I can't see an indication of a strap let alone a chin cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 This is an old one ...like the mandarin collar and the neck seal issues . ( both highlighted today ) there are no visible chin cups in the movie, but every helmet in the archive has one . out in the wild, troopers wearing chin cups always seem visible . heres my opinion ... in the past troopers have worn fan sculpted helmets and chin cups...resulting in the chin cups being visible . Wearing a screen lineage helmet gives different results . The chin cup isn't visible when wearing a screen accurate helmet with a welding helmet liner . The elastic strap,is visible in a couple of screen caps I believe , and I'm confident the chin cup was worn on screen . Just that it can't be seen unless the head is tilted up ... that didn't happen in the movie. Just my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 4, 2019 Author Share Posted April 4, 2019 In a previous post I mentioned that I trimmed too much off of the top of my face place on one side....to the point that there was a gap between the visor and the face place when everything was taped together for mock-up. Here is my solution. I cut a 1 inch strip of 1/16th thick ABS sheet and solvent welded it to the underside of the face-plate leaving about a 1/4 inch of plastic extending past the top. This will give me a ledge between the two components to create a solid patch to then whittle back down until it meets the underside of the visor evenly. For those of you who ever need to make a repair to anything of a styrene variant like ABS, solvent welding is 100% permanent unlike traditional adhesives or expoxies. I used SciGrip #3 (formerly Weldon #3) to make this repair. This particular solvent will bond ABS to ABS or HIPS to HIPS, but not ABS to HIPS (high impact polystyrene). Trust me...I tried since I have an abundance of HIPS plastic for R2 building and repairs. The ABS scrap to HIPS scrap solvent weld attempt just pulled apart after curing. The ABS scrap to ABS scrap test was a success though. This should come in handy when I get to the armor portion of the build. I'm sure there will be plenty of places that extra tabs, loops support will be needed on the ABS armor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 5, 2019 Author Share Posted April 5, 2019 Sux that I had to do this, but it looks like it's gonna work. Repair patch solvent welded in then smoothed out with some sanding and a bit of white squadron modeling putty to hide the seam. I'm not sure if it's commonplace to paint the white abs parts on the MC bucket but now that mine has undergone surgery I guess I'll be forced to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeputt Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 Sux that I had to do this, but it looks like it's gonna work. Repair patch solvent welded in then smoothed out with some sanding and a bit of white squadron modeling putty to hide the seam. I'm not sure if it's commonplace to paint the white abs parts on the MC bucket but now that mine has undergone surgery I guess I'll be forced to.That's pretty awesome! Keep going you will be done in no time!Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 5, 2019 Author Share Posted April 5, 2019 Screw in eye lens system installed. Couple of blocks of ABS solvent welded to the inner face shield that will accept small screws. Cut out the tinted plastic with some tabs that match up to the screw holes in the blocks. Should make for any easy swap when this thing gets too hazy/scratched up over time. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 Helmet is all fitted together. I guess it's time for body work and paint. The MC kit came with what seems to be the common 'elevator bolts' and wing nuts for the visors pivot point. I guess all elevator bolts have a square base? I had to take them to a grinder and carefully knock the corners off to make them fit in a 1/4 hole. Now the big question concerning this attachment method. The wing nuts don't contact the sides of my head when I have the helmet perfectly centered on my noggin...and I realize I'll have some padding in there too...but just the look of it, and the thought of those things in there gives me concern. Is this an issue for anyone? I'm leaning toward using a nylon acorn nut or something that just seems a little less medieval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopper Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Yeah the square base on the elevator bolts is a feature of the original 3M bolts. Typically a square is cut into the side of the visor and then the threaded screw feeds through the dome portion. What you did will work just as well and it looks the same from the outside, which is all that really matters. Those screw ends do look long -- longer than the 3M ones -- likely bc cal had to make his own elevator bolts to fit his helm. I'd also be worried about them poking me in the head. You should be able to use different nuts to secure them. Also, you can add one of those rubber screw end covers on the part that's still sticking out. Not sure what size you need, but something like this: YEJI 25 Pcs 1/4" Black Screw Thread Protectors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076WX9YSL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5MkQCbY8AWA47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 I took apart one of my old motorcycle helmets that has a removable liner and threw it up there in the bucket. Pretty good fit actually.. but I can certainly feel those wing nuts through the padding if I jossle my head around. I think I may take a trip to the hardware store. Maybe a small thin profile knurled brass nut would be less obtrusive. I'll see what I can find and probably just cut the bolt back so the threads don't protrude past the nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 Wampawear gloves showed up today. Really impressed with the quality. I was expecting 'prop gloves' and got something that is probably nicer than most of my actual motorcycle gloves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeputt Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 46 minutes ago, greenyone said: Wampawear gloves showed up today. Really impressed with the quality. I was expecting 'prop gloves' and got something that is probably nicer than most of my actual motorcycle gloves. Yeah wampawear are freaking amazing I got my kashyyyk gloves from them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share Posted April 7, 2019 All mocked up. Time to tear it down for body and paint. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 No photo...but I never seem to have any luck with painting resin cast parts without at least one fish eye showing up. Somebody in the industry really needs to engineer a mold release agent that has zero wax or silicone. I've been down this road before. Wash with purple degreaser, dish soap, wipe down with denatured alcohol and then prep-sol wax and grease remover right before applying primer or paint and BOOM!!! Never fails. Fish eye in a very visible spot. Ugh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrofire Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 All mocked up. Time to tear it down for body and paint.+1 for wearing a Pens it’s a great day for hockey shirt! I spent many a night at the civic arena downtown watching Jagr and Mario score goals back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, Retrofire said: +1 for wearing a Pens it’s a great day for hockey shirt! I spent many a night at the civic arena downtown watching Jagr and Mario score goals back in the day. Next time you are back in town stop by and watch a game. I have a set of seats from the old barn in my man cave. It's fun to wheel them out in front of the TV and re-live the Civic Arena experience minus the $20 beer and nacho price tag. R2 cheers along too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Chridan Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Oh cool...you have the new helmet from MonCal...nice pics of the new bucket. One question..what's the weight of the complete helmet? Cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 2 hours ago, Darth Chridan said: Oh cool...you have the new helmet from MonCal...nice pics of the new bucket. One question..what's the weight of the complete helmet? Cheers... Already been asked this in an earlier post.... But my guess is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Chridan Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 15, 2019 Author Share Posted April 15, 2019 I've mentioned it before but this particular MonCal bucket is considered a 'B Grade'. Meaning Cal sold them (or is still selling) at a discount due to some casting/molding issues. He addressed the low spots by drawing circles around those areas of the resin casting in permanent marker. I've addressed those larger issues with some body filler (bondo). Roto-Cast parts clearly have a lot of small imperfections too (pinholes, very small high and low spots combined with whatever marks are inherent to the mold itself.) Now the question is, do I put a skim coat of glazing putty over the entire surface of the resin casting and sand till I sneeze filler dust for a week.... or just hit it with high build primer and see what it looks like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 If anyone is looking for an alternative to wing nuts or any kind of traditional nut for a helmet with 1/4-20 elevator bolt pivot points...these are much less obtrusive. They sit relatively flush with the inside of the helmet and I think you'd be hard pressed to feel them poking through any padding you'd have inside your bucket. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RN1MZ98/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctschurman Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 I’d hit it with some filler primer if you can get it. If you don’t want to clog up any sandpaper with spray paint I’d use the glazing putty and a flashlight to highlight low spots while your filling them in. My helmet from MonCal will be here in the next week or so. Good to see what it looks like. Super jealous. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawless Scout Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 I've been trooping for several years with the local RL (Ghost Base) and 501st (Starkiller Garrison) here in Western Pennsylvania. I use the term 'troop' very loosely because I'm in plain clothes trying to blend in as best I can while controlling/puppeteering an R2-D2. I've finally decided to suit up and chose the biker scout for my first ever costume build. I blown away from the breadth of knowledge here on this forum. I have an MC bucket on order but in the meantime I've started to gather some parts/materials to chip away at some of the 'low hanging fruit' in this build.AWESOME CHOICE!! You’re in the right place trooper. Welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawless Scout Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Looks like there is an attachment limit. I guess photos need to be a URL or other media. Anyway here is a photo of one of my toe strips.Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted April 19, 2019 Author Share Posted April 19, 2019 1st paint attempt was a fail. Had some issues with the nozzle on the rattle can doing that 'spittle' thing. I really miss the old paint can nozzles. I have no luck with these new styled ones. No matter what brand, they just seem to spit and clog. Wet-sanded for a retry with a new can I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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