Chopper Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Most folks use either Rustoleum or Krylon gloss or semi-gloss white. On my helmet I used the rusto painters 2x touch white primer and then gloss white. It seems to work well with plastics. The primary thing to remember is to use a paint and primer from the same brand. Once you start mixing brands, you run the risk of the solvents attacking each other. If that happens and you get the dreaded crackles, all you can do is let it all dry, sand it back down, and start over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeymark34 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 You are doing a great job so far. As Chopper recommended to me, I bought the Rustoleum Painters 2X White Primer and Gloss White. I think my helmet looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 On 5/5/2020 at 8:56 AM, Madcowabunga said: Which brand of paint and primer are best for these helmets? Ditto Chopper on not mixing brands. I've done that in the past and ended up having to sand off the whole thing again. This collection of Rustoleum paints have served me well over the years. I like to use the gray filler/primer since it's easier for me to pick out spots I need to work on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcowabunga Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Awesome. Thank you guys. I wasn't sure if there was a specific white. I have those paints, so I'm good :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 Alright, exciting post ahead! I made this for the shoulder connection - I took some zip tie mounts and chopped it down. I then glued it to the front shoulder bridge. To connect the front and back, I took a strip of hook, cut out the area for the zip tie mount, and then attached a strip of elastic to serve as the bridge cover. I then inserted the zip tie that's already connected to the shoulder bell to the mount that's on the front bridge. Next - belt! I continued the velcro system I was using and added velcro to the side and the center. I am doing a bit of cheating here but it holds up solid. I might switch over a bunch of the attachment over to the good ole' snap-based system. We'll see. Added a piece of spare plastic to lock that rivet in real good. And then ... drumroll please ... I did my first test fit! A few things: Ignore what's happening with the belt/detonator situation in the back. I haven't secured them yet since I am still waiting for the metal clips to arrive. I also haven't secured the drop box to the back yet since I wanted to play around with the length of the connection. Looking at the pictures, I think I will need to bring the shoulder bells closer to the shoulder bridges. Should I close the gap completely? Am thinking it should be minimal. I am unsure about the placement of my bicep pieces. Should there be a gap between the shoulder bell and the bicep? I am assuming so. Dropbox placement - should I move it further to the side? Would love any feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopper Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 2 hours ago, Hoda said: A few things: Ignore what's happening with the belt/detonator situation in the back. I haven't secured them yet since I am still waiting for the metal clips to arrive. I also haven't secured the drop box to the back yet since I wanted to play around with the length of the connection. Looking at the pictures, I think I will need to bring the shoulder bells closer to the shoulder bridges. Should I close the gap completely? Am thinking it should be minimal. I am unsure about the placement of my bicep pieces. Should there be a gap between the shoulder bell and the bicep? I am assuming so. Dropbox placement - should I move it further to the side? Would love any feedback! Just remember that the straps in the back meet towards the centerline of the back of the belt webbing, as per the reverse side CRL image below. Also, looks like your parachute clips are looped on the opposite side on both the front and back. The black portion of the clip should be visible when the belt is worn. Your shoulder bells actually look ok. The only issue is that your right one looks closer in than the left, so you should try and even them out. You should not totally close the gap between the shoulder bell and the bridge, so leave some gap visible. From your photos, your bicep armor can come down maybe an inch or so. It just be just slightly under the bottom edge of your flak vest, but we can make adjustments based on your specific body build. Dropboxes should be about centered on the sides of your thighs. It looks like yours are canted a bit forward. I think that'll get cleaned up if you align your drop straps in the back closer to the centerline of the back of the belt webbing though. You're getting there! Good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Chopper - thank you for the quick feedback! The tips on lining up the bicep w/ flak vest, and drop boxes with center of thigh is super helpful. Also thank you on the parachute clip, I wasn't sure what's the best way to get that looped through. Once I figure out the attachment to the back, I think we'll get it taken care of. That will be the next update. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Alright! Some new photos based on Chopper's feedback. I shifted the shoulder bells and made them around the same length to the chest/back armor. Will play with them a bit more to find a comfortable spot for them. Moved bicep armor down to line up just slightly under the bottom edge of the flak vest. Moved dropboxes to the sides of the thighs. Kept an inch or so down from the belt. Reversed the clip so the black portion is visible. Adjusted the strap position in the back so it's closer to the center of the belt webbing. I am using magnets to hold them in place right now, but I don't like how loose it is. Going to replace it with a snap to secure them. For Lancer, I want to fix some of the dressing issues "permanently" - maybe attach some velcro to pieces so they won't shift around (e.g. bund to flight suit, bicep to flight suit, etc.), and fixing the belt with some snaps. I might also hit the kit w/ some weathering. I am also going to need to change out the bolt on the helmet to the concave kinds (that's next). I think this is good to go for Basic and we are ready for submission to the GML! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopper Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Hey chief, great work and you look a ton better! The only final note I have is to try and center your buckles on the parachute straps and you should carefully cut the linking clips off of your gloves. Neither should prevent you from clearing basic though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Awesome. Thank you for that feedback! When I submit for Lancer (as one should!), I will note the buckle alignment piece. The gloves are taken care of 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Alright! Let's pick this thread back up. Since the last update, I've officially gotten approved as TB-77520! But the work's not done ... time to do some upgrade for Lancer! Fortunately, thanks to all the guidance and posts on this forum, I don't think I am too far off. Hardware-wise, there were two things I needed to make changes to - 1) swap out the helmet bolts for concave bolts, and 2) add metal clips to the detonator. For helmet bolts, I went with Kevin's "full headband kit". I followed Strider's instructions here to install the liner. I then cut out the bolt hole into more of a square hole to install the new bolts from Kevin (forgot to take pictures). Sourcing the metal clips was a bit of a pain! Thank goodness I came across this thread here and ordered a bunch of metal clips from TheClip.com. I was thinking I can order a bunch, do a sales thread, and help folks save on shipping - what do you think? Anyway, I used a hair dryer to melt off the E6000 that was holding the end caps together. Drilled holes on the tube, inserted a rivet, put the washer in to secure the back, put the clip in, and then reattached the end caps. Voila! I think with some proper dressing-up, we should be good to go for Lancer! Now I just have to go ask the missus to take some photos ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aradun Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 Looking good Hoda. Just FYI, those detonator clips are also available on Amazon at a decent price. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07MR3CQCC/?coliid=I9C80S7S166H1&colid=17ZNF8WW4QACN&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_itSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoda Posted May 27, 2020 Author Share Posted May 27, 2020 Looking good Hoda. Just FYI, those detonator clips are also available on Amazon at a decent price. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07MR3CQCC/?coliid=I9C80S7S166H1&colid=17ZNF8WW4QACN&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_itSent from my iPhone using TapatalkI did see that! But man for some reason my order is taking like weeks, so I ordered some more from theclip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.