The Making of a New TB lid

[Guest NAZGÛL]

He must have been happy, getting such a great lid!

[TB-7076]

I get even more addicted....I hope you have a heart and keep us junkees in mind

[Guest Amish trooper]

Beauty of a helmet. How does this compare size wise to an Altmann?

[lonewolf]

Beauty of a helmet. How does this compare size wise to an Altmann?

 

Sorry, but I don't really know, I suspect the Altmanns is a bit smaller,I have never saw one for real. I have first hand knowledge of the MLC V3, KS, CB and SC lids so can only say they are all about the same size, generally speaking. The nicest of these in shape is SC, although pretty poor overall, best build is the MLC V3, the KS is a neat kit but poorly sent finished, CB is just wrong on most fronts, although it is the biggest of the lot, I have tried to be as honest to these lids as I can be to help folk decide. Mine is still being worked on, I really hope I can do this lid some justice, thanks everyone.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Heres the LW (cool name right?) lid with the dp/SWIC comparison pics.

 

 

 

 

[Boro]

The LW Lid in Action

 

[TB-7076]

Could you try to photograph the LW lid in the same angle from above as the SWIC helmet?

I think apart from the already known problem with the visor front being pointed I think the ear section

is still a bit disproprtional.

If I am right the ears need to be extended a bit in width and bent more forward.

 

Again I recommend to try ways or materials to at least get the edges as sharp the DP which is still a bit

softer than the original.

 

 

[Guest NAZGÛL]

I agree. I think sharpness would add greatly. Anyone know the thickness of the original material? Good eye on the visor.

 

I wonder if area above the lense, is a tad high? The DP looks pretty close on the pic (I know many disagree though). The tall apearence of the original, might be due to the high cap/dome.

 

Is the current cap and back the DP?

[TB-7076]

The forehead is pretty much dead on if you ask me. In the SWIC picture a good deal of the forehead top is covered

by the visor but it is there if you follow the virtual shapes and lines.

The DP has lost a lot of his forehead area due to the extreme upper bow of the lens frame and due to shrinkage

of the vinyl - I guess the mask has been made for older children and adolescents rather than adults so that probably

wasn't much of a great concern then.

[lonewolf]

The lid has now been adjusted again, the crown is raised and I have created a sharper and longer slope on the bottom edge, the eyes are hopefully a bit sharper but I haven't tried to vacform it yet to see if there is a marked difference yet, slightly reduced the faceplate height, but only slightly and reduced the curve of the visor side top corners, created eight and a half indents on the back of the lid so just waiting on some 2.5mm pinseal ABS (this appears to be what the original shows from being made of ) and I will post up some new pics when I get a chance. I was actually happy with the ears, thanks for the eagle eyes guys, I just hope to keep the passion going. As I said on Phil's post a while ago, yes the DP really is the closest looking if modded well, although smaller.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Wow, you are fast! Thanks for the info on the thickness. Looking forward to the pics! I really hope youll keep the passion, as its a great project, and could really end up as the best lid.

 

 

[TB-7076]

Yeah don't get frustrated we just want to use the chance to encourage you as long as you're improving it anyways .

Do you need a sketch for the ears or did you see what I see? I mean it's hard to tell from the different angles of the

comparison pictures as they're shot from slight different angles.

 

But that's probably the reason why original helmet shots feature much more prominent ear profiles from the fornt than

any replica helemts - as almost all of them use the DP as a starting point/reference.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Wow, good eye there. The originals are one size bigger. I do understand if lonewolf were happy as they are pretty close allready.

 

[lonewolf]

I think it is partly how far away the picture is taken from, if I take a close shot the ears disappear and from far away they appear, this lid is very difficult to pin down.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

If the visor were any longer or wider, it would also change how we see the ears. Yeah tricky to pin down.

[TB-7076]

That's why I asked if it were possible to simulate the same distance and angle as in the SWIC shot so we can be sure.

I know that depending on camera and situation everything looks different and if it was just due to lens distortion.

Same applies to original references.

 

If the visor were any longer or wider, it would also change how we see the ears. Yeah tricky to pin down.

 

The lids weren't equal - for example the first scout we se in the scene on endor has a more flared visor while most of the

PR shot and exhebition helmets have a visor having an even more forced curve forward.

However the ears of DP derivates and the ears of the original still have a different angle to the front; even the back bulge

features a noticable different in shape.

 

In the end everything we do is just an approach.

 

I wish I could take a flight and help

[Guest NAZGÛL]

LOL me too!

[lonewolf]

I have a shakey theory why the Biker Scouts have a flared visor in the first scenes, yes we know they were stunt men so the eyes were cut big, maybe the visors were widened as well for this reason or it is simply damage to the lid from Harrison Ford having to dump the guy into the tree x amount of times, breaking the glued sides free. Guys if you show up on my doorstep and help, there is a cup of tea in it for you.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Thats a good theory. Are the bigger eyes (and maybe visor) the only stunt difference?

 

 

At 3:37: The one shooting Leia and then crashing into a tree, does he change helmet from hero to stunt (stunt when firing his blaster)?

 

Hey, Ireland is of the countrys I plan to visit sometime in life.

[Dart]

Also agreed on the theory. Good discussion on this, folks! Really looking forward to the next pull to see just how it looks!

[Chex]

Def a great topic going on here. And if we show up, we would probably be hoping for more then just tea.

Seriously though, with how it looks now, I would almost certainly take it over most, if not all, out there on the market.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Heres the first bikerscout. It seems that they may have narroved the visor edge and cut the eyes bigger.

[TB-7076]

The SWIC/FIDM Helmet is definately the most ideal reference to go with as long as optimal shape and looks

of a scout helmet is concerned (minus the wrong bolt cap on the right seide ). And Lonewolf is very close already.

 

You know it's been quite a time I was so amazed visiting BSN but this will turn in one of the milestones in its history

and that of proper Scout costuem replication.

 

 

 

[Guest NAZGÛL]

Hmm, gave this some thought.

 

I think the fighting helmets used in the first scene has a special visor possibly made in a more flexible material. A hard visor would break easily, and a flexible version would be nicer to wear when being tossed around.

 

They used soft material clearly seen on one trooper armor in ESB too.

[Guest NAZGÛL]

The SWIC/FIDM Helmet is definately the most ideal reference to go with as long as optimal shape and looks

of a scout helmet is concerned (minus the wrong bolt cap on the right seide ). And Lonewolf is very close already.

 

100% agreed. The stunt helmet discussion is just a sidetrack, even if I might fancy a stunt version some day.