KS Helmet Trimming Issues

[JenB]

Hello - the KS kit arrived, and the plastic is much thinner than I expected. Also, never having trimmed or built anything before, it's tough to know where the trim lines are, and not obvious from the tutorial posted here given that not all pieces are shown in terms of where exactly the trim lines are.

 

Also it seems that because the plastic is so thin, it's going to be really prone to breaking. Already have a crack by the ear where the hole was trimmed.

 

So... Does anyone have a depiction of trim lines on a KS kit they'd be willing to share? Also, what to do about the crack along the ear? Will Bondo work or is it too thin/small an area?

[Mithras]

Hello - the KS kit arrived, and the plastic is much thinner than I expected. Also, never having trimmed or built anything before, it's tough to know where the trim lines are, and not obvious from the tutorial posted here given that not all pieces are shown in terms of where exactly the trim lines are.

 

Also it seems that because the plastic is so thin, it's going to be really prone to breaking. Already have a crack by the ear where the hole was trimmed.

 

So... Does anyone have a depiction of trim lines on a KS kit they'd be willing to share? Also, what to do about the crack along the ear? Will Bondo work or is it too thin/small an area?

 

I don't see how Bondo would work on something so thin. It would be putting a huge amount of material and weight on a relatively weak surface to begin with. I honestly don't know what the solution would be, other than some kind of fiberglass tape, and that's pretty hard to get in our area.

 

Very disappointing.

[mxpxrobbie]

throw some plastic behind the tear and glue it in. My KS bucket was really thin on the sides, and I had to do shims for reinforcement on the sides. I'll order SC next time.

[Chex]

Yeah KS has just been getting worse and worse. My KS is pretty thick, but the one I'm working on now for a friend is a little thin, so I take trimming very slow. You just have to look at pictures, and trim a little at a time.

[JenB]

throw some plastic behind the tear and glue it in. My KS bucket was really thin on the sides, and I had to do shims for reinforcement on the sides. I'll order SC next time.

 

Turns out we will need shims, not for the crack along the ear which wasn't as bad as I originally thought, but for gaps on either side between the front and back pieces, toward the bottom. Unfortunately we can't get anything to stick. It was hard enough getting the main pieces to stick together (using ABS weld) but getting a small shim to fit along a small edge is impossible. ABS weld was recommended elsewhere on this forum, but is there something else we should be using besides ABS weld? It just doesn't seem to hold that well, even using clamps. Thanks much!

 

- Jen

[Havok69]

Try scuffing the plastic with some sandpaper and then wipe off the residue with a damp cloth before gluing...

[mxpxrobbie]

I used ABS cement, roughing up the plastic that will eventually be bonded is a must. I'll take pics tonight if you need me to.