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[trashcanmando]

Yo, don't be sorry! The more advice I get the happier I am! Definitely wouldn't have thought to wash it without you telling me. And I would definitely be not thinking about it and leaving it in the car. 2-part epoxy and a shade 5 visor are on the shopping list for tomorrow.

I can't quite picture what you're saying about bracing the T-visor. Can you take a picture of the inside of your helmet?

I spent the evening trimming down the rim and otherwise cleaning up the helmet- it's washed (multiple times), sanded, the arrows have been bondo-ed. All ear pieces are also washed and sanded, and then I couldn't resist getting at least one side with primer tonight.







If everything's looking okay, I think I can at least get primer done tomorrow! Was there anything but the arrows I would need to bondo?

So if I understand this right, now that I've washed, sanded, and bondo-ed the whole thing, next I prime it, then I cut out the key slot, visor, and drill bolt holes? And then I can paint everything, and then assemble ears, visor, and padding?

[Kryamla Redalur]

That helps a ton, thanks!  That should keep me busy for a while. Do you remember what you used to glue in the keyslot and attach the rangefinder?

I used a 2 part epoxy that I had laying around. It was a quick setting one. Sorry don't remember the name of the brand :/

[Shammah]

O.K., now that Photobucket has decided to cooperate I can walk you through this a little. You'll see at the top of the picture where I epoxied a piece of the resin I had cut out across the bottom of the helmet. You can see the visor is held in place by that at the bottom (top in this photo), and located (held in correct orientation) by two little tabs that were part of the casting at the bottom (top) of the T-visor bump out. The piece of resin I used came from the ear piece cut out. the visor is held in place on each side at the top (Bottom in photo) by two small tabs (one is circled in red) made by stacking two more pieces of recycled resin then epoxying them in.

This arrangement does two things: 1. My visor isn't glued in so I can pull it out to work inside helmet, clean the visor or change it out for a different one. 2. Remember where I said "fog free trooping"? Not being glued in on all sides this allows air to circulate freely around the visor on all sides so the slightest breeze keeps it clear. Another, and perhaps main, thing it does is gives excellent strength and support to the helmet as a whole without using the visor as a structural member.

The visor doesn't have to be pushed up too tight to the bump out, this gives space for it to slide it in and out. You'll need to have the visor sized and ready to install before getting the tabs and braces in since they're based on the size and thickness of the visor. Make a pattern out of poster board or something thicker like a cereal box.

This is a good teaching moment too. See how the main support epoxy joints look like a bad weld as opposed to the nicely installed side tabs? I tried to do all of these joints at once and the epoxy started to set up on me. As epoxy dries it loses bonding strength at an exponential rate and doesn't go on smoothly. I had to repair that brace later, but it's held really well since. So don't try to do too much at once when working with epoxy. I'm currently using Gorilla brand epoxy, but there are several good one out there. Look for "use on most plastics" on the label.

[trashcanmando]

Oooh, cool, thanks! That looks like a great method, I've been getting nervous about how exactly to put the visor in.
... I think I'm gonna wait until the seventeenth to mess with the visor. I really don't want to mess this up. Speaking of which, I can't find welding visors ANYWHERE. I've found these tiny plastic squares for welding helmets, but a large face shield? Nope. I checked everywhere. Can you get them easily around Des Moines? If it's not inconvenient, could you get one and I'll pay you back, maybe?

At what point do I cut out the visor and keyslot and drill the holes for the ear pieces? Does it really matter if I do that before or after primer?

[Clank2002]

Hey I saw you're post and thought I'd help! If you want the visor to be specifically a welding visor then I can't help you. BUT! What I am doing is a gold tinted visor like a one way mirror so I am going to a window tinting store. My dad says that they will either sell scraps OR JUST GIVE THEM OUT!!! They generally sell back tinted stuff so if you want a relatively inexpensive visor... There you go. Just ask Siri for places with window tint. Ok cool keep up the good work I love the armor that you're building 

[Og' Reh]

I've been so happy about my recent progres on my bucket, so I know how you feel.
I did go with an exchangable visor as well. I believe it's a good way to go.

As for epoxy, I did more on my armor than on buyce, but I keep doing small piece, by small piece. You'll get some experience on how to mix it, how to apply, when not to apply (I suggest read the instruction. I've tried once, while it was too cold for them. I'm still trying to fix that now. ).
At this point I even make small pieces of the armor with reinforced epoxy and it seems to work.

[Shammah]

Do all epoxy work before any paint or primer, that way your resin is stuck to resin. Painted surfaces will not give as strong of a bond. So basically cut out and attach everything before paint and primer, but do the T-visor last. If you got primer on the attaching surface of your ear pieces you may want to sand that area off.

I PM'd you some info, if that doesn't work out let me know and I'll pick one up for you. The more you want to wait for on the 17th the more help I can be. Do you have files and a Dremel type tool?

[trashcanmando]

Thanks for the tip, Clank!  My one concern is that window glass sounds a lot harder to work with.

Careful with the epoxy, got it. At this rate I think I'm just going to attach what ears I can and then just leave the rest for when I can get clan help. I did get excited and base coat paint some ear parts, guess I better sand a couple areas of that back down. I don't have any files, and the Dremel I'm using was borrowed from a neighbor. I could probably bring it, it's just that it's not actually mine.

[Clank2002]

No No No No No! Window TINT. Not tinted window. I went to some really nice people and they gave me 12''-12'' cut of scraps for free! I am only 14 so I don't have a lot of money on my hands so I'm just doing that. But if you want to be an over achiever then attach some clear plastic.. ya know just watch this. http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=68927.0 I hope this helps.

[jett drexel]

jewellers files $5.00 tops per set on e-bay. find the right vendor and shipping is free.

[trashcanmando]

Ohhh, I see! Thanks for the tip! I found a welding visor, but since I'm putting it in Shammah's way, I can put a mirrored tint visor on the upgrades list. 

Woah, five bucks? Sounds pretty good, thanks Jett 

[Havelock]

There's nothing I can really add to the great advice you've already gotten, Vaar'ika.  I'm glad to see that you're so excited.  I was thrilled when I got my bucket...but really worried that I'd do something wrong and screw the whole thing up.  Took me a couple of months to actually work on it because of that.  I was being stupid - and I knew I was being stupid.   

Matter of fact, when I went to cut the welding visor and install it....it turned out I'd cut the thing too small - by a couple of millimeters.  I, very quietly, flipped out.  Bugged the crap out of Bowfanny to make sure I hadn't screwed myself completely.

The main thing I learned, throughout the whole process of my build, but most particularly working on my bucket, is that the material I was working with was very forgiving.  And that if I made a mistake, I could turn it into "battle damage."  So in the end, it was no big deal.

So just do your work on it, be as detail-oriented as you like, and if you make an oops, don't sweat it.  Turn it into battle scars, or bondo over it.  You've already shown you've got some great skills, and I have no doubts that you'll make your entire kit completely bad-shebs from bucket to boots.  Your kit is already pretty freaking awesome.

[Og' Reh]

I must concur with what Havelock said - the thing that stopped me most from progresing was overthinking on how to do things instead of just doing them. I'd probably do second kit in fourth of the time I used for this one.

And in the end, it turnes out, my first ideas were the best ones, and I go back to them to finish my kit.

Also, I tend to have more spare parts than I destroyed in creation proces.

[trashcanmando]

Thanks ba'vod, your advice and vote of confidence means a lot to me.  I'll try to take you and Ogre's advice and do a little bit of work on my helmet today so there's not so much to do at the clan meeting.

Speaking of just going for it, today I worked on boots! I have this pair of old combat boots that I absolutely loved, but had laces. I prefer a laceless boot over a laced boot with plates, but I thought that was just going to be an eventual upgrade. Today, the bug hit me to mod my old boots into a laceless version! I was too excited to take any before pictures, but here's the finished product:



These things had two zippers, laces, and that strap on the arch there, so I had to cover the laces and the outside zipper. I cut out the tongue and ended up using a staple gun to attach it over the lace holes and the outer zipper. Not professional, but hey! if it works! I don't think the result of the staples is half bad. Only half the tongue is stapled, the lower half is held in place by the strap.



Side views, inner and outer. You can see on the outer shot on the right a couple of the places I had to cover up brand names and logos. These boots were COVERED in branding, it was ridiculous. I had to rip out a little plastic figurine that was on that circle there, and there were two spots on each boot with the name branded into the leather. With some sandpaper, an exacto knife, and a heat gun, I think I managed to turn them into only slightly suspicious looking weathering. I took out the brand on the tread too, even though that probably wasn't necessary. I have a habit of putting my feet up on every available surface.





I'm pretty excited about these. I don't see any reason they wouldn't follow CRLs now, and I think they look pretty freakin awesome. I'm gonna get new insoles for them, though. And probably cover the ends of the staples with a small smear of hot glue, even though they're hammered down flat.

[Havelock]

Those boots look awesome!  Great job, Vaar'ika!  I think those will definitely pass muster.