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[Sep Ho'ban]

**Update*** This is my WIP now

Hi everyone,

I just purchased this hardhat: http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Yellow-Non-Vented-Hard-Hat-with-Pinlock-Adjustment-CHH-P-Y12/202195393 at home depot.  My question is whether the central ridge has to be cut out, or whether I can leave it as detail and have it be approvable if I use it as the dome for a bucket from a bucket build.

Thanks in advance

Quingin

[The Bearded Mando]

You can leave it. That's the same hard hat I and many others have used.

[Sep Ho'ban]

Thanks! Decided to convert this into my WIP


First Progress pic!  How do I look so far?

[The Bearded Mando]

Might be a shade long. Try putting a light jacket on to get an idea of armor bulk. Might have some issues turning your head.

[Sep Ho'ban]

That's good news actually! I was concerned it might be a shade short, and was thinking of setting the visor and cheeks down a little.  It'll move up a hair when I cover up the rivets inside, so should be perfect then.

Latest shot:

[Sep Ho'ban]

**EDIT** -- Realized that in this pic, I do not have helmet tilted so that front is lower than back as it should be.  When I do that, the front is in contact with my nose and glasses.  I think I will need to find a new dome and start over with new buckets.  But at least I learned some things so far.

Planned Visor Cutout, also pic taken by someone else.  -- her sitting, me standing... now I am back to thinking it may be short though...

[The Bearded Mando]

do you have the hardhat crown installed? I kept it on mine and taped the templates on until I had the right size and coverage. maybe adding an narrow strip or two of the bucket material across the front of the helmet will give you the space you need for your glasses. Also before you drawn your visor in, put the helmet on and use a sharpie to draw where your sight-line is. Be sure to keep centering lines on the hardhat, it will make it easier when adding the bucket templates.
hope this helps.

[Sep Ho'ban]

I already had the crown cut flush on the hardhat.  Thanks for the advice!  I have another newbie mando who I got into this with who may use what I have so far. Her cranium is not so difficult to contain.  Going scouting for domes today after I lift.  Will likely have some new progress pics later today.  Good advice on the center lines too!

[Sep Ho'ban]

Alright, new domes, new buckets, 2 pics and a question
Per advice above, am leaving the flares on the hardhats this time.  Also interested in feedback about the length of the sides and front.  I think I am close.  I am about an inch longer than the standard WOF templates at present. Standard was too short above. 

My shoulders are 23 inches across, Dome 1 results in a bucket that is about 10 inches across at the base.

Dome 2 results in a bucket that is about 11 & 3/4 inches across at the base.


Please advise which dome I should use.  Thanks!

[The Bearded Mando]

Definately dome 1. Dome 2 reminds me of a bee-keeper. 

[Sep Ho'ban]

Ok, thanks. I am leaving the flairs like you suggested.  When I am doing body work, do I need to bondo in a slope so that it slopes all the way to the edge, or can it be like a deeper brow ridge?


Base hotglued on to dome 1


How is the length looking?

Thanks!

[The Bearded Mando]

You keep changing the camera angles so it is difficult to know where the dome is sitting. Right now it looks like the dome it too high and the bucket needs to come up. I put the top of my bucket level with the crown flares to give it a deeper brow. Sorry if it seems like I am giving you mixed messages. If you move the bucket up then overall it seems a bit short, but when you put the second layer on there make that a bit longer. Make sure your glasses are not an issue before you get beyond this part of the process.

[Sep Ho'ban]

The bucket right now is even with the edge of the hardhat.  I thought that part was good, so I ran a bead of e6000 on the inside a little while ago.  Right now, it fits well with my glasses. 

I need to cover up the bulges around the rim though, so I may end up making a ring of singtra that ends up squaring it all off even with the top of those, and a wedge to build up the front to be flush with that ring.  That would also mean less dome would be visible.  Does that sound good/make sense?

Like this:

 The part outlined in black would be filled in with sintra, and the top part of the line would be level and connect with the dome all the way around.

Or am I in  restart territory again?


Sorry about camera angles, taking pictures blind, and each one is the best of like 15 shots lol.

[Sep Ho'ban]

Okay, so new progress pic with cheeks.  I know I need to trim at bottom and plan visor.
I am going to run epoxy on all the inner seams, and then peel/shave the hot glue that is currently holding things in place, then bondo




My current question is what to do about those bulges/how much dome is showing.  I pretty much need all the room that is currently in the helmet, so I can't actually move the bucket part up on the dome.  But I add a section of plastic that extends to the height of the bulges, and then a ring around the dome to level it off with that point. 

Or, would it be better to leave that much dome showing, but cut out the bulges flush, plastic on the inside, and bondo?


Thanks in advance!

[The Bearded Mando]

where is your sightline when you are wearing the helmet. Right now it appears to be sitting shallow, can you adjust the hard hat crown so that it fits further down on your head? here is a pic of the inside of my helmet, I dont wear glasses so I keep the crown intact. I dialed it down as far as I could.

my wife wears glasses so I removed the crown, but kept the straps. It also gives the dome a lower profile.

here is the inside of her helmet.

sorry to take so long to reply. I know you are excited to keep this project moving.
Are you also posting this on your clan forum? they will be able to help you as well. they might even have an armor party coming up.

[Sep Ho'ban]

If I drop it any more, I will be looking at hardhat instead of orange.  I have a lot of skull -- size 8.5 hat.

[The Bearded Mando]

Looking at hat hat is ok. That part can be carved out to make room for your glasses. Thats what i had to do form my wife helmet. You will just want to extend the brow a bit.

[Bowfanny]

Skekkesh is correct. You want to drop the dome down and trim out where the visor lines up.

[Sep Ho'ban]

I guess I don't understand... cause then I end up with  the brim of the hard hat behind an inch high wall, and I'd still have to bridge that somehow.

 If I cut off the brim, it shrinks the bucket, and then there's no room for my nose again like the first bucket... was unable to find a skating helmet or other hat that without including the brim would give me enough room.

Right now the bucket part feels right... I just wish I had a dome of the apppriate size and shallowness to fill it without a brim. 

[The Bearded Mando]

Just cut out the part that is in the way of you sightline.

[Sep Ho'ban]

But what do I do about the space behind the front wall of the bucket I will be creating when I drop the dome down?

[The Bearded Mando]

The space created will give you space for your glasses. Your can fill the top to strips of bucket material. Try making a bucket template from posterboard. It will save you from using up buckets. Make the template about an inch too long then adnust it from there.

[Sep Ho'ban]

Ok, that's what I was trying to get at.  I'l see if I can remove the hardhat from the bucket with a razor blade and drop it down. so that the bulges are even with the top of the bucket.  Then cover the wedge shaped mote with plastic, then figure out from there what to cut out for my vizor. 

Thanks for all your help! Will post next pics when I have them!

[The Bearded Mando]

I used expanding spray foam to fill the bulk of the gap on my wife's bucket. Then some hot glue, followed by bondo to finish. It helped keep the weight down.

[Sep Ho'ban]

New Dome level:


I only tacked it in place with some hot glue to check the level.  Next step is to pull it back out because that'll make applying epoxy to all the inner seams easier.  Once the epoxy sets, remove the hot glue from the outside, epoxy the outer seams.

Before I put the dome back in place, I'm going to go ahead and sand it, and the inner surface of the bucket.  I also made plastic bits to go over the top and connect to the dome that I will grind flush with the dremel after they are firmly attached. 

Once all the epoxy sets up, I'll layout the visor, and post pics of that for more feedback.

Before I epoxy all the inner seams -- does everything look okayish with the cheeks? (haven't done anything to them from previous pics)

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Gin