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[jett drexel]

nice to see you got round to experimenting  with casting, those kal daggers look great. still think you could make a killing if you could do casts of your 1313 carbine or a version of it. as always your an inspiration mate, well done.

[Syko Voss]

Thanks guys!

Helmet is progressing pretty well - learned a few things about pasteboard v Sintra/Foamex:

Pasteboard is cheaper, of course, and has the advantage that it can be bent and glued in place with superglue without all of that messing around with a heat gun.

Downsides:
When making small cuts/adjustments, the material tends to crumble and split
When aggressively sanding because resin only penetrates so far it's possible to rip into the board.  So I've gotten into the rhythm of sanding, painting on some resin to the busted up board and then going back and re-sanding.

But pleasantly happy with progress - first time I've sculpted a dome but trusting in my tools and sanding from every possible angle, it's not as hard as I'd feared - though I certainly wouldn't want to be starting a new kit from scratch this way without all that I've learned over the course of this past couple of years.

An interesting thing about the new Boba-proportioned helmet is that it has a deeper dome than our skate helmet builds - which means our eyeline is naturally in-line with the horizontal of the T-visor.  Our original builds are fine but both of us have found we tend to tilt our heads forwards to look through the T.

As goes Trading Station stuff - my plan is to steadily expand range on the Trading Station so I can afford tools (including a 3D printer) to ultimately build a 1313 carbine kit.  At the moment, I'd have to cut it into pieces to cast it as there are lots of undercuts and layers in the original.  So if I can build one that's designed to be cast and assembled...we'll be rocking (and likely, I'll have a lighter version to lug around!)

Laters, guys!  Have a good one!

[Kol Varek]

Looking at scratchbuilding one myself! I'll be keeping an eye on this as usual.

[Syko Voss]

Here's an update on the scratchbuild...

Some serious filler and file work got me to here...



Which I then sanded back down again and painted a second coat of resin over the top...



The second coat of resin was to re-saturate the exposed areas of pasteboard where the sanding had taken away the original top-layer. 

Having a love-hate relationship with pasteboard - small splits appearing, etc.  But finding a bit of CA glue and a quick spray with accelerant cures most of those problems...



But, the cleanest set of key slots I've ever cut - I used some 1mm thick card and that was definitely easier than my previous attempts in Sintra/Foamex...



I think if I ever do this again, I'll use 2mm pasteboard for a lot of the build, but certainly keyslots and cheeks/mandibles I'll use 1mm - much, much easier to shape manually than the 2mm board and since I'll be moulding and casting from here, I don't need to worry about structural integrity so much.

Then it was another round of primer...getting closer...



But still beset by little places where the top surface of the board gets sanded back...



So up to today and another, smaller application of filler and some gentle sanding to do...



And looking at the overall shape, I've noticed that the part of the helmet's base behind the ear caps comes in a little too much, meaning that the sides that the ear caps will sit on isn't flat.  So, because I'm moulding, I've put in a piece of wood to just push the sides out to correct the issue.



I think this issue arose mostly because the RafalFett template's inner forms extend below the height of the helmet, making it easy to drift a little.  But, aside from that tiny tweak, everything seems to be going pretty good.

Birthday last week and my gift from Jayne (Nikjay) was all the resin and other materials I'll need to get at least 3 castings done - going to go coldcast aluminium, reinforced with a mix of fibre glass strands & carbon fibre particles.

As I mentioned before, I intend to upgrade both our helmets to something more canon and I really want to make a ROTJ Boba helmet for the shelf. 

Still musing on how to make the rangefinder stalks.  Might have to make a purchase or three, but, as ever, would really much prefer to learn how to cut 6.8mm aluminium myself!

[Syko Voss]

More progress....



The brow triangles proved more difficult than I thought they would.

I opted to cut the triangles all the way through the helmet so I could get flat files on the edges.  The problem of getting a flat surface inside the indents was the thing that took most attempts. 

First attempt was to merely backfill with filler - that failed (too lumpy), after that, laying in a triangles of paper and coating with resin (they wilted), then laying in a triangles of card and coating with resin (too rough) until finally I cut out two triangles of plastic, laid them in and finally I was done.



I spent some time adding flat platforms to the sides of the helmets for the earcaps - I cut a single piece of thin card for those and underlaid them with multiple thin layers of paper and thin card to compensate for shape of the helmet.  It worked surprisingly well in the end and only required a layer of resin, a bit of sanding and some filler to finish them both off.



I decided to sharpen up the edges of the brow with a bit of filler - successive rounds of sanding had gradually smoothed away the edge...



Oh, and the mustard colour?  That's filler primer - I've discovered Autotek here in the UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autotek-AT000FP500-500ml-Filler-Primer/dp/B004ZJIM8O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496681173&sr=8-2&keywords=filler+primer) They do a good regular primer and a filler primer - approximately £5-£6GBP for 500ml - really good stuff.

So finally, after much fiddling, I got all the parts (except for the rangefinder topper which I still need to make) built, primed and ready...



Now I'm into the process of building moulds for everything...



Simple flat moulds for the larger parts.

But due to an undercut on the right ear top layer I'm having to make a 2-part mould, as I am with the rangefinder stalk:



The reason I'm making the rangefinder stalk 2-part is that I intend to cold cast it in aluminium, strengthening it with an aluminium tube down which, if all goes to plan, I'll be able to run wires.

Just starting work on prepping the helmet too - I've put plasticine behind the keyhole slots but, because I really don't fancy the prospect of having to cut them out again, I've pushed back the plasticine so that *hopefully* I can capture the depth of the keyholes and all I have to do is then cut off the extrusions on the inside of the helmet.



(Update - 17 July 2017 - this worked an absolute treat - exactly as I'd hoped - all I had to do was sand the keyslots from the inside and the keyslots were revealed - 30 seconds with a needle file was all that was needed after casting to finish up the slots!)


Fingers-crossed.  Hopefully in the coming weekend I'll be able to start moulding the helmet itself.

[Syko Voss]

So, moulding began with me securing the helmet to a board.

I made a card tube that fit inside the helmet and lifted it off the board and then filled around it with plasticine level to the edges of the helmet so that my mould would have an inside lip.

I also created a card wall around the outside to contain the silicone...



Many, many layers of silicone later I had my mould...(here's some in-progress shots before I'd added all the keys)





...a bit lumpy, but I've been repurposing all the leftover bits of silicone left in cups, cutting it up with scissors (I've just invested in a £10 hand meat grinder that does a better job of turning silicone into little chunks)

I also used an egg tray for making my mould keys, repurposing silicone scraps and a small amount of liquid silicone...



That done, I built a 'mohawk' from used egg tray plastic and aluminium tape and covered everything with mould release and then after that had dried, slathered the whole lot with PVA glue (a good thick coating)

Then, a very stinky weekend, outside, covered head-to-toe, wearing a respirator fibreglassing...



Trickiest part was covering over the mould keys (maybe should've made them a little smaller) but I eventually figured a technique of using long, thin strips of matting and criss-crossing them over the keys rather than trying to lay squares over them...



Moment of truth came when the whole lot had cured and I'm pleased to say it demoulded pretty easily..



Finally, 10 x 8mm bolts with wingnuts to keep everything in place...



And I'm pleased to say my first rotocast was successful - the mould has no bubbles or defects and that reflects in the casting...



I now have one master set of everything to make a screen-accurate (dentless) Boba helmet except for the rangefinder tops which I just need to finish sculpting and moulding.



Did take the opportunity of doing this, my first-ever rotocast of experimenting with ways of reinforcing - I rotocast 2 layers of resin and the third layer I created a mix of resin, fibreglass strands and fillite and brushed that around the mould.

While that worked as a method of getting a composite into the helmet, I have learned a lesson - do this in a few batches - the resin kicks so quickly that it's impossible to get full coverage across the whole inside of the helmet in time.

I followed up with 2 more rotocast layers of resin - pleased that the outside looks 100% on the money, but the inside, due to the reinforcement not being even enough meant that the interior isn't as even as I'd like it to be...



Not complaining, though - everything in this long process worked out perfectly - I just need to get a few opinions/advice to help me work out this final finishing/reinforcing step and then it's new buckets for me and Mrs P!

Would be interested how other folks reinforce their buckets - I'm using polyurethane casting resin throughout and the reinforcing layer on the next helmet I'm going to do in stages using a mix of resin, fibreglass strands and carbon fibre powder.

Does anyone use polyester resin + fibreglass for their helmets, is it possible to reinforce a polyurethane rotocast with polyester resin + fibreglass without it delaminating/there being any reaction between the two types of materials...

And finally, if you do use polyester resin for your helmets - how do you deal with the smell?  I've had to keep the mould out of the house since I created the fibreglass shell since it still stinks and I don't fancy trooping with my head inside an enclosed bucket that stinks like that!

Thanks!

[Hik'aari]

You have been busy

Good work, for the PU resin buckets I have I believe they are just straight PU. But its multiple layers as must be at least 8mm. I shall try to remember to measure tonight.

Vassk (from Poland) does cast helmets. May be worth shooting him a message about it

[Kol Varek]

My first thought is WHAT IS THAT PINK MONSTROSITY AND WHO MADE THAT!! Second observation revealed it to be an inside out mold  Great work as always brother.

[Syko Voss]

Thanks Kol!

Well, Photobucket's change in terms has hit my account...
Time to re-up photos to a better service, rebuild links and delete that account.

(And this weekend start cold casting some new helmets!)

[Hik'aari]

Thanks Kol!

Well, Photobucket's change in terms has hit my account...
Time to re-up photos to a better service, rebuild links and delete that account.

(And this weekend start cold casting some new helmets!)

Imgur will be the recommended photo hosting site. The photo posting guide covers the use of Imgur. An update to this guide is due in near future.

[Syko Voss]

Well, I've sorted myself with imgur and will endeavour to go back and update this thread over time.

But, had  a great time over the weekend cold casting my first helmet proper...



Pleased also to be able to pull off setting a hollow aluminium tube inside the rangefinder stalk, so I'll have stability and strength as well as a hollow stack to feed wires



Outside is cold cast aluminium Polyurethane resin with inner layers of PU resing + milled carbon fibre, and then a layer of Polyester resin + fibreglass with milled carbon fibre

After a little chat with the brilliant support guys at Tomps.com where I get my supplies from, turns out that PU and Polyester resin can play nicely together so I've got the super-crisp casting and aluminium finish from the casting resin and the strength from the inner layers of Polyester + fibreglass

Milled carbon fibre (although very dusty - use respirator, do it outside) proved to be a great additive as it's really light by volume, strengthens both kinds of resin (doesn't stop the Polyester from wetting out the fibreglass) and makes the interior of the helmet and awesome black colour...



Time to let the bucket sit in the window and warmth to help that polyester smell cure its way out, do some tidying up on that raggedy bottom edge and do some assembly...

Oh, and cast more helmets - one for Jayne, possibly a couple to turn into Boba ROTJ helmets for display, and if I can get the process down...to put on the trading station

[Kryamla Redalur]

Looks great!!

[Reyn Vok'chi]

Truly awesome brother, well done  8)

[Syko Voss]

Thank you, I have been listening to the advice of some masters of the craft 

[jett drexel]

very nice work mate. 8)

[Syko Voss]

Pleased to say that the casting process is getting refined...getting a nice consistent cold cast finish and steadily reducing the weight - first cast came out at 1kg, second one I've reduced weight down to 800g while the helmet still feels nice and stable.

Current process is:

1. Cold cast layer of aluminium powder + Polyurethane casting resin
2. Layer of milled carbon fibre + Polyurethane casting  resin
3. Rough sand interior and wipe down with acetone
4. Layer in strips of fibreglass edging tape + fibreglass matting with mix of Polyester resin + milled carbon fibre
5. Layer in a second strip of fibreglass edging tape around the rim of the helmet to add extra strength and thickness at the bottom
6. Thin coating of Polyester resin + milled carbon fibre to smooth interior and fill in any small gaps

This seems to give me the best of both worlds - I can get a really nice metallic finish by lining the mould with aluminium powder then slush casting the PU casting resin + aluminium mix - no air bubbles or anything, then, with the polyester + fibreglass layers I can get more strength for the weight than I could with PU resin alone.

(I tried polyester gel coat as the first coat but found it took longer than slush casting to get the first coat in and that it kept getting bubbles in all the awkward corners despite all the brushing and poking I did - also, brushing in meant that I couldn't get the fine layer of aluminium dusting into the mould, I had to rely on what was in the gel coat.  I may attempt this again some time, but this method seems to be working nicely for me at the moment.)



That's two new helmets for me and Mrs P, one in-progress that I'm going to convert and paint as a canon Boba for myself.


(After that, casting a fourth to paint as a canon Boba for sale, and then, I'll start offering helmets on the Trading Station.)

Rangefinder stalks working nicely and all the ear parts fit as they should.


Right ear cap cover attaches with magnets:



Method of attaching rangefinder topper with magnets - recessing magnets so that they lock into topper.


I have bought the necessary parts for the flashing LEDs on the rangefinder, along with a mercury switch so I can make it a self-contained unit, rather than running wires into the bucket down the stalk.

So, yes - for me, the third helmet to finish fibreglassing, clear casting of the rangefinder topper inserts and then begin cutting out visors, installing interiors and painting the new buckets.

In the background here, I'm restoring the links for my WIP after ditching Photobucket - if there's anything you'd like me to make a priority to upload, PM me, I'll seek out the relevant pics.

[Hik'aari]

I love the additional "POP" you get from pre-powdering the mold. Glad you gave it a go and it turned out well for you

[Syko Voss]

Thanks.  Yep - made a real difference!

I've found that if I pour the initial slush into the mould over the visor area (which'll be cut out, of course) it reduces the risk of washing away the pre-powdering.

I've also found that pre-powdering the ear caps gives similarly great results but I have to be very careful about getting anything but a thin coating of powder in the mould - any small clumps actually prevent the resin from seeping through so on de-moulding there are holes where the clumps have been.

Final bit of learning - after going over the parts with super-fine wire wool, a cloth and some Brasso brings it to another level - Brasso is slightly abrasive so that really brings out the shine.  (Apparently car products like T-Cut do the same.)

And other pro-tip - to patch small holes and bubbles, I've found that if I collect the dust from sanding away flashing on parts, a small blob of super glue pushed into the hole and a bit of resin dust is an easy and quick way to patch.  I push the dust into glue until it's a big thick blob, hit it with some accelerant, sand it down and repeat if necessary.

[Syko Voss]

In progress update.

Two buckets now cast, rangefinders and ear caps added.  Just received delivery of a bunch of welding visors, so that'll be the next step before painting.



Learning how to clear cast polyester rangefinder inserts - a little bit of learning to do to ensure things are bubble free and experimenting with tiny amounts of wax additive to ensure that any parts of the casting that meet with the air aren't left slightly sticky.  (Far right = too much wax!)



So soon will be able to offer cold cast ear caps + reinforced rangefinder, black resin rangefinder topper with a clear resin insert on the Trading Station.  Here they are before clean-up and polishing:



And finally, I discovered SHOULDER SCREWS to attach the Rangefinder after my attempts to attach with regular screws kept coming loose.



I did a bit of Googling to discover that these are specifically designed to create pivots that don't unscrew - basically the smooth part goes right through the hole, into the helmet and I've packed it with a number of washers so that the nut can be tightened completely on the inside.

So, next up on the agenda - finish fibreglassing the interior of helmet #3, install visors in #1 & #2 and then start painting them up!

[drrkscott]

Wow! Am in awe of your "tin lids". When my Sabine-mad daughter's an adult will have to revisit your WIP to see if can replicate this excellent work!

[Syko Voss]

Thanks fella.  Must admit, I've learned from your WIP already.

After seeing what you'd done with the Sabine build, I decided to buy a couple of Portwest Slip Ratchet Helmet Harnesses from eBay...

To add ours to helmets, I cut and bent some pieces from a strip of aluminium, drilled holes to match the attachment points on the harness and used epoxy to glue the 'female' parts of Chicago screws to them...

(The quarter of smaller holes I drilled so that the glue/resin would seep through them.)

Once glued in place and test fitted, I then put a strip of fibre glass tape and resin over them to secure them...



The result - our helmets are now fitted with removable helmet harnesses that are comfortable, distribute the weight nicely across our heads and have better airflow than the padding that was in the original.  A plus also is that the helmets are much more stable and less likely to 'bobble' than our originals.



I also got the visors installed - using Chicago screws epoxied to the helmet and held in place by a stack of rubber washers...



I experimented with the visor material and found that it plays nicely with a heat gun, so rather than forcing the visors into place (which we had done in our original helmets) this time, I was able to heat form them to the outside of the helmet and lay them in with far less of a struggle...



So, now this is what our dining room looks like...

Two new helmets, ready for painting for Jayne and me, two additional ones that I'm going to assemble and paint up as canon Bobas and another one curing for sale to a friend who's keen to become a Merc.



Am working out pricings on making more of these helmet kits for the Trading Station (thinking 1 budget version in grey polyurethane resin, 1 deluxe version in cold cast aluminium with all the hand-laid fibreglass & c/f reinforcements)

I'd like to offer visors too, but am trying to find a UK supplier of sheet polycarbonate/similar so I can build more without the wastage that comes from repurposing welding visors.

And in tangential news, I've cracked the cold-casting/reinforcement of the rangefinder stalks - here they are with a slim brass tube running through for reinforcement and channelling of wires.  If anyone wants any making up, PM me...I'll get a Trading Station post up soon.

[jett drexel]

hi simon, put me down for a hollow range finder stalk when you start production pls. everything is looking really nice, well done mate.

[Syko Voss]

Thanks fella.  PM sent!

[jett drexel]

well i got my range finder stalk and.... it's the bomb mate!!! fantastic work. thankyou so much. 8) 8) 8) can't recommend this product enough.

[Hik'aari]

well i got my range finder stalk and.... it's the bomb mate!!! fantastic work. thankyou so much. 8) 8) 8) can't recommend this product enough.

Does this mean we might start getting you toward a place of approval (I need to get someone else in Kent an OM. I have been the only one in this County for too long now)