MAKING ULTRA FLAT BASES, LEFT EAR
As I want to build a helmet which is pretty close to the original, I decided to make detachable ears with ultra flat ear bases. I never saw an original helmet without ears since I saw Benzai88's helmet, which is from an original and hasn't any ears.
Benzai88's helmet!
I also carefully researched the pictures from the DTH reference CDs.
The bases I built are close but not really as the original, my target was to idealize the helmet in some ways.
What you need first are the ear templates from the WOF thread, you will find them at the very bottom of WOF first post #1.
To have a perfect pattern of the ear base use the left ear part on page 4
Again I only used 1mm styrene sheets to build everything, this stuff is really cool!
Cut out the outer contour of the left ear. Sand the area rough on the helmet where the left ear base will be built. The putty later applied will hold much better than. Do not sand the ear base pattern, its good when it has a shinier surface. It should not hold to good, later you will see why. Apply a little bit glue only in the middle of the ear base pattern and put it onto the helmet about 3mm away from the left mandible. (As shown in the picture here).
Let it dry for 30 minutes.
Hence the helmet has a round shape the glued ear base pattern has a gap around its edge.
With a little scraper and some putty fill the gap with as much putty you can. Use carefully the edge of the glued ear base pattern as a reference for you scraper. Work in an angle of 90° to the pattern and you will get a perfectly sharp edge later.
Let the putty harden a while.
With a knife lift up the ear base pattern you glued on the helmet before and the you can rip it off!
All what should be left is a U shaped ring of putty applied to the helmet.
It should look like this:The pink colored areas are putty areas (Simulated picture)
Mix some more putty and fill the areas between the U shaped hardened putty. With your scraper carefully use the hardened putty "rails" as "glide rails".
After that you have a perfectly flat and aligned left ear base.
If there are some questions left, do not hesitate to write them in this thread!
Coming up next: Build the left ear in 30 min!
See you!
Chris