My New ROTJ

Hello, boys!

This is my first helmet paint job since my college days. I went with the ROTJ scheme (my favorite). I had thought that it would actually be easier than the ESB, but it's definitely just as challenging, maybe more so!

The base helmet is a wonderful Asok Cold Cast (I'm know it's not news, but Asok is a PLEASURE to deal with), because my second-hand FP Premium deal fell through (I won't name names, but UNBELIEVABLY disappointing - ugh).

I used a little bit of reference from some of the great paintups on here (dynamic1 and Jayvee), plus the templates and of course the gallery. As far as methodology and technique, well, it's nice to live down the street from deadland. I figure that it's turning out pretty well so far.

The previous paintups I did were all on Don Post lids, and it was well before the huge amount of reference that we have now. Although those older helmets turned out pretty nice (in my opinion), I'm hoping for this one to be way better.

I went with a rattlecan approach (I don't currently have the space necessary for an airbrushed job), which is the same method I used for my previous buckets. The colors haven't changed in the last 12 years (same ol' Spruce Green, same ol' Hunter Green, same ol' Sage Green, same ol' Cabernet), but I added Cobalt Cannon, which is a great color for some of the miscellaneous damage and scrapes on the dome and lower cheeks, in addition to the Flat Black, Gray Primer, etc.

Ordinarily I take nice photos of my subjects, but I just snapped a few with my phone this morning. I pulled some of the masking off of the dome (the paint wasn't quite fully cured), so here's what she looks like so far. LOTS more work to be done!

Comment/critiques welcome!

Wow bro that is looking fantastic I cannot wait to see it in person. Hell you cannot even tell where that chunk was missing on the lower cheek!!!

Coming along nicely! Wish I had the skills haha

Rattle can?, Wow its looking great!

Looking killer bud, all the ROTJ love at the moment is awesome! Keep up the good work

WOW man...looking excuisite I must say!!! cant wait for glamour shots on her...slap some lipstick on and shes ready!!!

Lots more work to be done. I need to even the cutout on the non-rangefinder side of the helmet. Plus more paint, plus visor install, plus etc. etc. etc.

So much fun!

A little more progress. Temporary visor (just taped in). I'm happy with it so far.

very good work, sir, very good indeed.

good work!

Thanks for the kind words, gents. It's nowhere near the level as many others' helmets on the site, but boy, I'm having fun with it!

I'm very apprehensive about the installation of the visor. Like dinykdarth, I'm concentrating heavily on evening out the interior of the mandibles for thickness and uniformity. That seems like the only drawback to the asok.

The visor currently 'installed' is a super flimsy face shield that was given to me by a fellow member. It's just taped in place right now, mostly for fitting purposes, plus it was easy to cut with just a pair of scissors. It's very important to me that it sits RIGHT UP against the inner mandibles. I want any gaps to be as miniscule as possible, if any.

As far as paint, I just have the kill stripes, forehead triangles and a back panel re-do (the first masking fluid that I bought was HORRIBLY THICK). Then clear coat, clear coat, clear coat!

Dude this is coming along nicely keep up the good work!!

Did a little more work this evening before poker night. Coming along well.

rotj like a boss!

you've got some options for installing your visor, as you probably know about; chicago screws, etc. with my recent helmet i didn't have time to do a proper visor installation before the troop i needed it for so i just duct taped it in place. once i get my electronics in though i'll do a real install for it.

Originally Posted by saint_nasty

rotj like a boss!

you've got some options for installing your visor, as you probably know about; chicago screws, etc. with my recent helmet i didn't have time to do a proper visor installation before the troop i needed it for so i just duct taped it in place. once i get my electronics in though i'll do a real install for it.

Thank you, brother!

Yea, I've already picked up a bunch of the Chicago screws. I'm holding out, though, until I can get the right color visor. I'm of the belief that the ROTJ visor is not green.

Anyways, it doesn't even matter at this point, since I still have so much work to do, still.

Thanks for commenting!

Dude it just keeps getting better and better. Maybe we can get together this weekend and get the visor nailed down as I need to the same on a coupke of commissions I am working on.

[QUOTE=rubio95;587943]Thank you, brother!

Yea, I've already picked up a bunch of the Chicago screws. I'm holding out, though, until I can get the right color visor. I'm of the belief that the ROTJ visor is not green.

Agreed, I think the ROTJ visor is smoke black. Thats what I'll be going with in mine :-)

I haven't done much lately, but got some new photography gear and had some fun tonight, though Photobucket annihilates the resolution.

Looks great man!!

That really looks great. Super job!!

Looks great bud, you have captured the damage really well, and those 'dramatic' shots look lovely! Fantastic mate, keep up the great work!

that right side pic is just insane!!

Yea mate, you are certainly not wrong - The smoke black was much harder to find than I thought it would be, but in the end, I was able to find a couple on ebay. The ones I got I think are actually perfect for ROTJ - seems just that right shade, and is about 3mm thick. There is some debate still with what colour was used on ESB in the films - I'm still of the belief that it is green shade 3 - which is a fair bit lighter than the green shade 5. It was definately a green shade 3 in the more recent AOSW exhibit, but is hard to tell in the pics with the grainy lighting and lesser photographs of the movie stills. But my ROTJ smoke black is easily as dark as this, and looks very in line with the exhibit reference pics..

I am glad you mentioned the upper cheek colour - that was the one colour that I thought may have been a touch off. Do be careful going too blue though - I have a big talk about this in my ROTJ thread, and I still feel alot of the blue comes out from the camera flash, and they are actually a dark green/blue with more emphasis actually to the green value. You can bring the blue out in green as blue is one of the two colours that make up green, but you cant bring the green out in blue as blue is a primary colour. But the cheeks definately appear green under some lights, which mean they must have this green value.. hope that makes sense, just something to think about brother..

All up though, I stick by my initial statement of outstanding work! Peace

Not much action today. Here's a few I took the other night, just for kicks.

Well, it really kicks! Great job with the painting and the photography!

Great shots!!!

Bored again. Not much new done since the last time I posted.

However, I did finally install the visor permanently, with the guidance of a certain heavyweight around here. No more tape!

Looking good bro now get to work on those back panels!!!

Your new photo gear is showing your piece well.

Looks awesome man! What did you end up using for masking fluid?

Anybody ever check out welshwarrior123 on youtube? He has a pretty awesome helmet tutorial on there.