Rubies 1997 Helmet questions....
- Thread starter Kissker
- Start date
TBone
Active Hunter
Don't ask me why, but I bought one of those those "craptacular" helmets, as Kissker put it, off of Ebay really cheap. Looks almost like the one above. I wanted a cheap one to do some testing on.
Talk about ugly...
It was my first time seeing one of these type helmets in person. I was actually shocked when I saw how crappy this thing is made next to my DP '96. I don't see why LFL would allow these guys to put their logo on something so bad.
...but anyhow, I worked on shaping it for about an hour last night. It looks a lot better than it did, but I'm having problems getting the dome to round up in the center. I tried stuffing it with towels and even using my head to push it up some. Anybody have a better suggestion?
I'm using the hot water/dual sink method.
EDIT
OK, what I have done so far is put a metal "half-hoop" in the back to straighten it out and to increase the flare. The back seems fine now. I even managed to get the dome to pop up some.
The cheeks...still wavy, but here is a suggestion. I took some strips of 1/16" thick aluminum and applied them to the bottom edges, similar to the hoop method in the back. This helped somewhat. My suggestion if you do this is to use a razor blade (or a dremel drum sander attachment - your choice, of course) and smooth the inside the best you can. Get the flatest surface possible so the strips can pull the edges in straight.
Still ugly, but getting there...
It still has a twisted look to the front, but when I add the visor, I'm going to put another metal strip across the inside at the bottom, and join the cheeks together and hopefully keep it from twisting again. There is an indention near the kill marks that I couldn't pull out either
I am also reworking the dent. This one looked like it had an inverted puss pocket on it. I've done a little work, and here is where I am right now. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I'll keep posting as I continue.
Talk about ugly...
It was my first time seeing one of these type helmets in person. I was actually shocked when I saw how crappy this thing is made next to my DP '96. I don't see why LFL would allow these guys to put their logo on something so bad.
...but anyhow, I worked on shaping it for about an hour last night. It looks a lot better than it did, but I'm having problems getting the dome to round up in the center. I tried stuffing it with towels and even using my head to push it up some. Anybody have a better suggestion?
I'm using the hot water/dual sink method.
EDIT
OK, what I have done so far is put a metal "half-hoop" in the back to straighten it out and to increase the flare. The back seems fine now. I even managed to get the dome to pop up some.
The cheeks...still wavy, but here is a suggestion. I took some strips of 1/16" thick aluminum and applied them to the bottom edges, similar to the hoop method in the back. This helped somewhat. My suggestion if you do this is to use a razor blade (or a dremel drum sander attachment - your choice, of course) and smooth the inside the best you can. Get the flatest surface possible so the strips can pull the edges in straight.
Still ugly, but getting there...
It still has a twisted look to the front, but when I add the visor, I'm going to put another metal strip across the inside at the bottom, and join the cheeks together and hopefully keep it from twisting again. There is an indention near the kill marks that I couldn't pull out either
I am also reworking the dent. This one looked like it had an inverted puss pocket on it. I've done a little work, and here is where I am right now. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I'll keep posting as I continue.
Kissker
Active Hunter
just revitilizing this section, as I am going into hard work on the helmet soon.. like.. now. as soon as i move my "work station" to the basement. heres a new starter pic, its had some minor reshaping since i first got it, hot water and towels, and it stayed like that for months until i found it again from the move (towells inside LOL) now.. time to get some 14 gauge wire and round this puppy out... and flare the sides.. and straighten the cheeks.. and bowlling ball the dome.. hehe...
TBone
Active Hunter
Kissker vbmenu_register("postmenu_81163", true); - I returned your PM. That's not looking too bad. If you install the hoop in the back you can get it to flare properly.
Also remember, when you put the visor in you can use it to help hold the helmet in shape. Just be careful when gluing it in, and not get it all over the visor.
Also remember, when you put the visor in you can use it to help hold the helmet in shape. Just be careful when gluing it in, and not get it all over the visor.
Kissker
Active Hunter
new methods of rounding your dome
A_ try this, fill a pot with hot water, get it to boil ((or close to it)) hold your bucket upside down and gently push into the water, then, get some of the hot water on the inside (i cut part of the T out and let it go in there) give it a few seconds to get soft.. then fill the bucket with hot water, (to the T cut in my case) and lift it up over the pot, the hot water inside should weigh down the helm, and gravity makes it bow and shape the dome! repeat as neccisary. *added* can speed up cooling time by filling most the inside, then going outside or over a tub, and slowly pouring ice cold water in to replace the hot water (this gets wet)
B_ plaster time. get a shallow bowl or something to that nature, fill with plaster/plaster ofparis, use a ball or other round object to make a round curved indent (like the helmet would have) let dry, then heat your bucket and hold upside down, pushing from the inside to fill your "mold" with the helmets material, taking the molds shape! (havnt done this one yet, it came to me though)
A_ try this, fill a pot with hot water, get it to boil ((or close to it)) hold your bucket upside down and gently push into the water, then, get some of the hot water on the inside (i cut part of the T out and let it go in there) give it a few seconds to get soft.. then fill the bucket with hot water, (to the T cut in my case) and lift it up over the pot, the hot water inside should weigh down the helm, and gravity makes it bow and shape the dome! repeat as neccisary. *added* can speed up cooling time by filling most the inside, then going outside or over a tub, and slowly pouring ice cold water in to replace the hot water (this gets wet)
B_ plaster time. get a shallow bowl or something to that nature, fill with plaster/plaster ofparis, use a ball or other round object to make a round curved indent (like the helmet would have) let dry, then heat your bucket and hold upside down, pushing from the inside to fill your "mold" with the helmets material, taking the molds shape! (havnt done this one yet, it came to me though)
Hey guys,just signed up after seeing this thread as when I got my DP 97 I aslso was terribly dissappointed.
so I got to work on making it some where half decent,this is all I did..
First I cut that silly visor out and replaced it with some clear plastic sheet covered in car window tinting stuff and evo sticked it in!! (the t shape was just trial and error using card to get it right)
Then I simply just painted on the scatches and stuff using acrylic paint as mentioned above somewhere,I also hair driered it into shape and that was that...hope this is of some use to you
so I got to work on making it some where half decent,this is all I did..
First I cut that silly visor out and replaced it with some clear plastic sheet covered in car window tinting stuff and evo sticked it in!! (the t shape was just trial and error using card to get it right)
Then I simply just painted on the scatches and stuff using acrylic paint as mentioned above somewhere,I also hair driered it into shape and that was that...hope this is of some use to you
Demonchild
Active Hunter
Pretty nice helmet :love Wish i could have it
