Another helmet option for custom Mandos...

Bradleyfett

Active Hunter
It has been suggested to me that for the benefit of anyone who wasn't following the vacuformed helmet thread, I should start another thread just for this.

Like a lot of us, I've always wanted to do a bunch of different helmet paint-jobs to display together- mostly a Jango and the McQuarrie logo designs developed before ESB. This is my way of making lower-cost helmets for just that purpose. I had a left-over fiberglass shell from my Disney projects that had been slated to become my Jango (who knows when I would have gotten around to that project!). Instead, I sliced it up and made vacuform bucks. I wasn't sure exactly how it would turn out, but I'm very pleased with the results!

Since my set of custom helmets will be just for display, I'm not sure if I will just paint the visor black, or install an actual tinted lense.

So I've ended up with a 9-piece 'kit' of sorts from which I can make my Mandolorian army of helmets:

Vacuformed .080" styrene shell (3 pieces), resin ears and rangefinder, templates to cut out 'turn signals', extra styrene to aid in joining parts and behind 'turn signals'.

Templates for both the T-visor and the rangefinder stalk.


Here is the info:

Vacuformed .080" styrene shell (3 pieces), resin ears and rangefinder, templates to cut out 'turn signals', extra styrene to aid in joining parts and behind 'turn signals'.

The only things not included with the kit to do a complete helmet are the smoked clear visor and the rangefinder stalk. However, templates for both are included so you can cut your own.

Also included are some strips of styrene to aid in joining the front and back halves under the ears.

helmetkitJPG_1.jpg


Pics of assembled helmet before any finishing (putty, paint, etc.):
built1.jpg

built1a.jpg

built2.jpg

built3.jpg

built4.jpg


Note: there is no 'dent' to doing Boba versions, since most customs will be 'non-Boba' (Jango or custom Mando). However, its easy to make a dent by heating up a small spot with a hair-dryer or something similar and pushing in.

If anyone is interested in one of these, PM me here!

Mark
 
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Mark,
It looks great! I really like the idea of the low price...it will make it affordable for guys and gals who want to get into the hobby, but don't have a lot of jack to get the helmet...this is definately an affordable option (or, for those like me who have to have 3 helmets in the family, it's a blessing!). Looks like I'll be looking into one of these for my next projects...no more scratchbuilt helmets for me!:lol:
Rob
 
So is this your scuplt, or a recast of someone elses in styrene?


The original was a Don Post deluxe that was heavily modified and then recast in fibereglass. That fiberglass casting was again modified a bit, and then cut apart to make the vacuform bucks.

Mark
 
It's been a few weeks since this thread had action, but while newer comments were posted in the Jango thread, my helmet, if ever completed, will be a custom paint scheme, so I figured I'd better post here. There were some questions on the thread in the Jango forum about putting the pieces together, so, despite my better judgment, here's what I have so far:

DSCF4189.jpg


That's the first picture of the series in a much larger album, so you'll have to advance from there, if anyone's interested. Still lots to do.

Bradleyfett's bucket kit is not my first one, but will probably be the first one I complete. I have this disease where I start one thing and get so caught up in the possibilities that I have nineteen unfinished products going at the same time and never finish anything. Then there's the fear of failure that keeps one from starting the $100+ buckets... I think the vac-formed kit is a really nice place to start.
 
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