My Ugly Duckling Recasted MH Progress thread

tubachris85x

Well-Known Hunter
Awhile back, I picked up a recasted mystery helmet from cookiemongoloid here for cheap. I wanted to use it as a possible test prop to learn a little about fiberglassing.

This thing is pretty bad, well, at least the inside, back, and the rim at the bottom is. I honestly dont know how I can turn this thing into even a somewhat decent helmet, but I can see it in my head.

Tonight, I decided to cut what was left of the visor and did a little bit of trimming to get some of the right shape going. Several areas along the visor are either really thin, or really thick. Typical recasted qualities. Since today was my real first attempt at fiberglassing, I did the inside of one cheek that was very bendable, which I worried would break off.

Here's pics from when I first got it, I'll try to get some newer ones in awhile when the resin sets a bit more.

helmet009.jpg


funny005.jpg


funny006.jpg


BTW-that is light shinning through it...

-tubachris
 
Well here's today's first progress pics. Nothing spectacular, but it was a major step for me, cause like I said, it was really my first try at fiberglassing. I wanted to practice on something, like making a cast of a cup or something disposable, but all i had was a small paper plate. You can see it right next to the helmet lol

Anyways, you can see the visor was cut out and now one cheek inside is re-inforced. Before, it felt like I was able to just snap it off, would actually bend under its own weight..but not anymore!

I still need to learn to do this better. One thing I instantly noticed about this, is how messy it is, especially the fiber matting when your cutting it..So anyways, here it is so far.

001-24.jpg


002-16.jpg


-tubachris
 
welcome to the world of fibreglass repair... :p i repair surfboards and i hate fibreglass :p hope you like being itchy everywhere and look like you have chicken pox ;)

good luck with that though, you look like you are going well :p pop down to your local surfboard repair shop and ask for tips though, and enquire about Q-Cell... a little white powder that makes the resin twice as strong and half as heavy :D

hope that helps :D
 
Jeez thats a hell of a job you've got there, I admire your tackling it head on as I believe you can make something good out of it, nice job (y)
 
wow. yeah. that's going to take some doing. I think once a visor goes in it though the cheek won't seem as flimsy.

I'd still go ahead an reinforce it, but a visor will add a ton of support if you mount it correctly. I was painting one of my buckets the other day and had already installed the visor (covered by painters tape) I was letting a coat dry and I went to reload my compressor. Well the table shook and the helmet slide off its pedestal and took a spill to the ground. didn't crack or anything. my heart did stop for a second. But believe me, some of these helmets are sturdier than you think.

good luck with your project


FINISH that Dark trooper man!
 
Have a question...On the back of the mystery helmet, the distance between the keyholes and the rim of the helmet, what is the measurment sopposed to be? This one appears to have the keyholes too close to the rim, or its just not 'tall' enough. On this one, its measuring to a quater of an inch distance. Thanks
 
I just recieved the FP earcaps and a flat piece of smoked acrylic (which Im goin to shape to make a visor) today in the mail (Thanks Ripcode!) Im a little concerned though, the earcaps IMO appear that they may just be a tad to large to 'work' with this helmet. The earcaps are amazingly clean casted and sharp and I would love to be able to use these. I just need everyone's opinion on it. Here are some pics:

I think this side just barely makes the cut..

003-10.jpg


This side is what Im really worried about

006-7.jpg


I think that this makes the ear's look to big. The helmet already has the innner ear cap casted into it, which I was originally going to chop off anyways and replace with the FP cap. You can see here that the outer RF cap is larger then the piece attached:

007-7.jpg



Other then the earcap dilema, I wanted to show the actual problem areas of the helmet, because the general look from the pics above dont show the actual problems that well.

Most of the issue is the helmet rim, most of it is cracked fiberglass resin/bondo, leaving areas really thin and very uneven.

010-1.jpg


011-1.jpg


013.jpg


Now here's something thats been really annoying me. The keyslots. From the instant I first held this thing in my hands, the first thing I said, was "these keyslots are horrible," and I still stand by that. Fortunatly, Stellardude gave me a link to a maker selling them as a seperate unit, which I will be getting in the future.

016-1.jpg


Im still wondering what the measurements between the keyslots and the rim is sopposed to be.

Just wanted to show you guys how bad it really is, before I start any more work. Theres a whole lot more then this, but I wouldnt want to cause computer's to crash! Going to continue with more fiberglass re-inforcement tomorrow, and then move onto bondoing.

-tubachris
 
Wow man! Those keyholes look MUCH better than what I was working with! lol
They're a little off in terms of being completely uniform, but nothing a little Bondo and a hobby file wouldn't fix.

That fella with the spares does seem to have nice ones though! Just be sure you can cut that original out cleanly.
 
I have some earcaps that are a little smaller. Nice casts for the DP 96.

I bought them last year, and my helmet exploded before I used them.

If you decide you wanna trade lemme know. Ill ship first and if they dont fit either you can just ship them back.
 
I have some earcaps that are a little smaller. Nice casts for the DP 96.

I bought them last year, and my helmet exploded before I used them.

If you decide you wanna trade lemme know. Ill ship first and if they dont fit either you can just ship them back.

I'll consider it, but I want to wait to see how this will turn out. I really appreciate your offer, but like I said, these ear caps are really amzing and I would really, really hate not to use them at all.

I just looked at them on the helmet again, the RF side, and one side of the upper cap lines up fairly well. So I think it can work, but I want to hear from more experienced members before I decide to switch them out.

Wait...what..? Exploded..?
 
Hi Tubachris, i bought a bucket pretty much identical to yours (gotta love that scratchy grey exterior) . The price was good though and I don't mind rolling up my sleeves if I know what I'm letting myself in for, I enjoy a restoration project and those buckets certainly need it. I had the same problem with the rim and ended up building up and slightly extending with aluminium mesh and epoxy putty before sanding it back down.

I reckon I'm about a week away from starting the painjob after spending about a month on getting it reasonable.

I feel I'm somewhat tempting fate with those words..

anyway, good luck and all the best with yours. I'm sure it will be worth it.
 
Hi Tubachris, i bought a bucket pretty much identical to yours (gotta love that scratchy grey exterior) . The price was good though and I don't mind rolling up my sleeves if I know what I'm letting myself in for, I enjoy a restoration project and those buckets certainly need it. I had the same problem with the rim and ended up building up and slightly extending with aluminium mesh and epoxy putty before sanding it back down.

I reckon I'm about a week away from starting the painjob after spending about a month on getting it reasonable.

I feel I'm somewhat tempting fate with those words..

anyway, good luck and all the best with yours. I'm sure it will be worth it.

Hey, Im glad to see that someone else has already been able to fix up one of these helmets. I would love to see pics of yours that you finished fixing up. BTW-That is a pretty good idea for fixing the rim up

Anyways, I got more fiberglassing done, I got the other cheek covered, along with that side of the helmet, extending halfway up the dome. I would have done more, but gravity wont allow me to rofl
 
I'll try to get some shots of it up for tomorrow. It'll be like seeing a twin! Easy with that fibreglassing. Hope you're wearing a mask.
 
I'll try to get some shots of it up for tomorrow. It'll be like seeing a twin! Easy with that fibreglassing. Hope you're wearing a mask.


Sweet!

Bah, I wear a mask when I can, but it was too windy out today, and kept it circulating in the garage. The only thing thats really annoying though, is the fiber matting that I got. I dont know if its just the bondo's brand, but the fibers just fall right off, and stick to my hands and everything. Its just so messy, and annoying. Thats the only issue I have with fiberglassing..I do wear latex gloves though..
 
Alright, well I just stoped at a west marine right down the street. While I dont really have the funds to get their resin/hardner, I decided to try their fiberglassing cloth, not the matt, but the cloth, thats 'quilted.' From what I see now, I think that it will work much better and not be as messy or annoying as the matt stuff.

Once the other fiberglass I applied earlier is hardened, I will continue with the rest and try out the new cloth.
 
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