DP 95 Vinyl reshaping problems

Prymer13

Well-Known Hunter
Hey guys, I got a DP 95 that I have been pouring my free time into. I have finally worked thru the cutting, cleaning, and sanding of the exterior. I was about to start cleaning up the interior so I could build up the mandibles and get it ready for my visor.

The guy I got the bucket from told me I could reshape it with a common hair dryer and then hold it into place until It cooled. WELL...I tried it several times. Then I overheated the hair dryer (I didn't know you could do that...).
THEN I tried heating it up, pulling it into shape and dipping into cold water. I thought this was going to be it...yet it wasn't.

I am about ready to break out my heat gun, but I am afraid it will leave me with a Fett shaped puddle.

Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.
Darren
 
Im going throught the same thing myself. Ive heard of some people installing a metal rod around the bottom rim of the helmet. Im gonna try doing the same thing but with some slim aluminum extrusion. Im just wondering if CA glue would hold it in place. Otherwise, i guess it could be screwed on with a few screws and then putty in the screw heads. Im gonna work on it tonight and see how it works out. I'll let you know.
 
When I got my DP95 it was the same story. I lessened the warp but it always came back to one degree or another.

I took a piece of steel from the scrap at work and bent it with my superhuman strength until it BARELY fit along the bottom back edge of the helmet. Then I filled the sink with straight hot water (this is gentler and safer than using a heat gun) and soaked the bucket for a minute. I then used some padded (use a super soft hand towel) clamps to hold the steel tight against the helmet edge. Soaked it in cold water and then left it clamped up over night. The remaining warp after removing the steel was very minute.

Hope this helps a bit.
 
IT does help... I was hoping that I was not going to have to use my superhuman strength (I mainly use it for fighting evil). But if I must, then I must. :D

My only concern is that I have already cut out the visor and I would think that no matter how I chose to reinforce this area, that I would be a weak spot.
 
you need a good hair dryer, and you need to heat it up really hot to the point of almost melting. It needs to be supersoft where you want it to bend, and at the other point your trying to bend it to. for instance if the back is warped to one side you need to heat the side of the back where its warped and the other side where you want to straiten it out, otherwise there is nowhere for the warp to go but back to its original shape.
 
I attached my welding visor to my helmet with "Plastic Welder". I found it at Walmart with the other glues. It is a 2 part epoxy, and comes in an applicator which allows you to push both portions out at the same time.

This stuff really works. It actually melts the plastic together as it dries. And it is dry in about 15 minutes. I used to have hot glue in to hold it, but this stuff really helps hold it together...and makes it easier for you to re-shape the bucket.

I set my bucket in the sun most of the day (of course this was back in the summer and I'm in Alabama so it's good and hot here!). After it was good and warm, I placed a wooden dowel inside, width-wise in the helmet, the length of which made it flare MORE than I really wanted to be flared. Then I stuck it in the fridge the rest of the day.

It seemed to work, but It seems as time goes by it tend to flatten back, so I keep the dowel in it when I'm not wearing it.

You can buy a metal hoop at Walmart, which you can cut and place inside on the back. This can also help keep it flared out. I bought one the other day, but haven't gotten it installed yet.
 

EVO3 wrote:

Ive heard of some people installing a metal rod around the bottom rim of the helmet. Im gonna try doing the same thing but with some slim aluminum extrusion. Im just wondering if CA glue would hold it in place.
thats the method i used for my DP97 and DP 95, hot glue worked fine holding the rod in place.

Fett-UK
 
Thanks for the input guys, now this metal rod, what diameter are we talking about? And what material?

Finally, should I bend the rod to be more oblong, or perfectly round?

(I am planning a trip to LOWE's soon, so a fast reply will definately help.

Thank you
Darren
 
Put in hot car for a few minutes, 10 or 15 minutes on a hot day. It will get real soft. Shape. Place a towel inside helmet to hold the sahpe you want and quickly put in the FREEZER, not the fridge. It will hold the shape and then you can strengthen it with whatever you want to. I am going to use a brass craft circle from Wal-Mart that I cut with the dremel and bent to the shape I want it to hold. I will install it around the bottom this week. Mine has held the freezer shape for over 2 months now.
 
I picked up the rod from work so not sure of the material, but its very tough NOT ALUMINIUM. I bnt it round making the length from ear to ear 9" which looks OK to me, anymore is pushing it I think.
Hope this helps, i will get some pics of the inside of my bucket is thats any use!
Good luck

Jon
 
To reshape my helmet I used the "metal rod" as well. Its not actually a mental rod. It is a metal ring that is used for sewing/crochette (SP?). You can find them at Michael's. I used a Dremel and cut the ring in half so that it would fit inside the back of the helmet where it was needed. I heated the helmet and used a glue gun to attach the metal ring. Worked like a charm.

Here are some pics of the finished product...

http://members.cox.net/debnwar/helm5.JPG
http://members.cox.net/debnwar/helm6.JPG
 
Well, after much looking and NO finding I tried something...I found a 9" wooden cross stitch hoop that I clamped on the inside and tried heating it and leaving it clamped up.

I have had it in clamps for days now, and last night I used the 'ol hair dryer on it three times leaving it clamped thruout...BUT my wife's cheap little white hair dryer kept over heating and cutting out. SO tonight I am breaking out the BIG guns and bringing my heat gun home. I am going to make sure that I don't over do it and keep it moving, but IT WILL BE SHAPED correctly tonight!

Update to follow :D
Darren
 
That should do it. keep the sink full of cold water, when it melts and you bend it, dipping it into the water should freeze it in that position. aint it funny how it can warp outta shape in 3 seconds in a car and stay in that exact shape forever! but 2 hours of heating it up and getting it strait and it pops back into the same shape it was 3 days later. I dont get it.
 
I don't get it either...if this doesn't work I am going to scour the earth for that stupid 9" wire cross stitch hoop, and when I find it, I am going to heat this vinyl helmet until it's almost a puddle! J/K....

But if it doesn't work, I am usin the metal hoop, and using superglue and bondo to install it permanently.

And reguardless of how well this does or doesn't go...I am keeping Marrow-Sun's e-mail clsoe by. i am not going thru this again.

Darren
 
Church, I had thought of it, and that was going to be my last ditch attempt...however:

Temperature that water freezes: 32 F
Temperature of the average human body: 98.6 F
Temperature that paper catches fire and burns: 451 F
Temperature that melts a Vinyl DP95 so it can be successfully reshaped: 1000 F

Ok, so it wasn't constant, but thats the measured output of my Bosch Heat Gun. It took three attempts, one wooden hoop frame, three spring clamps and an "ice bath", but I have finally reshaped my bucket to what I deem acceptable.

NOW I can finally finish trimming and priming it!!!
Thanks to all for your input and support.
Darren
 
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