My ESB MLC Helmet - a long labour of love!

[Jodo Kast 2749]

I can't tell you how long and hard I have fought to get a quality helmet. I still remember the day when Mirax and JodoKast3 PM'd me and strongly recommended that I not cheap out on the helmet. Wise words which I was too foolish to heed at the time.

I've been through a DP95 and several fibreglass buckets only to meet with mishap and disappointment as each helmet proved too small or too cheaply made. At long last, I swung a deal on an unpainted MLC and tried to give it the most accurate paint job I could in the time frame I had to deal with. (Keep in mind that I have avoided doing a Fett costume mainly because I was too lazy to have to recreate the small details. )

Without further delay, here she is:

I still have to do some charcoal powder weathering, install the mesh behind the key slots and install my fan and some more padding but for now she's wearable.

p.s. The MLC is just right for a man with a larger head and glasses.

 

[bobamaker]

Nice job...What will you use to seal the charcoal when finished?

 

[Jango Fett Jr]

Awesome helmet!
One more ESB Fett in Ontario

 

[Jodo Kast 2749]

Nice job...What will you use to seal the charcoal when finished?

I'm just using a light spray of clear flat then taking the scrubbing pad to it to dull it down.

Awesome helmet!
One more ESB Fett in Ontario

Thanks. I'm in the Badlands Squadron here in Alberta and we're doing a big event on stage with the Edmonton Symphony for a movie music performance they are doing. That's on Sept.4 so I have to finish the rest of my gear by then.

Oh yeah, take off eh, ya hoser! (Gotta love SCTV)

 

[Jedi Bob]

I'm just using a light spray of clear flat then taking the scrubbing pad to it to dull it down.

PLEASE whatever you do, DO NOT use American Accents Clear Top Coat by Rustoleum!
Stick with Testors Dull Coat. BTW - Fantastic work on that helmet!!! :

 

[Jodo Kast 2749]

Thanks Bob. I read that thread - damn shame. I used a red rust primer for the mandibles on this helmet and it started to crack about a minute after I sprayed it on. I hit it with a clear top coat (by Rustoleum coincidentally) and it stopped the cracking dead. I only suffered a few spider web cracks on the back band and in the corners of the key slots.

I think I might use the acrylic black wash that Lee has recommended. The greens really need to be darkened up a bit.

(I caught hell from my wife for trimming a little hair from one of my daughter's dolls to make a brush for the charcoal powder )

 

[Jango Fett Jr]

Crap sorry I was thinking of another dude, my mistake

 

[TK Fett]

Good job Jodo, that is actually a good green color to not be Lee's. Good job doin the details too. You should have a great costume for troopin in.

 

[Jangos kid]

Pretty sweet bucket there man!!!! Good job. BTW, please show us a pic of your velcro mounted visor setup
Damian

 

[Jodo Kast 2749]

Will do. Thanks for the encouragement guys. I was 80% done the paint job and had to take a 2 day break before I took a hammer to it.

 

[sithlord23]

Ahhh yeah! excellent work my man!:cheers....and SCTV kicks no shortage of ass

 

[Tyler Durden]

What color green did you end using?

 

[Loranar Fett]

Nice Job J_K, paint job looks great!

I like how you matched the colours - very well done!

Loranar

 

[Jodo Kast 2749]

The green is an off the shelf I picked up at Zellers called "Spring Green". The left ear is called "Forest Green" I believe. It's a bit dark for my tastes.

The Spring Green on the cheeks needs to be darkened up a lot but overall I'm pretty happy. I used Testors "Flat Yellow" for the stripes, black primer for the cheeks (a little too dark but the scrubbing lightened it up) and another Zellers Red Rust Primer for the mandibles. The grey I bought from a model (like Warhammer figures) store. The right ear is actually a nice color from Model Masters(??) called champagne gold. Oh yeah, the back is a dark blue from Krylon I believe.

The black symbols on the right ear are "Permanent Black Marker".

 

[obi sean kenobi]

Looks great.

Dont know why, but Im partial to the MLC helmets.....

sean

 

[Star Wars Chick]

Really looking nice there!

 

[Jodo Kast 3]

Jodo...

Nice job my friend. Nothing wrong with heeding some words of wisdom a little farther down the road..

Nice job on the bucket.

JK3

 

[Jodo Kast 2749]

Thanks amigo. I'll never forget the help and enouragement of this board in the early months of getting into this. Thanks again.

p.s. I don't sup`pose you have a Paypal account?

 

[Jodo Kast 3]

Jodo..

You have a PM.

 

[dengar99]

Great job on the bucket, Jordan!