noob questions for DP95

[flatspunout]

Hi all first post here...I'm saving my pennies for a Bobamaker new cast but in the meantime I want to get my painting technique down by practicing on my DP95, but I'd like to modify it a bit to get more flare and round off the dome a bit (it looks almost flat across the top). What is the best way to do this? My cable remote control is the perfect width to give the flare I want when I put it across inside the helmet...I heated it with a hair dryer but eventually it goes back to the original shape so is there a trick to getting it to stay? Also any recommendations on the dome? I have my paints ready, dremel charged up, face shield for the t visor, and a brand new pack of sandpaper and I'm chomping at the bit to get started but I want to get the shape right first before I start hacking out the visor area...any hints tips and suggestions welcome thanks a ton!

 

[fanboy]

i've read on here about using a 12" craft hoop for the flair. cut it in half and glue it in on the bottom of the inside. if you do a search for helmet flair, or craft hoop/ring you should be able to find something with more detail. i'm finishing up my dp '96, i didn't change the flair, it was alright for a first helmet.

 

[GCNgamer128]

I heard that if you give a layer of bondo inside and then give it a layer of fiberglass it will be a nice bucket

 

[Bubba Fett]

I am surprised that the top of the dome is flat, the 95's I have seen are usually round, though they do have numerous other problems.

Anyway, I have just been building one of these and tried some different approaches. First let me say that heat alone will not work for the flare due to plastic memory - it will eventually try to go back to its original shape. I ended up using a thin copper tube to hold the shape, which I also brought around to the mandible. The reason for this is that when I flaired the helmet it pushed the mandibles in toward the helmet a bit. I heated and bent them back but eventually they would go back inward (that darned memory again). The copper tubing keeps them in place nicely however. I have a thread that shows a picture, but we are moving the server so the pics won't be back online for a couple of days - sorry 8-0

You will also need to fix the right ear on the DP95 as it is shaped wrong. Just flatten it out a bit. Sounds like you may need to bondo the top to get it round too. If you decide to buy stickers for it then make sure you get them sized for the smaller dome too.

That's pretty much all the advice I can offer. Good luck, can't wait to see some progress pics!

 

[flatspunout]

Wow progress pics that's a lot of pressure...be gentle lol. Fanboy you rock...found the tutorial for the craft hoop and I think that will work perfectly for my needs. It's not too bad flat Bubba (lol my gf said "bubba fett" tonight as I was paint shopping and I casually commented that he is Boba's redneck stick eating cousin from Mississippi "who needs a blaster when you've got 00 buckshot" and I'm from Mississippi so I can say "redneck stick eater") but I don't feel comfortable with bondo just yet so I may just let it be. Seriously I will try and get pics up before I do anything to it so everyone can follow along...I can use all the help I can get! Bubba I am using TK409's welding shield method for the t-visor...do you think that epoxy-puttying the visor in place will keep the mandibles in the correct shape or should I go ahead and extend the hoop all the way to them? Thanks for all the help!

 

[Bubba Fett]

I would extend the hoop. With the helmet I am working on if I change the flair a little I can now fix the mandible so it stays all nice and pretty like ;-). Yeah, I got the welding shield for the t-visor too. Have not attached it yet, but it looks like it should work great (picked up the epoxy putty as well). I will let you know how it goes, but I think you will have a ways to go before you need to worry about that part. I probably have over 60 hours into this darn thing already!

Oh, and don't worry about the pics (though I would like to see them). I am the worst person I know of as far as posting goes...

 

[digital509]

if you put the bucket into a big tub of hot water (upside down) and let the bucket fill up with water, you will notice that as you pull it out of the water the weight and heat of the water inside the bucket will round out the dome.
worked like a champ on mine and it's very quick, almost instant.

 

[flatspunout]

ok pics...try one and see if I need to resize it

 

[flatspunout]

here's more

 

[flatspunout]

egads that's brilliant! hot water + gravity = round dome! few more pics
and yes I have the earcap and RF...which is horrible casting by the way...pics soon

 

[Bubba Fett]

Great idea digital! Looks like it worked like a charm.

 

[flatspunout]

Bubba I notice the DP buckets have a lot deeper t-visor area than the others...did you dremel/sand any material away from the inside to make the visor fit more flush with the outside?

 

[Bubba Fett]

Yeah, the visor area looked too thick so I took my handy dandy dremel and thinned it a bit. There is a thread from Brak for the exhibit photos somewhere here on TDH (I am on a different computer or I could post it) that will show you the right thickness.

 

[flatspunout]

I thought it looked awfully thick...my worry is getting out the dremel and ending up with a jagged uneven inside that the visor won't sit flush against creating gaps between the visor and the inside of the bucket...there isnt much room to work in there even with a small rechargeable dremel! Also I scored a craft hoop and italian olive paint so I now have all the base colors that I need. The hoop is brass however instead of aluminum (only had time to hit hobby lobby on my lunch break and at a buck 39 I figured what the hay) so we will see if it is strong enough to support the flare and mandibles. I think I am going to use the epoxy putty to attach the hoop instead of hot melt...use small blobs every few inches inside the bottom of the bucket and kinda smoosh the hoop down into said blobs. Anyone know a good source for aluminum hoops in case the brass doesn't work out? I haven't checked wally world but I don't think they would have anything but the wooden hoops.

I'm debating whether I want to attempt to salvage the RF/stalk/earcap that comes on the DP95 or just get a whole new quality ensemble...Bobamaker's are awesome but I don't think I can justify parting with that many clams when it is going on a helmet that won't match the level of detail that is in the RF...any other less expensive options? Especially the earcap as I noticed how far the stock one sticks out like mentioned above. Thanks so much for all the help everyone I'm getting uber excited about this project...especially after seeing the weathering stencils some of the guys here are working on...incredible!

 

[flatspunout]

Ok so the "brass" hoop turned out to be brass-like-material plated steel...didn't take long for me to toss it and tomorrow I will go in search of aluminum. I got the visor area cut out (hair dryer + xacto = like butta) in about 10 minutes and then spent an hour and a half staring at it trying to figure out a good way to thin down the inside and have a nice smooth even consistent surface for the visor to rest against...I really think I would butcher it with the dremel and sanding off that much material would take forever. It has to come out though as my nose was already squished as it was and adding another 1/8" of welding sheild will be very uncomfortable if not unwearable.

On a more positive note cutting out the keyholes went easier than expected and with a little touch up sanding will look fine, especially considering the horrendous casting. The inside of the bucket where the keyholes are is another story...it sticks waayy into the helmet and looks like a little mountain range sitting in there. Also puttied the copyright info on the back and a few holes around the bottom, and sanded the inside in preparation for a coat of black paint. I think it should be ready for primer by the weekend so I will post pics before the base colors go on!

 

[flatspunout]

progress pics...how long does it take rustoleum spruce green to dry??? Still super tacky after 4 hours...

 

[Bubba Fett]

Hey FSO it's looking good so far. You thinned out the mandible part nicely. I had the same concerns when iIdid mine so used the dremel for part, then sanded.
As far as stalks go I would toss the one that came with it (they look pretty bad) and then post in Cargo Hold and see if someone has one to sell. I got a nice one from another member for about $30 with a rangefinder. You're right, I might save the BM stalk for a better dome.
The Spruce Green should dry much faster than that, though it somehwat depends on the weather. Mine dried to the touch in about 15 to 30 minutes. What primer did you use? Make sure you do lots of lighter coats as heavier ones will take a long time to dry (you probably already know that, but thought I would mention it anyway).
You can see in the last picture why I brought the hoop all the way around to control the mandibles.
Keep up the great work!

 

[flatspunout]

Thanks Bubba LOTS of patience with the dremel and I learned to bend my hand in ways I never thought possible! The hoop isn't in yet so the mandibles are splayed out a good bit just from me handling the bucket as I was taping and painting...but I did give up on bringing the hoop all the way around. I think I will just add a brace or 2 across the front after I have the visor in place...I could probably even use some of my leftover hoop material. As for the RF, the more I look at it the more disgusted I get, but I think I may try to salvage it as the main focus on this helmet is paint and getting a little experience before I jump in on a BM.

come to think of it I probably did lay the green on a little thick, but it is beginning to dry faster now as I have been working on it with a hairdryer a fan and short periods out in the sun. I think I was expecting it to be like the primer (rust-o gray) which dried to the touch in about 15 mins and enough for me to sand in less than an hour. I shot the inside with krylon ruddy brown primer which was the color on the mandibles in the "before" pics and i'm going to use either brown or black padding inside. going to rub on my RF stalk now!

 

[flatspunout]

OK almost a month later and I'm finally done ('cept for the markings on the ears)...been spending what little free time I've had working on the bucket instead of taking pictures to put on the internet lol...and I went from base colors to finished product with no pics in between. I'm happy with the way it turned out and I learned a LOT in the process...this one is all freehand but with the help of the stencils on here and the experience gained I am ready to take on the Bobamaker bucket I should have by Christmas! I tried pics with and without the flash and neither really accurately shows the colors...they really "pop" in the pics but are less vivid in person. Also I remember reading a post about camera focal length distorting the shape and I think that is the case here as the bucket looks taller and narrower than it does in person. Many thanks to all who helped especially Bubba Fett (great looking DP 95 I might add!)

 

[flatspunout]

and finished product