Scratch-made Helmet - Pics and Updates

[Tambo Fett]

Looking forward to the first pull pics...I hope it comes out perfect.

 

[trooper rushmore]

FT-This is an awsome job! Makes me feel like I'm cheating by getting a fiberglass bucket. Thumbs up!

 

[jeffstark]

This really is incredible. I feel inspired to make my own now!

 

[Darth Flan]

Keep going.....Show us the finished pics!!!

 

[Kripps]

I'll tell ya.......I can't wait to see it finished. Beautiful work!

 

[TBone]

OK...Well, I decided to finally lay some resin in this bad boy...And boy did I have a lot to learn about resin! The outside of these babies look great, few air bubbles, but the first 2 are way too thick. Will couldn't get them on his head. By the time I made the 3rd one, I think I had it worked out. It went much better.

 

[Sabiru]

Very nice indeed!. I'm glad I found this thread. I especially like the step-by-step process showing how to work with sintra and bondo and making the mold.

 

[phantom viper]

They look great. You did one heck of a nice job. :cheers

 

[TBone]

OK, worked on the RF mold the last few nights. Didn't turn out quite liked I wanted it to, but it is usable.

I am trying some old clear resin I have had for awhile now...Don't know if its still good or not. I'll post some pics tomorrow night after I pull it out.

 

[Jaiden]

Dude...I am so jealous!!! All I can say is, why didn't I think of it first?

Three 'huzah's' for the junior bucket man! :cheers

Have you made the patterns for your son's armor yet?

 

[TBone]

Thanks!

I have his chest pieces completed.

I also pulled the clear RF out of the mold. It is still sticky though :confused . I think the resin maybe too old. It came out really clear and crisp. All of the bubbles are inside.

 

[propsculptor]

That looks like a Rangefinder Ice-Cube!

 

[Jaiden]

Ok, so I get it that the body of the large pieces are reinforced with glass sheets like those used in auto body repair. But the ice cube you made, was that from the basic two-part resin like Bondo that you can get at Wal-Mart?

 

[TBone]

This clear stuff has a brand name of Pour-a-kast. I do not know who makes it. I used to work for a company that made air bag inflators. We used to make cross-sections of inert ones, and poured this stuff in it so you could see the components. It has very good optical properties. Bondo would not translucent, but either reddish or blue tinted.

 

[sithlord23]

That is amazing work FT! Keep us posted, awesome project you there!

 

[MaxPlague]

Looking good! That clear resin will stay sticky for a few days, at least that's been my experience with it. If you're able to let the piece cure in some nice direct sunlight, it'll help take care of the stickyness.

 

[phantom viper]

Wow You have one lucky son. Great job. That clear resin looks great. Nice and clear.

 

[Darth Mule]

Wow neighbor!!! That is f-in cool. I have a nephew I'll be having to do that for eventually. You did an awesome job.

The por-a-kast is made by syntek. They are another of our many plastic resin providers, and used to be the most cost efficient. In recent years tho, Smooth-on has moved up. They are now less expensive and have, in my opinion, the better products. Especially when it comes to their mold rubbers.

I just cast my new helm out of resin. I started off by painting the first couple of layers in with a brush. Just to make it even and bubble free. I then slip cast it with the resin. I only put it in about a mouthwash cup sized portion at a time. and kept it moving till it set up. The resin is much nicer than the Fiberglass. Stronger too.

-Chris

 

[Jaiden]

Oh, Ok. now I get it. I saw something like that at Wal-Mart the other day. It is in the craft section near the sculpting clay. I don't remember the brand name, but it's supposed to be for casting a child's hand. Too expensive for my tastes

 

[TBone]

Thanks guys.

I got the stalks back from the Machine shop today. I didn't really like them at first, but when I got home from work, I put a little sandpaper to them. I sanded with a heavy grit a little, then a finer grit, and finally polished it off with some steel wool. Looks a lot better.