Thinking of a Trash Can Helmet? - Learn From My Failure

[joshcube]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I figured helping out another scratchbuilder would be worth looking like an idiot for having attempted it.

I was inspired by WOF's templates and the trash can armor pieces and decided to try and make a bucket. I bought a Sterilite can for $10 USD and spent about 12 hours cutting, sanding, and shaping all the pieces in boiling water. I did a beautiful job, if I do say so myself, and even modified WOF's templates to hide the seams a little better.

Then I went to put it together.... turns out polypropelene (which is what Sterilite cans are made of) is darn near impossible to glue. I found numerous websites attesting to this after the fact. "Super Glue" is useless and so is epoxy. There are a few specialty adhesives out there that will work, but they are expensive and blow the whole idea of a budget scratchbuilt out the window.

I'm turning now to Sintra, which I was able to source locally for less than $2.00 per sq. ft. and works out to be even cheaper than "For Sale" signs at Home Depot.

I just have to decide between 1/16" and 1/8" thickness. I'm shooting for under $25 (without paint) for the bucket.

I also can't decide between a Boba and Jango. A Boba bucket is much more interesting artistically and visually, but I have little interest in doing a complete Boba costume. For a complete costume I like the looks of the Jango much better.

 

[KaanE]

Welcome to TDH, and enjoy doing the costumes. Any doubt comment on It.

Regards

 

[GCNgamer128]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I figured helping out another scratchbuilder would be worth looking like an idiot for having attempted it.

I was inspired by WOF's templates and the trash can armor pieces and decided to try and make a bucket. I bought a Sterilite can for $10 USD and spent about 12 hours cutting, sanding, and shaping all the pieces in boiling water. I did a beautiful job, if I do say so myself, and even modified WOF's templates to hide the seams a little better.

Then I went to put it together.... turns out polypropelene (which is what Sterilite cans are made of) is damn near impossible to glue. I found numerous websites attesting to this after the fact. "Super Glue" is useless and so is epoxy. There are a few specialty adhesives out there that will work, but they are expensive and blow the whole idea of a budget scratchbuilt out the window.

I'm turning now to Sintra, which I was able to source locally for less than $2.00 per sq. ft. and works out to be even cheaper than "For Sale" signs at Home Depot.

I just have to decide between 1/16" and 1/8" thickness. I'm shooting for under $25 (without paint) for the bucket.

I also can't decide between a Boba and Jango. A Boba bucket is much more interesting artistically and visually, but I have little interest in doing a complete Boba costume. For a complete costume I like the looks of the Jango much better.

How about using Sintra or ABS? Sintra is a foam like PVC, and ABS is plastic, styrene is also another good plastic to use. Sintra bonds extremely well with Superglue, and the other two glues work extremely well with PVC cement!

I would suggest finding a plastic supplyer int he area to find the plastics I recommended.

Good luck!!

Andy

 

[joshcube]

Um... I think I said that (about the Sintra) in my first post already.

Home Depot had some Styrene light covers, but it looked awful thin and brittle.

 

[GCNgamer128]

Sintra suppliers in my area can get me a sheet (4'x8') for just over $10USD. Where are you looking for it?

 

[joshcube]

I've been looking at sign companies mostly. This one is close to my work and open to the public.

 

[GCNgamer128]

You might want to find a plastic supplyer, I use GE Polymershapes and buy sheets of plastic at a time.

 

[Devilstar2k2]

We learned the hard way about trying to glue trash can plastic... Same can as yours, and we got it to work, but it was a pain. For a cod; we had to do some crosshatch type scoring with an exacto knife, then used a glue called E6000, and after that, super glue around the edges where it wasn't crosshatched because it had popped up.

Can't even imagine trying to do it to a helmet though... The cod was just 2 semi flat pieces...

 

[Hammer of Might]

I am fairly sure that a hot glue gun would work, right?

 

[joshcube]

Hot glue might work for a while, but I'd live in constant fear of it popping loose. It also isn't sandable and I don't know how it paints. That would be a problem for the cheek area that requires a lot of gluing.

Plus, I'm not sure if bondo would even stick to the trash can plastic for shaping. Epoxy putty definitely will not work.

As for sourcing the plastic on the cheap.... I swung by a company that makes plastic displays that is near my house and they have a scrap bin out back next to their dumpsters. No Sintra, but it's chock full of acrylic that I can use for the ear pieces. SCORE! 8)

The thought of using free acrylic for the whole helmet crossed my mind, but I don't like the idea of a helmet that will shatter if it gets bumped off the table.

It could be really interesting though to do a clear acrylic Jango and then paint it from the inside.

 

[joshcube]

SCORE!!! :cheers I swung by the scrap bin again last night. First I found a couple small 8"x10" pieces of sintra. I will have to go back. Then I dug a little more and hit the motherlode... an 2'X4' sheet of PVC!

I think it's PVC anyway. It seems a little too heavy to be Sintra (Expanded PVC) and the edges don't have the "foam" look. It's definitely not acrylic (too dull) and not styrene (too flexy). I will test it out tonight or tomorrow with superglue to be sure. It has a huge printed sign on the front that stuck on with spray adhesive and velcro glued to the back. It's part of a trade show display and it's been sawn into quarters (this is only one quarter). The other pieces were there, but way down in the bottom and under a huge pile of clear acrylic. I didn't want to completely climb into the bin... my legs were already dangling when I grabbed the piece I got. :moon

Now I just have to explain to my wife that I was dumpster diving.

I will start a progress thread when I get a few pics.