While I await my buckets I decided to play around with fixing up my don post 1995. I was able to get the back of it straightened up pretty well ( it was very warped.). And I filled the dent (as this project shall be a custom mando not Boba). But now I could use some advice on cutting some things out. I wanted to open up the keyholes in the back but it really can't figure out how to go about it... Also I cut the visor out but I'm wondering if I should trim along the inner ridge around the visor. (I cut from the front and I'm asking if I need to trim the inside where what I cut out would have attached. If so what's the best way to go about this.
Tips Cutting out keyholes and visors?
- Thread starter teraxis
- Start date
FettFanatic
Active Hunter
I use a carbide bit on my dremel for almost all my rough cuts. You can plunge it into material without it grabbing and braking off chunks and once it is through you can keep opening up the hole because it cuts along its length too. I then finish off with jewelers files and sandpaper.
I too use a carbide bit. though sometimes that too will grab and send it off into something you dont want cut. There are files for the dremal that work much slower but much more accurately. And as Mentioned you will want to finish off with a jewelers file and sandpaper.
As for trimming out the inside, I used an angle grinder on this with a sandpaper head. It allowed me to take out just what I needed without going overboard and still working quickly. And I found this step to be very important because I didn't want the gap between the helmet and the visor that you see sometimes.
If it helps anymore, check out cruzers posts, he has one about fitting the visor and attaching it that helped me a bit.
As for trimming out the inside, I used an angle grinder on this with a sandpaper head. It allowed me to take out just what I needed without going overboard and still working quickly. And I found this step to be very important because I didn't want the gap between the helmet and the visor that you see sometimes.
If it helps anymore, check out cruzers posts, he has one about fitting the visor and attaching it that helped me a bit.
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Okay some progress has been made on ye olde practice bucket.
1. Re shaped the back 1 side needed to come out about an inch to even it up.
2. Started filling the dent and the lettering on the back of the dome
3. Trimmed the visor out I will have to go back and touch some things up I think.
4. Applied a primer coat Primarily to see how the dent had smoothed out.
This and the keyholes were things I was struggling with the other night. do I need to go in and trim the back side of the visor space flush?
1. Re shaped the back 1 side needed to come out about an inch to even it up.
2. Started filling the dent and the lettering on the back of the dome
3. Trimmed the visor out I will have to go back and touch some things up I think.
4. Applied a primer coat Primarily to see how the dent had smoothed out.
This and the keyholes were things I was struggling with the other night. do I need to go in and trim the back side of the visor space flush?
FettFanatic
Active Hunter
Yeah you will want to get it even so the visor will sit flush against the helmet. I know you are probably not done shaping it, but it looks like it could stand to be pulled outward from mid ears down. That should also help with the cheeks looking drawn in.
I made some progress with my problem areas yesterday thanks to the addition of diamond cutting wheels to my arsenal. I'm a little leery of heating the helmet up to pull the ears out now that that is done though... I may give it a shot though, I just dipped it in boiling water to get the back of the helmet shape even. Should I go that route again with it? Here are the pics of the keyholes and visor area now (they have not been sanded and smoothed out yet)
FettFanatic
Active Hunter
Looking better. I would trim up the bottom ring so that there isn't any of that return there. That will help with being able to reshape it without putting stress on other areas. You can use the boiling water if you want but a heat gun will work too.
I got some more trimming done. I decided to make this into a Jango helmet so I shaved the little nozzle on the right cheek, filled the little groove on the other side, and reprimed in black (I figure with the helmet being r&b silver later if a disaster happens and it gets dinged having a black layer underneath could make it look like weathering). I was given advice to install a craft ring to prevent warping once I get it reshaped. I plan to do that this weekend. I am going to need an rf kit I think... The stock one is junk and I'm putting too much work into this to put it back on... Also I'm seeing pics of the two range finder pieces being together on the Jango helm any advice on how to make the needed modifications to make this work?
One last question for now, I found listings of Krylon ocean blue and rustoleum royal blue for the blues do I need different undercoats for the sections with the krylon (the visor and ring)? I've been using rustoleum primer thus far.
One last question for now, I found listings of Krylon ocean blue and rustoleum royal blue for the blues do I need different undercoats for the sections with the krylon (the visor and ring)? I've been using rustoleum primer thus far.
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New Issue does anyone have a creative way to install the visor that will let it hold the mandibles together? The craft ring puts enough pressure on that they want to pop out. I thought I had worked out a solution for this using t-nuts and washers to hold it all together but once I got everything home i decided that there was probably a better way.
