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Original ROTJ Stormtrooper Background Studio Helmet-Got One!


JoeR
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thats not what i said. I said if the ROTJ helmets were recasts of a ANH helmet (which is why the ROTJ helmets appear soft in detail)and then making cast from this actual ROTJ in ABS would make them even softer in detail(which would be a 2nd gen of ANH and 1st gen from a ROTJ. From my understanding the ABS is thicker and harder to pull detail then styrene. Thats why TE uses/used styrene.

From what I know... the mold will be created from the inside of the helmet... thus making the vac-formed cast and exact duplicate of the original.

The reason the RotJ helmets were so soft is that they vac-formed on top of an actual ESB suit... not on top of a mold.

If this is wrong... please let me know.

I'd definitely be interested in one of these... def in ABS and most likely in kit form... and would love some additional info! Though... the price would definitely be a factor to consider for me, though...

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I don't think the ROTJ helmets were cast from the inside of the ANH helmets. If that were the case then we wouldn't have the much softer details on the ROTJ helmets because it would be closer to the actual ANH bucks. But if the ANH helmets were molded (from the outside) and then from the new bucks pulled the new vacuformed shells from these new (outside) molded bucks the details on the ROTJ helmets would start look softer. Just like if you took the ROTJ helmet (you just made) and made new (outside)mold from it, it would become even softer each time you made a new mold then buck. Because your not using your previous newer buck. Did that confuse? Yeah, i knew you couldn't use a vac shell to vac over.

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I heard that an ANH helmet was literally filled with plaster in order to make a lifesize cast, and from that a new mould. However it sounds like the helmet partially collapsed during this process which resulted in a further exaggeration of the asymmetrical warping.

However I've never been able to clarify this with anyone involved in the process (John Mollo didnt work on RotJ). By this time (1981/2) the art department at Elstree were working with vac-forming (initially for sets) so presume they did it. However, given they used ABS and may not have had vac-formers as powerful as SDS its possible this may have contributed to the overal softness.

Cheers

Jez

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I got lost about 5 words in

But i think what you are saying is they took an ANH helmet and made a mould of the outside then from that made a positive/buck ?

Why would anyone do that when it would be much easier to just backfill the inside to make a new buck ? i dont see why you would make a negative mould to produce a positive mould when you already have the negative anyway.

The softness of the ROTJ is simple its because its a recast of an ANH its just generational loss.

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No - I heard they took an ABS helmet, and poured plaster into it.

They tried to support it but part gave away. They ended up with a "positive" helmet which was then used to make the new vac moulds

Never been able to substanciate this but given how these guys worked I felt it was certainly believable

Cheers

Jez

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I got lost about 5 words in

But i think what you are saying is they took an ANH helmet and made a mould of the outside then from that made a positive/buck ?

Why would anyone do that when it would be much easier to just backfill the inside to make a new buck ? i dont see why you would make a negative mould to produce a positive mould when you already have the negative anyway.

The softness of the ROTJ is simple its because its a recast of an ANH its just generational loss.

I see what your saying. I was just making a assumption to why it became so soft in detail and warped looking.

If they did do it the way you mentioned then they might have sanded the edges of the new bucks (poured from the inside). Thus making it easier/less stress on the bucks from the vac pulls. And this may have contributed to the soft detailed ROTJ look.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi fellas

Still waiting on my guy to get back from his work trip. As soon as I have more info I will post here.

We have decided on the thinnest ABS we can get away with so that as little detail as possible will be lost. The casts are very sharp, the maker has years of industry experience.

Sorry for the delay.

Joe

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