gino Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 After a long hiatus from trooper stuff I've decided to take my helmets to the final stage of accuracy and make them in HDPE. The HDPE is correct in both color and thickness and forms without becoming paper thin in any area. The HDPE was a custom run with a minimum quantity required, not cheap to say the least. I matched the color using various resources at my disposal. I think it turned out pretty good. I'm satisfied with it. Actually, there were two different shades of HDPE used. Both were a khaki green color, but one is actually more green than the other. For the sake of simplicity, i'll just refer to them as "light green" and "dark green". Out of all the examples I've seen, it just appears to be random in regards to which shade is used on each part. For example, one recent screen used HDPE helmet, the back/cap is the dark green color while the face is the light green color. The Dave M helmet (set for stun helmet) actually was the reverse with the back/cap having the light green color and the face having the dark green. Then there is another example where both the face and back/cap were the dark green color. I've yet to see an example of a face-back/cap combo both in the light green but that does not mean that combination does not exist. My color is matched to the dark green shade. First I want to say that there are a lot of finer details in the original helmets that simply cannot be reproduced without using HDPE. The reason is because HDPE does really weird and unique things when heated up/formed, and these weird phenomenon that occur are a direct result. It takes a long time to thoroughly/evenly heat up an HDPE sheet (about 6 times the time of ABS or styrene), and it takes a really long time for it to cool. HDPE retains heat for really long time, and unlike ABS or styrene, it's window of plasticity (the state at which it can be stretched/formed) it much longer as well. For some reason unknown to me, HDPE wrinkles up upon cooling. The inside of the formed pieces wrinkle up as well as the unused part of the formed sheet. When HDPE is formed over the mold, it has a tendency to initially pull into all the details and all the creases of a mold, but then sort of turn itself inside out in the negative creases. I'm positive it has nothing to do with the vacuum, drill holes, or adequate suction. Apparently, it's just an HDPE thing. For example, on the main crease above the tube stripes on a trooper helmet, the material pulls into the crease tightly, but then within 15 seconds or so, what was once a negative crease, becomes a positive outward bump. Sometimes it's a bump, sometimes it's a groove. You can see this crease-bump (in varying severities) on every screen used HDPE helmet. The severity of this phenomenon is affected by many factors including the stretch as well as heat level. Something that I've incorporated into this V3 HDPE is the enhanced vocoder area. Every vocoder I've ever seen (with the exception of the Brian R helmet that is the origin of my faceplate) is extremely sharp. The ribs are individual with deep grooves in-between. Of course, the sharpness of this area varies from faceplate to faceplate on the screen used helmets. I could see on my mold were all these individual ribs/grooves were, so I very, very cautiously enhanced their depth to be more in-line with the other screen used helmets. Here's a comp of screen used HDPE helmets that show the sharpness of the vocoder as well as the tube crease-bump. Ok enough rambling, here are some pics. The helmet is not assembled, it's just being held together by tape which is why the back/cap is sitting crooked on the face. I just wanted to give an idea of what it would look like. Let me know what you think. Here are some ones taken without flash. And here's a shot of the interior using the flash. If anyone wants to know more about these kits, feel free to send me a pm. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconoclasta_88 Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Wow!! It's amazing. This really is a piece of ART! Amazing project man! Congrats! Saludos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smally Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 WOW V3! That is really sharp around the Vocoda. Dare I be the first to ask............... how much will you be selling these bad boys for buddy? Smally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandatrooper Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Looks amazing! I had no idea the vocoder was that sharp in detail. Will paint stick the HPDE? I'm wondering how much would chip / flake off. I assume those that want a sense of screen accuracy would want the chips, etc. but not want giant flakes to come off ruining the majority of the paint job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaj Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Can you show a pic of a screen used helemt that has this cooling lines under the eyes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 What a beauty! Love new upgrade accurate stuff like this, i guess thats whats keep the hobby alive for us all out there. I would love one, and hopefully you can deliver a body armor to these bad boys as well one day. PM sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Whoa... I think I just cried a little. A-MAZ-ING!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyBoy Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 wow!!!i know this will be out of my budget Amazing though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troopermaster Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 I guess the kink isn't an assembly issue after all Gino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandtrooper Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Wow! Good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk-4224 Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 the tears could be a little bit cleaner and the teeth deeper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 Wow, this takes it to a whole new level. Thanks for sharing Gino - this is outstanding! And yes, I'm drooling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 So a question... what is HDPE like? I mean is it sturdy? Do I have household items made out of it that I could compare it to? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino Posted October 22, 2010 Author Share Posted October 22, 2010 So a question... what is HDPE like? I mean is it sturdy? Do I have household items made out of it that I could compare it to? Just curious. Yes actually it is very sturdy. You cannot tear it with your bear hands unless you start a tear with a knife first. You would have to stomp on it with your foot to get it to crack, and then MAYBE. Most likely it would just smush without cracking. Over here in the US, milk cartons are made of HDPE. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 Over here in the US, milk cartons are made of HDPE.OH! Holy Sith Lord! Armor made of that would be AMAZING! So another question — and know I'm totally unknowledgeable about all things concerned with "pulling" and/or "vacuum forming" related — but why aren't the armor parts made of this? Or were they in the original movie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino Posted October 22, 2010 Author Share Posted October 22, 2010 OH! Holy Sith Lord! Armor made of that would be AMAZING! So another question — and know I'm totally unknowledgeable about all things concerned with "pulling" and/or "vacuum forming" related — but why aren't the armor parts made of this? Or were they in the original movie? All the other helmets/armor were made of ABS. Only the background helmets were made in HDPE. They were made in HDPE because they wouldn't have a tendency to tear when trying to get them off the mold like ABS does. And when you have 50 helmets to make for what would essentially be background props, HDPE I'm sure sounded like a good option. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaj Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 I guess the kink isn't an assembly issue after all Gino. Gino is the kink restored by you or just the original detail like the dimple on the tears from your "unaltered - less altered" set of molds you are only using for the V3 one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino Posted October 22, 2010 Author Share Posted October 22, 2010 I'm in the process of trying to get one of these assembled and painted up. Hope to get some progress shots up. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 I'm in the process of trying to get one of these assembled and painted up. Hope to get some progress shots up. . I'll gladly take it for a 3 to 5 year "field inspection" process after you have it all done if you need me to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 I'll gladly take it for a 3 to 5 year "field inspection" process after you have it all done if you need me to. I think there are a few people looking to give these a "field inspection". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCKo Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 yep, me for example... i told you before but i can only echo my words... truely stunning! btw. i just sent you a email! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 Here's one fully assembled ready for paint. PS, no bags under the eyes, although it does appear to some degree on some screen used helmets. Let me know what you think. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandtrooper Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Yowza, looks great! Can't wait to see it painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Voorhees Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 freakin Awesome Gino! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 I LLllikkeEEE IT!!! Super movie accurate helmet. Good work as all ways Gino. Can´t wait to see it all done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.