Darth Vader DP CA repairs

[Imperial Weapon]

I know I've been M.I.A for quite a while when it comes to Vader, but recently I saw a slightly modified DP CA helmet on ebay for £200 free postage I knew I couldn't let that go but there are quite afew problems (for something thats 24 yrs old there should be) the neck corners broke off so I gonna start by using baking soda and Cyanoachrylate (CA) glue to build up the missing piece (for those who don't know when you mix CA glue and baking soda together it creates a rigid kinda plastic, heres a video for better understanding

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DISCLAIMER
I will not talk more than one future plan for my projects before they happen as my over ambition and not taking one step at a time let to my other threads downfall. But if anyone has suggestions for future ideas with my projects I'll still take them into account.

I won't have this in hand until somewhere in sat-mon so progress cannot begin currently.

 

[lethyry]

I don’t think the CA and baking soda idea would really work at all. The classic action is made of blown vinyl and has an element of flex to it. The glue and baking soda thing isn’t really meant to Be it’s own part, that method is more of a filler/compound for small things. I’m not sure there is a really good way to fix that. My best guess would be fibreglass as I know a few who have put fibreglass in their royal guard helmets made of the same material

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

If it's anything like the vinyl the Rubies helmet works with, your filler and CA glue slurry isn't gonna cut it. You're gonna have to use either Bondo or some kind of epoxy putty to fix it. You're going to want to rough the surface up as much as you can so it has some teeth before applying the filler (a little drop of CA glue at this point wouldn't hurt if you're using an epoxy putty) and have something of a mesh behind the repair area to support the filler.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

So what both of you are saying is use the regular stuff? but what about this?

Also sorry I wasn't clear before I was gonna use aluminium tape as a backing, then apply the CA/baking soda and apply fibreglass tape then peel away the alu-tape would that work? I know that the glue and soda on there own wouldn't work but the method i'm thinking of is similar to fibreglassing so thats why I thought it might do the trick.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

or another method I thought of is using fibrglass tape and use JB weld plastic repair to build up layers after looking at this crack repair vid.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

CA glue and filler is generally useful for spot fixes, not for bigger areas on its own. It's too fragile and a real mess to work with in the long run; it doesn't clean well in large patches.

You're adding on a missing piece. You're gonna want to back the area with something that you can slap your filler on and then sand and shape that into the piece you're wanting. CA glue and powder is just that--a filler suspended in glue.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

CA glue and filler is generally useful for spot fixes, not for bigger areas on its own. It's too fragile and a real mess to work with in the long run; it doesn't clean well in large patches.

You're adding on a missing piece. You're gonna want to back the area with something that you can slap your filler on and then sand and shape that into the piece you're wanting. CA glue and powder is just that--a filler suspended in glue.

Okay but what about JB weld and fibreglass tape? I mean thats an epoxy substance so that's gotta work right?

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

It should work although I've not tried that combo myself.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

It should work although I've not tried that combo myself.

alright I'll try that route then

 

[Imperial Weapon]

here it is in hand its good but the dome seems fairly small, the neck flair isn't even bad, it is alot lighter but thicker than the rubies supreme which is strange, its weird how it has a very handmade feel to it especially since its a liscenced product

 

[Imperial Weapon]

So I couldn't find the appropriate vinyl sheets to weld on the helmet so I got fed up and decided to use glue and baking with plasterers tape, I found out that it burns your skin so I thought its gotta stick good on plastic here are the results below

 

[Imperial Weapon]

So its been a while since I posted and I've decided to fix the dome edges with baking soda and CA glue as they were cut really horribly and add to the 'plastic' look (see first image for reference)I also sanded down the whole dome (the paper I used was a little rough ) I then tried to mask the inside of the velcro woth tape and copydex (tape didn't trally stick to the velcro) and then ploped it on a jack abd primed it, next will be sanding then (thinner) primer.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

Heres how the helmet currently stands after being sanded just need a grey primer coat afterwards now.

 

[Fett_Ish]

good work so far. I have one of these and I am concerned about paint sticking/curing properly. Can I ask what type of paints you are using? Mine has a pretty big flair on the neck and I am toying with the idea of heating it up and bending it back.

 

[Imperial Weapon]

good work so far. I have one of these and I am concerned about paint sticking/curing properly. Can I ask what type of paints you are using? Mine has a pretty big flair on the neck and I am toying with the idea of heating it up and bending it back.

So far I'm using Halfords filler primer but I think there body shop one will also work, the regular grey primer later, then the standard gloss black and finally once thats out the way I'll use the body shop laquer, just a few things to ask though is If you are in the US you won't have these paints in your country and do you have a spray gun? because if so the absolute best method would be a bulldog adhesion promoter.

Also that stuff can be heat treated pretty easily so I wouldn't worry about shaping it into place.

 

[Fett_Ish]

I do not have a spray gun, and I am in the US,but I think I can find equivelents for what I need. Thank you for the information!