My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET **FINISHED! see post #207
- Thread starter GINO
- Start date
voice in the crowd
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
I know it is an apples and oranges comparison as the lighting on the screen helmet and Gino's pics cannot be matched, but Gino's bottom picture looks the best match colour wise to the screen helmet with the examples on display.
Any daylight pictures Gino?
Oh and agreed there definitely will be demand for this although I do feel the demand for high end trooper props has definitely diminished over the last year or two. The HDPE should be the big selling point for the hardcore.
Chris
I know it is an apples and oranges comparison as the lighting on the screen helmet and Gino's pics cannot be matched, but Gino's bottom picture looks the best match colour wise to the screen helmet with the examples on display.
Any daylight pictures Gino?
Oh and agreed there definitely will be demand for this although I do feel the demand for high end trooper props has definitely diminished over the last year or two. The HDPE should be the big selling point for the hardcore.
Chris
GINO
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
The plastic 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. You can see an example of each color in the pics that Joe posted above. 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, in the pic of the stripped helmet Joe posted, 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.
Just when we think we know everything about a certain prop...
PS, more super cool discoveries coming soon so stay tuned.
.
The plastic 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. You can see an example of each color in the pics that Joe posted above. 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, in the pic of the stripped helmet Joe posted, 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.
Just when we think we know everything about a certain prop...
PS, more super cool discoveries coming soon so stay tuned.
.
Last edited:
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
Most interesting looking project. Good to see you are still striving for perfection.
Most interesting looking project. Good to see you are still striving for perfection.
Thanks for that info, much appreciated. If only those two colors could be matched to a brand of paint.
sskunky
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
How much did you have to order? I only ask as I tried to order a custom colour of HDPE and most companies wanted a minimum order of between two and five tons! I just didnt have the space or cash for that amount.
Great project. Can't wait to see more.
How much did you have to order? I only ask as I tried to order a custom colour of HDPE and most companies wanted a minimum order of between two and five tons! I just didnt have the space or cash for that amount.
Great project. Can't wait to see more.
firebladejedi
Well-Known Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
Looking forward to see a fully built helmet.
Looking forward to see a fully built helmet.
GINO
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
Hey guys.
I finally have some stuff to show.
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.
.
Hey guys.
I finally have some stuff to show.
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.
.
jedimaster
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
Ok i'm sold!! please put me down for one gino if you do a run of these. Nice work.
Ok i'm sold!! please put me down for one gino if you do a run of these. Nice work.
wannab
Sr Member
Re: My V3 HDPE TROOPER HELMET
Getting there Gino, but I see a lot of air "channels" or "tunneling" going on in many places. Sounds like this stuff (HDPE) is a major challenge! What variables have you tried so far (heating or vac strength etc.)? Looking forward to seeing these when they get dialed in.
Doug
Getting there Gino, but I see a lot of air "channels" or "tunneling" going on in many places. Sounds like this stuff (HDPE) is a major challenge! What variables have you tried so far (heating or vac strength etc.)? Looking forward to seeing these when they get dialed in.
Doug
