USCM Helmet Flip-down Infrared Sight

[temponaut]

I'd like to add a flip-down infrared sight to a replica USCM Helmet. I've put this thread in the Prop Forum because my lid will be for display rather than trooping, but I guess it could just as easily have gone into the Costuming Forum.

On the EVA Models Website, there's a good tutorial by Chris Chulamanis about how to build a replica sight using an inexpensive Brookstone lighted magnifying glass and some sheet styrene. There also used to be a link to a guy who sold screen-accurate decals of the markings that appear on the helmet's flip-down infrared lens. That link is gone now and I assume that the guy is no longer marketing those decals.

Can anyone here provide clear grabs or diagrams of the lens markings? Or point me toward someone who makes a quality screen-accurate transfer that could be applied directly to the lens?

Any advice or assistance will be much appreciated.

 

[Scapey]

Try asking here:
The Aliens Legacy
I'm sure some of the troops have got decals in their buckets, and could help you out.

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by Reverend Scapegoat@Jan 21 2006, 11:23 PM
Try asking here:
The Aliens Legacy
I'm sure some of the troops have got decals in their buckets, and could help you out.

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Thanks, Reverend.

I'll scour the site and see if I can turn up a thread. Failing that, I might even ask.

 

[division 6]

Was brought up a month or so over there.
There was even a mention of getting some laser etched IIRC.

D6

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by division 6@Jan 22 2006, 12:14 AM
Was brought up a month or so over there.
There was even a mention of getting some laser etched IIRC.

D6

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I just combed through the posts over there pretty carefully, but didn't see the thread. You wouldn't happen to remember the thread name or a search keyword, would you?

Thanks.

 

[division 6]

Sorry I don't.

I went over there right after posting here and did a search.
Came up with zip.

I know it was in the last couple months .

D6

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by division 6@Jan 22 2006, 03:51 AM
Sorry I don't.

I went over there right after posting here and did a search.
Came up with zip. 

I know it was in the last couple months .

D6

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I've been over there searching with keywords like "laser" and "etch." Came across some interesting threads, but nothing yet about the infrared sight.

Thanks very much for the heads-up, though. I'll keep searching. If it's there, I'll find it.








I hope. :confused

 

[division 6]

PM sent.

D6

 

[temponaut]

Thanks for the PM, DS6.

Spent some time at the Aliens Legacy site, combing through the archived threads.

Came up with this:

IR Sight Graphics

According to the thread, the graphics above are based on a photo of a screen-used IR sight.

Also found some photos of a Terry English-made custom for one of the board members over there. The IR sight is clearly visible in a couple of the shots... and the graphics look considerably different from those in the previous thread. Not sure what to make of that.

Terry English-made Hudson armor (custom for fan)

:confused

 

[Funky]

Back when I did mine, it turned out fantastic. It's since been sold so I have no pics, but contact stephen210 as he did his the same way. Also, contact Dropship Bob as he provided fantastic graphics to put on the glass.

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by Funky Jedi@Jan 23 2006, 05:47 AM
Back when I did mine, it turned out fantastic.  It's since been sold so I have no pics, but contact stephen210 as he did his the same way.  Also, contact Dropship Bob as he provided fantastic graphics to put on the glass.

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Thanks for the intel, Funky Jedi. I'll follow up on both of the leads you suggested.

 

[dropshipbob]

Yep, I tried my hand at offering those graphics. And like I said, my graphic was drawn on top of a picture of a screen used IR sight graphic. But since the picture was low res, I had to make up some of the detail.

The ones that Terry English currently makes are his own idea, and not screen accurate.

I'm all out of IR decals, but I have been thinking of doing another run. Problem is the first run was a big hassel (trying to keep everything straight, people jumping in, then backing out, the same questions asked over and over that I clearly answered in my threads. etc). I don't know that I'll ever get interested in this enough again to do another batch.

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by dropshipbob+Jan 24 2006, 12:33 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dropshipbob @ Jan 24 2006, 12:33 AM)</div>

Yep, I tried my hand at offering those graphics.  And like I said, my graphic was drawn on top of a picture of a screen used IR sight graphic.  But since the picture was low res, I had to make up some of the detail.

The ones that Terry English currently makes are his own idea, and not screen accurate.[/b]

Thanks for posting, dropshipbob. I was just fixing to PM you.

An RPF member recently sent me a beauty shot of what he believes to be a screen-used helmet, clearly showing the IR sight (though not close enough to read all the markings). I compared that shot to your decals and also to the sight on the Terry English-built Hudson replica. Your design looks to be a very close match to the screen-used markings, whereas Terry's is a completely different design (his own idea, as you pointed out).

Even though you had to make up some of the detail, your graphics appear to fit perfectly over those on the screen-used sight. Excellent. :thumbsup

But I'm curious: Comparing your decals to the screen-used sight, it appears that the text on your graphics (and the screen-used graphics, too?) is oriented such that, to the marine wearing the helmet, the writing would be backwards. Am I mistaken? :confused


<!--QuoteBegin-dropshipbob@Jan 24 2006, 12:33 AM
I'm all out of IR decals, but I have been thinking of doing another run.  Problem is the first run was a big hassel (trying to keep everything straight, people jumping in, then backing out, the same questions asked over and over that I clearly answered in my threads. etc).  I don't know that I'll ever get interested in this enough again to do another batch.

Something tells me the question I asked above was one of those that you had to answer again and again the last time you did this run. :confused I'm sure it must have been a headache... but I still hope you'll do another run of your awesome decals. Any chance of persuading you? :love

 

[dropshipbob]

You are correct. My decal was printed so that the backside was the tacky side, it was meant to be adhered to the inside of the viewer. It could have been done so that the sticky side was the other way around, but this just seamed right to me.

And that was another problem I had, getting the graphics situated right so that the correct side of the artwork was the side meant to be tacky. I did two whole batches where I got this wrong (some 80 decals.) I kept getting the orientation wrong...I kept doing it so that no matter what, the decal would be backwards no matter who was viewing it. A costly mistake, and one that caused me to barely be able to recoop my production cost.

As for doing another run, everytime someone brings this project up, I want to. But then I think of all the problems...
All I can say is keep an eye out, I might do another run one day, heaven knows there's enough interested parties.

 

[temponaut]

Originally posted by dropshipbob@Jan 24 2006, 02:38 AM
I kept doing it so that no matter what, the decal would be backwards no matter who was viewing it. 

I don't quite follow you. How could the decal be backwards from both sides at the same time? :confused

I agree with your idea that the decal should be applied from the back side of the sight (that is, the side facing the marine in the helmet). I think that would give a nice sense of dimensionality to the eyepiece from the perspective of a person not wearing the helmet.

Were the decals you made water-slide decals like the ones that come in plastic model kits? If so, it seems as if you could solve the problem of which is the "sticky" side by flipping your artwork into a mirror image before printing on decal paper. (Edit: Just reread the thread at Aliens Legacy. Yup, they were water-slide decals.)

I realize I'm just hypothesizing here. You are the dude who actually DID this stuff, so you have the benefit of experience and know better than I. I guess I'm just trying to whet your appetite for doing another run...







C'mon. You know you want to. :love

 

[dropshipbob]

Yeah, that did get a bit confusing. I'll explain it this way, I kept getting my graphics set up wrong. The first two times, I got the art work so it was right reading, but when it was printed, it was going to be backwards, then I "corrected" it, but I had the printed put them on the wrong side, so they were still backwards.
On the third trial, I got it all right.

they didn't have to be made so that they had to be placed on the inside of the sight (on the wearers side) but the finish is slightly off, and you can just tell it's a decal. For whatever reason, I thought it would be better if people looking at you couldn't see this.

I also made my decal in two parts, because not everyone was going to be using the EVA method of making a drop down sight...so the dimensions might be different. Making the black bars seperate gave people a little more room to work.

And you are correct again. The decals were made just like the ones you get with model airplanes. I actually sent them to a guy who did custom model decals since it takes a special printer to print white, and everything in the picture of my graphics that's green, is actually printed white. Normal printers don't print white.