X-Wing Helmet Visor

[Yorkie Fett]

Does anybody know of a seller that offers a good quality (and reasonably screen accurate) visor for a Luke X-Wing helmet?

The kit I have is great- came from a popular maker of these helmets, but the visor really lets it down- very pale and full of bubbles.

 

[Yorkie Fett]

Bump.

Can anybody help out there?

 

[Dyonisis]

Is the visor that came with the helmet the correct shape? If so,you can vaccum form a new one fairly cheap. You can get clear sheet styrene,and vaccum form it to the original visor,then spray it with the yellow Metalcast clearcoat.

There's a translucent yellow clearcoat that is made to look like anodized aluminum - Metalcast. You're supposed to spray it over the basecoat(silver),but I use it for colouring things that I don't want to break out my airbrush for. This comes in a spraypaint can. It smells like cat piss - very strong odor,but the more you spray it,the more the colour becomes darker. Experiment with scrap until you get the desired effect.

 

[Darth Lars]

That suggestion would require a vaccuforming machine and an airbrush ... Things that not everyone has the space for, or can justify the expense for (using it to build other props).

First search in the junkyard to see if one is for sale. The search function on this board is one of the better ones. You can limit searches to the Junkyard only.
Well-known makers are Richies Armor, Dreadnaugh Industries (Wakal on this board), Jedi Mickey (on the board on rebellegion.com) and The Plastic Empire. TPE's visor was made from an inaccurately thick plastic, the last time I checked.

 

[Dyonisis]

METAL CAST -I USE IT FOR COLOURING THINGS THAT I DON'T WANT TO BREAK OUT MY AIRBRUSH FOR. This comes in a SPRAYPAINT CAN.

I did say that it comes in a spraypaint can = ready to spray,no airbrush! You can make a small vaccum forming maching with VERY SIMPLE parts available at any hardware,or home improvement store. Nothing expensive,or difficult to buy,or build.

 

[Yorkie Fett]

Thanks for your help, guys. Unfortunately i don't have access to vac-forming equipment, so am looking to buy. Not sure if my newbie status allows me to buy/sell in the junkyard yet.

I find it strange that so few people have tackled X-Wing helmets, especially since they are a great design and VERY visible in the films. The visor is obviously make or break for a good prop, due to it's size and colour.

Darth Lars, the visor is pretty good, shape wise, but very badly formed, and the correct amber colour is no where near! It came from one of the sellers you mention in your post, so it seems my options are getting more limited.

 

[Darth Lars]

I did say that it comes in a spraypaint can = ready to spray,no airbrush!

Sorry. I was reading too fast. :$

For myself, it is mostly the lack-of-space that holds me back from building a vacu-forming machine. It also took me years until I finally found an inexpensive local source of vacuforming plastic. Otherwise, I would have cast stuff years ago ... including my own X-wing pilot helmet's visor.

 

[Dyonisis]

Thanks for your help, guys. Unfortunately i don't have access to vac-forming equipment, so am looking to buy. Not sure if my newbie status allows me to buy/sell in the junkyard yet.

I find it strange that so few people have tackled X-Wing helmets, especially since they are a great design and VERY visible in the films. The visor is obviously make or break for a good prop, due to it's size and colour.

Darth Lars, the visor is pretty good, shape wise, but very badly formed, and the correct amber colour is no where near! It came from one of the sellers you mention in your post, so it seems my options are getting more limited.

Sorry. I was reading too fast. :$.

It's OK! I do the same,and sometimes I can't understand what I read,and have to read it a couple times until I do! :confused

For myself, it is mostly the lack-of-space that holds me back from building a vacu-forming machine. It also took me years until I finally found an inexpensive local source of vacuforming plastic. Otherwise, I would have cast stuff years ago ... including my own X-wing pilot helmet's visor.

Someone on here showed how to make a small vaccum former with just a few pieces of wood,and a sheet of metal with holes already punched into it. This fit into an oven to allow for heating. I would make one,and show how I did it,but I don't have an oven four feet wide! I need something like this for the X-wing project that I'm working on right now.

 

[Yorkie Fett]

Darth Lars, you quote "There's a translucent yellow clearcoat that is made to look like anodized aluminum - Metalcast. You're supposed to spray it over the basecoat(silver),but I use it for colouring things that I don't want to break out my airbrush for. This comes in a spraypaint can. It smells like cat piss - very strong odor,but the more you spray it,the more the colour becomes darker. Experiment with scrap until you get the desired effect."

Is this stuff only available in the US. Having trouble locating it as I'm in the UK. I know Tamiya do a clear which is a pretty good match for the amber- used for tail lights on model autos. I'm not sure if this comes as a spray, so I'd have to break out the airbrush. Also, Tamiya sprays seem to be withdrawn in the UK at this moment in time.

Any off the shelf alnernatives that may be for sale in the UK?

 

[Dyonisis]

Darth Lars, you quote "There's a translucent yellow clearcoat that is made to look like anodized aluminum - Metalcast. You're supposed to spray it over the basecoat(silver),but I use it for colouring things that I don't want to break out my airbrush for. This comes in a spraypaint can. It smells like cat piss - very strong odor,but the more you spray it,the more the colour becomes darker. Experiment with scrap until you get the desired effect."

Is this stuff only available in the US. Having trouble locating it as I'm in the UK. I know Tamiya do a clear which is a pretty good match for the amber- used for tail lights on model autos. I'm not sure if this comes as a spray, so I'd have to break out the airbrush. Also, Tamiya sprays seem to be withdrawn in the UK at this moment in time.

Any off the shelf alnernatives that may be for sale in the UK?

I said that originally. He just quoted me. This is available in the U.S.,but I don't know about international availability. If you can't get it,I have a can of this that you can have for the cost of shipping,if you can't get it in your neck of the woods.

 

[Yorkie Fett]

I said that originally. He just quoted me. This is available in the U.S.,but I don't know about international availability. If you can't get it,I have a can of this that you can have for the cost of shipping,if you can't get it in your neck of the woods.

Sorry Dyonisis, got my quotes mixed up.

Thanks for the offer. I'll do some research over this side of the pond, but if I have no luck, I'm definately interested.