Mr. Accident[501st] Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 ..I've been emailing back and forth about getting one of these..even at 6'4" I think the FX lid looks a bit big on me...has anyone gotten one? reviews? Pix? I just received my ANH2 last weekend. It looks great, and while considerably smaller than the FX helmet, it's just a little larger than film-accurate helmets, which is great for me since I need room for glasses. A few shots of the raw ANH2: Now, on the back of the helmet there are some marks from from molding process, which need to be filled in with Bondo or a similar putty before the helmet can be painted. The plastic is a faintly off-white color, so even aside from the dark red Bondo, painting is a definite necessity. Here are a few in-progress shots: The last image shows the back of the helmet after painting (still needs some polish to give it that shine). All in all, it's a really beautiful helmet I'd recommend to anybody. It really gives you the "feel" of the screen-accurate helmets, while being perfectly symmetrical - more like the Empire might've built them, one might say. EDIT: Here are a few comparison shots with my very unfinished FX helmet: (This is before painting, so you can see the difference between the white ABS and the faintly yellower urethane.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBJ[501st] Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 ..Thats EXACTLY the info I was looking for!!! THANKS!!! That helmet looks great...you'll have to keep posting progress pics..and a shot with your armor for sure! Did you cut out the eyes/mouth or did he do it for you? How do you plan on painting? spray cans? Do you know what color matches the FX armor best?..thanks again..I think I NEED one of these ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted February 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I went ahead and paid the extra $40 to have Kevin cut it out for me - I'm still not very experienced with plastic cutting, and I didn't want to risk this beautiful helmet in my clumsy dremel/file/xacto/chainsaw wielding hands. (Especially since the helmet is urethane, which is much less flexible than ABS.) As for the paint, Kevin personally recommended me to Krylon Fusion gloss white spray paint. That's what I used, and although it does not actually seem to be very "glossy" at all (hence the need for further polish), it's a pretty good match for the color of my FX armor. Additionally, his advice is to wait for the paint to dry completely before applying the decals, which I guess takes almost a week to be safe. He also recommended RustOleum "Gloss Protective Enamel" #7786 Smoke Gray and #7779 Gloss Black for the other details (also spray paints, though he recommended spraying a small quantity into a paper cup and applying with a small brush). These paints come out really shiny, so maybe RustOleum's GPE gloss white would as well? I haven't tried it yet, so I'm not sure if it's as good a color match as the Krylon, but it might be worth a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperTrooper Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 As for the paint, Kevin personally recommended me to Krylon Fusion gloss white spray paint. That's what I used, and although it does not actually seem to be very "glossy" at all (hence the need for further polish), it's a pretty good match for the color of my FX armor. Additionally, his advice is to wait for the paint to dry completely before applying the decals, which I guess takes almost a week to be safe. Just a suggestion. If Krylon H2O white is a color match to the Fusion, go with the H2O. It has a much glossier finish to the point it's reflective. An example of the finish can be seen here: http://www.sithtrainingtemple.com/phpBB2/v...opic.php?t=1558 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butah Fett Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 That's one thing I've been weighing in my new helmet decision... One thing I suck as is painting and having to do so to get it to match my armor just seems excessive. I've checked the price on these, and for that amount, I would think these would be pulled without having to do much painting. I'm not trying to take away from this helmet at all. It is an amazing fan sculpt and looks great when done right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK-2126_MD[TK] Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 An example of the finish can be seen here: http://www.sithtrainingtemple.com/phpBB2/v...opic.php?t=1558 The link sent me to a Username / password page??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperTrooper Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 The link sent me to a Username / password page??? Anyone can register, it's not closed to non sith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Just a suggestion. If Krylon H2O white is a color match to the Fusion, go with the H2O. It has a much glossier finish to the point it's reflective. An example of the finish can be seen here: http://www.sithtrainingtemple.com/phpBB2/v...opic.php?t=1558 Hm, thanks for the tip. I think this weekend I'll pick up some of the Krylon H20 and some RustOleum gloss white and do a bit of experimenting. Oh, one other thing I should mention about this helmet: the acoustics. There is a lot more echo and reverb inside this helmet than there is inside the ABS FX helmet. I'm guessing that this has to do with the acoustic properties of urethane, but in any case, I am planning on doing something to coat or pad the inside of the helmet to deaden the echoes. This, as far as I'm concerned, is the only downside to the otherwise perfect ANHv2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john danter Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Are you 100% that's an ANH lid dude? Looks too clinical and symmetrical to me.... www.starwarshelmets.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troopermaster Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Are you 100% that's an ANH lid dude? Looks too clinical and symmetrical to me.... www.starwarshelmets.com It's a new sculpt John and not cast from an original assymetric helmet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john danter Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 It's a new sculpt John and not cast from an original assymetric helmet Ah ok, fair enough then. Nice work. Just got confused cos it said ANH and was a bit too symmetrical. More like a ROTJ. In that case, good on you for making a new sculpt my friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butah Fett Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 John, see this post for more info on the helmet and it's origins: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=502 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK8280 Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 I still can't wait till I get mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBJ[501st] Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 ..Here we go! ..got mine today...can't wait to get sarted...I'm gonna paint the inside black, then hand it off to my buddy the car painter for some gloss white..I think the size for bigger guys is great..not a bobble head, not a pea head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin[Admin] Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Keep us posted Jay - can't wait to see how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted March 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Alright, great to see another one join the proud ANHv2-owning ranks! For the record, I've filled in the smaller teeth and lower screw holes on mine and given it a repaint with some gloss white; I'm in the thick of final exams right now, but I'll be sure to post some more pictures this weekend as I finally get started on finishing the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdesigns[TK] Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Alright, great to see another one join the proud ANHv2-owning ranks! For the record, I've filled in the smaller teeth and lower screw holes on mine and given it a repaint with some gloss white; I'm in the thick of final exams right now, but I'll be sure to post some more pictures this weekend as I finally get started on finishing the details. WOW!!! Thank you Trip for starting this. Jay just infomed me of this thread today when I brought him his new ANHv2 helmet kit. BTW A.N.H. stands for Another Nice Helmet LOL. Just to clear things up thats all. If you would like to see this helmet in action check out my short film I just finished. http://films.thelot.com/films/33267 Thank you everyone! Kevin W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BactaReality Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I'd seen that short film before, good job. Now that I know those helmets were homegrown, it's all the more impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBJ[501st] Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 ...inside is black...off to the painters!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted March 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 What did you use to paint the interior, RBJ? I'd like to do something like that with mine, but I'm hesitant to do so because it would probably smell like paint for weeks if I sprayed the inside... Anyway, the painting on mine is almost completely done! I need to touch up the paint on the frown and ears - it's just a little bit rough if you look at it up close. A word of advice: be very careful about using masking tape when painting the details. I was applying Rustoleum spray paint with a brush (after spraying some in a paper cup), and it had a nasty habit of seeping up under the tape. Fortunately it could be wiped off of the existing Rustoleum coat pretty easily within a few minutes of applying it. That leads me to another lesson I learned: definitely wait a good 3-4 days after spray painting the helmet before using spray paint to apply the details! I tried painting the chin about 24 hours after the base coat, and the result was that the black paint began dissolving the white paint, yielding unsightly cracks. I had to sand that area down and repaint it... Anyway, here are some more pics: Note the filled in outer teeth - I'm going for the 'Hero' style, like Kevin's Hero conversion ANHv1 helmet here. These pics came out a little dark; I'll definitely get some photos in better light once I finish! Incidentally, I think it still needs a little polishing in some areas - the paint didn't always come out smoothly. RBJ, I'll be interested to see how that automotive painting works out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBJ[501st] Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 ..Looks great! How are you gonna do bubble lenses for your hero? I used some rustoleum satin black spray paint for the inside...I figure the fumes will dissapate over time. I HAD to paint the inside black after seeing this pic of me with my FX!! Seeing the white inside bugs me to no end! I'm hoping my painter can knock it out pretty quickly..finnish that lid and post pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdesigns[TK] Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Hey Trip? I?m sorry I did not clarify that if you hand paint the details with a brush that you don?t need to use masking tape. I?m sorry you learned the hard way. All you need is a steady hand, and lots of patience. Your helmet looks REALLY GOOD! Have you tried to polish it yet? I can see that most of it has a good shine. If you plan to paint the small thin black line around the gray ear piece? I recommend using a Fine Point Permanent Marker. I used the ?BIC? brand titled ?Mark it.? I realized it might be too late for you now but when you paint the helmet white and it has too many small bumps known as ?Orange Peel? Let it dry and ?Color Sand it.? Which means to sand off only the small bumps. I use a Contour Sanding Sponge the brand is ?mainstays projects? It is light gray in color, 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 in size and it comes 2 to a pack at Walmart in the house paint section. They run about 2 dollars. Make sure all the sanding dust is off before you apply more paint. I use my air compressor rather than water. Trip? you might be able to still use this sponge if you have a lot of orange peel. But most important is to make sure you have enough coats of paint so you don?t sand past the paint and into the helmet it self. Then use Novis polish to bring it back to a better shine. To install the aerators? As you know a made notes on the backside of them to help determine Left and Right and which way is up. Take a towel or a shirt to cradle the helmet on the backside and keep it from rolling over on it?s ears. Place the aerators into position. I used ?Zap a Gap CA glue. Use the long narrow extension and squeeze a few drops around the edge of the aerators. The glue will run behind it. Do NOT use any kicker! Let is just sit there and dry a few hours. If any glue is on the sides of the aerators, don?t worry it will dry clear. I hope this will help!!!! Thank you Kevin W. www.imperialsurplus.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted March 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Thanks for the tips, Kevin! In fact, I bought a package of those sanding sponges at Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago, thinking they might just come in handy. I'll try the color sanding; I put a lot of coats of paint on this thing, so it shouldn't be too hard to avoid oversanding. RBJ: I might just use the bubble lenses from my FX helmet; I tested them out and they actually fit pretty nicely. EDIT: a few more pictures, with tube stripes and in better light this time: And, a few with the brow liner, aerators, and the bubble lenses from my FX scotch-taped on: () Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBJ[501st] Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 ..Looks great!!! those lenses look like a great fit..now I'm even more anctious to finnish mine ( if that were possible!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Accident[501st] Posted April 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Time to revive this thread! I've pretty much completely finished my armor, but I don't have any fresh new pictures since I don't happen to have a camera handy at the moment. However, I was at the Emerald City Comicon yesterday, trooping "unofficially" with Garrison Titan, where a whole crapload of pictures were taken. Here's a pretty good one showing me in my armor with my shiny finished ANHv2 helmet: Never mind that the rebel seems to have gotten the drop on me... I had plenty of backup! I went ahead and used the flat lens that comes with the kit, since the visibility is vastly better. Also, I think the bubble lenses were making my helmet look just a little bit "bug-eyed". I'll try to get some more pictures soon, including interior shots so you can see how I've set everything up on the inside. 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.