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ANH TE build


Mad Cow Rebel

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It’s believe that the photo from

outside Shepperton Design Studios (that you posted above) was prior to the actual studios making changes to the helmets. Those mic tips were likely replaced by the studio for something a little better.

 

For hero helmets, the inside wall were actually black, as was the metal mesh. The “nipple” at the back was white.

 

For some outstanding background information and images, check out http://www.starwarshelmets.com/original-ANH-hero-Stormtrooper-armor-helmets.htm

 

StarWarsHelmets.com was one of my most visited websites in my early days. It is JAM PACKED with information, most of which is well researched and accurate.

 

Also, the FISD gallery is a truly wonderful resource. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/category/19-ottk-reference/

 

Here are some Hero helmets for reference;

 

c2871b00e62ad6a23a1648b4dfcd13d5.jpg&key=5693679d12c2b9980f94050b57d17af662bf698aad45f265a832d341f1caf8c8

 

34ffb880572bf60f1e15464799ee61c8.plist&key=01f4fd326b2f5e0868686e3f9d443d5be7bb040add38c185db93d045e488cfbb

 

67258eb4df13d8a244c9d827d8806868.plist&key=d825e59f630eb77d8cda53fdc7077b716172d263aee64cc775627c8f775d00ee

 

41817175c1ba3b58fbd023a79f65abee.plist&key=243f55aedcd837217405e70615f9a9e2923078971a63b2b1f03e6b0b1963ea40

 

f058c24d7ff2068c6560910bb996dc4d.jpg&key=18e6d3acf23d403b0b0238511418ec0c6e1c7af3521e3b9304ce6194ae9eda9c

 

 

To my knowledge, the “white” on the rims and outside of the hovi-tips is NOT white paint. The hovi-tips are originally white (or close to it) and we’re then painted black. The areas of white are where the black paint has been scratched or rubbed off due to wear and tear.

 

So, I’m my opinion, the best way to recreate this is to have a white hovi tip, paint it black, then gently weather the piece to reveal subtle amounts of the white beneath.

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Hero helmets where made separately from the original ANH helmets (a few weeks later). Apart from the amount of teeth cut out, there is also the ear bumps with only 3 of those, only 2 screws on the ears, bubble lenses, lower brow trim and of course the mic tips.

 

The company's original receipts show that in total Andrew Ainsworth at Shepperton Design Studios (SDS) fabricated fifty-six Stormtrooper helmets, twelve Imperial Forces' helmets, twelve Imperial Fighter Pilots' helmets and twenty X-Wing Fighter Pilots' helmets. For the Stormtrooper Helmets, an initial run of 50 "Stunt" helmets were made from a Khaki-coloured HDPE material, which was subsequently painted white. Following this 6 "Hero"  helmets were made for close up work out of white ABS (i.e. no need to paint) and these were the helmets worn by the Luke and Han characters when in Stormtrooper Armor

 

Details on helmets such as the Stormtrooper�s, were made from whatever they could lay their hands on. The mic tips have the words "HOVI MIX pa2" written on the side of them. Even now its not clear whether these were actually rheostat knobs (possibly military?), air inlet valves or microphone condenser tips. Note its possible some of the helmets had the real mic tips, however the majority of the Stunt helmets had resin casts of them.

 

An interesting read on hovi tips, unfortunately a very old thread and a lot of links and photos are missing but an interesting read

 

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There is also the passage from the book Storm troopers Beyond the Armor, from set decorator Roger Christian as follows.

He is discussing the communicator that 3PO used and how he created it.

 

"I was in the production design office showing him some plumbing units that he could design into a set. A call came from the floor, from George he says 'I need a communicator, NOW!'

" I undid a pipe, and out fell a filter. And I looked at it and saw it had a little grid on the end, and I went, "OH MY GOD" I ran to my room, stuck one little ring around it, ran to the floor, and put it in Georges hand, and he said, 'Perfect'".

So there is a few different sources and members of production that discuss the volume of plumbing parts used that lends credence to the fact these tips were indeed part of plumbing accessories.

 

 

 

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OK I scrapped off the drips while they were still soft and started sanding away. 

I did an initial rough pass with 80 grit sanded wet. It actually gives the helmet an interesting layered "Boba Fett" style weathering look that I may use on other projects in the future.

5axAPjG.jpg
SVnW8aF.jpg

More to come soon. My TrooperBay order is ETA this week or early next so I'll keep sanding and (CAREFULLY this time) repaint this bucket

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mail call:

Trooper Bay box arrived
c5zlrFj.jpg
I now have everything I need to finish this helmet to reasonable status. I've already started on the mic tips:
7IINmXN.jpg
INRFvVN.jpg
(I know in this photo the white "wear" on the rims is a bit large. I have since fixed that)

In the "restoration" department, things are going smoothly enough. After more sanding and a few shots of first, gray etching primer, followed by wet sanding, and then basic white, the patterns created from sanding as well as any evidence of my dripping disaster are all but vanished.
LohW01L.jpg
hE61jtM.jpg
rOByHgW.jpg
So to quote the big boss -"everything is proceeding as I have foreseen"      ...so far :) 

Once the primer is dry a quick wipe with super fine steel wool (or even a shop rag) to clean off the overspray and then it's time for round 2 of fake HDPE paint followed by the industrial oil paint through the spray gun CAREFULLY this time

Stay tuned...

Edited by Mad Cow Rebel
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5 hours ago, Mad Cow Rebel said:

mail call:

Trooper Bay box arrived
c5zlrFj.jpg
I now have everything I need to finish this helmet to reasonable status. I've already started on the mic tips:
7IINmXN.jpg
INRFvVN.jpg
(I know in this photo the white "wear" on the rims is a bit large. I have since fixed that)

In the "restoration" department, things are going smoothly enough. After more sanding and a few shots of first, gray etching primer, followed by wet sanding, and then basic white, the patterns created from sanding as well as any evidence of my dripping disaster are all but vanished.
LohW01L.jpg
hE61jtM.jpg
rOByHgW.jpg
So to quote the big boss -"everything is proceeding as I have foreseen"      ...so far :) 

Once the primer is dry a quick wipe with super fine steel wool (or even a shop rag) to clean off the overspray and then it's time for round 2 of fake HDPE paint followed by the industrial oil paint through the spray gun CAREFULLY this time

Stay tuned...

Good luck Avery, I think this will look very authentic when finished so dont be concerned with a few paint runs as it will add to the realism considering these were painted originally

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56 minutes ago, Sly11 said:

Good luck Avery, I think this will look very authentic when finished so dont be concerned with a few paint runs as it will add to the realism considering these were painted originally

Thanks, I'm not concerned about a few runs (I actually would like a few) it's just that what happened last time was far too much

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As long as you are happy that's all that counts. They could have been spaced a little wider apart to meet up to the ears, you have a bit of a gap there.

 

XyPC0xP.jpg&key=7650aed8bce05e950189777a

LFL_Storm_Stunt03.jpg

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DA Props kits in!

I have to say that was very fast shipping from France to Canada.
gWpwCJR.jpg

Unfortunately that's all that was better than expected with these. Let me explain:

First thing I noticed was that the ABS colour was slightly yellowed compared to my TE kit. This and the fact that there was what looked like black overspray from spray painting on the underside and dirt, hair etc on the inside of the faceplate makes me think this plastic has been sitting around in a shop for a long time.

Upon further inspection I noticed that, especially on the hero kit, there were deformations in the ABS pulls from bubbled up areas to indents to a damaged and sunken tooth as well as an extra tooth on the hero!
FenCDaS.jpg

xNYnQOQ.jpg

p1cM6s1.jpg

 

Moving on to the resin parts I found a few bubbles (not a huge deal) and a gaping hole in one of the Hovi tips!

jYsk0Tj.jpg

that, followed by the wrong size of S trim, look at this compared to brow trim It's huge and does not fit like it should at all.
Irs1yex.jpg

and then the bubble lenses softly molded out off very thick, very brittle green plastic
Xy2ZzI9.jpg

Overall I feel disappointed and the experience of going through everything felt like I bought some recast ebay kits. I expected much better quality from DA props 

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Unfortunate but some makers are just a little better than others in regards to details, what you have will still work but I guess it comes down to price in the end.

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Plowing through

Over the last week I've been making the best of a less than ideal situation (should sound familiar this year) I've improvised.

I built up the DA stunt kit for a friend of mine - he wanted it dirtied up RO style and covered the cost of the kit; I didn't charge him for anything else. My payment was experience. 
0cCqfEZ.jpg
I know that ear job is hideous but I did better on the right side. This 2mm abs is not the easiest to work with but regardless I am improving if slowly. 


After that I set out to work on the DA Hero helmet as I was in a helmet mode. 

The lenses suck. There is no way around it (It was like looking through a chunk of thick ice) so I cut them out, painted the back of them black (as they should be) and had resigned myself to having it a pure display piece as now I could see literally nothing through them.

That was until I remembered I had built a small vacuum former a few years ago. 

Using the DA lenses as bucks, I vac formed a set of new lenses and they work very well (I can see well enough to actually walk now).
Wv1z6og.jpg
WHcPWjT.jpg
 

All that's left to do is tint them using a synthetic dye and I'm golden.

 

Now, On to the rest of that Hero helmet.
 

Edited by Mad Cow Rebel
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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Hey Phill, thanks for the tip

 

I've decided to take this kit the TD route which is why I haven't posted anymore updates here.

 

I'm currently trying to find more info on how exactly original ANH armour was strapped as it seems most everyone does it the ESB "clam shell" way.

 

If you have any more helpful info please let me know

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