Dizzy's CAP-W bucket Restoratation and Build

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

i put this here since the tips apply to more than blackhole troopers.

 

 

i got my 'project helmet' from scootch already assembled and weathered, but lets pretend you reclaimed your helmet from a pack of rabid ewoks and it looks like this:

 

 

 

scootch i'm not downing your work, but your old project is now my new project, so it must be up to my exacting standards

 

i'm going to convert to a "low brow", give it a fresh paint job, and replace the rubbers. this is also for Tekket and whoever bought the third weathered helmet.

 

 

depending on how your helmets assembled it may vary, but these have hot glue covering cut screws, so youll have to use a bit more pressure when unscrewing the screw from the nuts and when you reassemble you may replace them and cut the new ones, but i wont so just be careful not to crossthread them when you put it back together!

 

peel the hot glue off everything, its super easy, use your fingernails.

 

 

undo the screws and bolts with a small flat head screwdriver, i used pliers to hold the bolts cuz i dont want to dig through my toolbox for a socket.

 

 

the gross tumor of a forehead was left on mine, this bump makes the dome stick out slightly from the face, but i hate it so i look at the assembly thread to establish a trim line

 

 

then cut it using my 97 cent walmart scissors. hips is a LOT easier to trim than abs, so be careful not to crack it or whatnot.

 

 

now that the dome wont have the big brow gap and the face/dome are separated, sand that baby down for some paintage.

[Master Tej]

Interesting . . .

 

- Master Tej -

[Tekket[501st]]

Thanks Derek my bucket still hasnt arrived yet, but I will be eagerly watching your tutorial as i know it will be invaluable to me when it does arrive.

 

Looks like your off to a great start though mate.........think yours will be finished before mine gets here lol

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

yeah i have a habit of not showing how i do things, plus i dont want you to get your bucket and be disappointed its not shiney or how you want it or whatever, he did say they were weathered project helmets, so i wanted to show how to re-vamp it so you get approved

[Tekket[501st]]

Thanks Derek I wanted to attempt a Nova Elite paint job on mine ................... I'm glad you know what you are doing mate ...........your tutorial will be invaluable to me .

 

Steve

[Scootch[TX]]

Nice!

[ELP[501st]]

Lead on Dizzy!

[izzi[TX]]

I've always loved the CAP-Ws... Only thing I wear (and I have quite a few choices in my garage.)

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

finally finished sanding, what a mild discomfort in another name for a donkey!

 

ok first things first, the mic tip wells are tissue paper thin and very brittle. scootchickles has probably already done the honor of making a backing/washer for the mic tip screw to bolt through, but it wasnt enough so i used the simple tshirt tactic to strengthen it. the left one was fine but the right was already tearing as the glue holding the backing didnt hold.

 

its an optional step, but cut out up old tshirt, a piece in the shape of pacman, with a hole for the screw so you dont need to re drill.

 

 

get a good quality (not dollar store brand) superglue, make sure its the LIQUID type, not gel. heres what i got for 2 bucks at walmart

 

 

when you close pacmans mouth, it shapes the cotton into a cone shape (kinda how they make paper funnels or drinking cups), the thing is to "paint" the glue so it soaks the cotton while adhering to the plastic, AND trying not to bunch up the hardening glue. GO SLOW and use TINY amounts of glue at a time, as it hardens it generates heat and can melt the HIPs if theres too much at once, make sure you keep your face away from the fumes and dont be afraid if you see a bit of "smoke", its the plastic binding with the glue, this is why i said go slow. i recommend you wear safety glasses or at least do this outside cuz if the glue fumes get near your eyes theyll dry out like getting cigarette smoke in your eyes and youll tear up hardcore like cutting onions, and you dont want to be a little crybaby.

 

 

now i take the backing piece that came off and glue that onto the dried cotton, using the mic tip installed so i get the tip at the angle i want it (so both aerators are facing the same way), and the backing prives a base for the bolt to sit onto.

 

 

you can use the same tshirt technique on little cracks too, i had a crack above the right eye

 

 

another optional step, i hate hate hate the "bump" on the eye that stunt helmets have. yes its screen accurate, but this isnt the 70's and im not in a rush to get 50 helmets made. i took my best friend (heat gun) and soften up the plastic to bend out the bump. the eyes are slightly more symmetrical and the bump area isnt as obvious anymore. just making this helmet to my liking.

 

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

now the sanding. you want to get as much of the black off as you can. all the high spots out, the runs, drips, bubbles, orange peel, lack of primer, any imperfections out for the best finish when you respray. i scrathed all the tight curved areas with my fingernail, the paint that chips off means it didnt stick well there. i used 320 grit sandpaper and dry sanded everything, even getting down to the original plastic in some areas if i had to, if your fingers arent hurting by the time you finish, you havent sanded well enough

 

it took a good 7 hours (on and off) or 3 days of sanding with 320, then another half hour wetsanding with 400 grit. wet sanding it important AFTER dry sand because there are still areas which may flake off when wet, you want those off, otherwise that causes the new paint to orange peel, and you def dont want to have to sand that down again and do it over. when its as smooth as glass, it might look like this ready to prime!

 

 

now you have a few options, you can

A - spray with clearcoat and try to get it approved as a new urban-camo trooper

B - send it back to scootch and unsuccessfully demand a refund

or C - continue following my directions

 

gotta keep things funny in this detachment lol

 

next step is to prime and paint

[Master Tej]

Wouldn't 320 grit scratch the HIPS?

 

- Master Tej -

[toddo[TX]]

I love your method for reinforcing the aerator wells. My CAP-W buckets all are weakest at that point.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

No tej but I'd say 200 or less would, i've got years of painting experience.

 

And yeah the method has been on the forums floating in posts but nobody has actually made a tutorial about it, I'll probably get right on that.

[mr0072003[501st]]

Love the T-Shirt technique. I am wondering if I can steal this part of your build and make a seperate HOW TO - Re-enforce weak point with Super Glue and T-Shirt. This type of technique can work on other parts, and can really help someone in a picnh if they dont have other ways to re-enforce weak spots. LMK

[ELP[501st]]

Looking good! Nice techniques and tutorial!

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

No problem peter its your job afterall lol. Not sure if it can be used as a remedy on failing armor parts but its basically a low form of fiberglassing so we won't know how well armor holds up until someone tries and troops with a shirt/glue repair.

[toddo[TX]]

I've done it with E6000 and old t-shirt, and so far so good.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

The superglue bleeds into the cotton like water and hardens in ten seconds, with e6's cure time and rubbery quality its just better with super imo

[Griffin-X[501st]]

This is a great thread Diz...I also dig the super glue and t-shirt scrap method. I've done that on a few parts too over the last year. I prefer Gorilla Glue since it's sort of thicker, but as you say it soaks into shirt material quickly and sets in 10 secs or less.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

Its 30 mph winds today so can't paint today. the weather has been so bipolar this week! But at least i'm registered for my motorcycle class next week. Hence the biker scout helmet i'm putting off

[Tekket[501st]]

Your tutorial is awesome Derek I will have to post pics now my helmet has arrived, I will start to work on it on monday , but this tutorial is definately going to help me ......

 

Thanks mate

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

well i finally had time to prime and paint, im not even going to bother how to teach you to spraypaint properly, but i can say out of all the paint ive used through the years, i still like krylon best. whoever said krylon and rustoleum dont work well together mustve been high on the fumes.

 

i used a simple one coat of good ol' krylon grey primer. i use a certain technique when i paint things. i always do curve edges and crevases FIRST, then the main areas. think of it like this, the aerator wells need extra attention since they go in so deep. normally one might just paint the whole face smooth but the aerator inside wont have the same amount of paint as the bigger flatter areas, might even be spotty and rough with no paint at all. by covering the wells, teeth, and under and inside the eyes first, youll have the same amount of paint all over, if you get what i mean.

 

so a good way to do this is paint with the part upside down so you get all up in those hidden areas

 

 

then flip it over and continue with the rest. the ears should be done before the face, then the dome last, this way your used to how the paint will shoot out, what thickness you need to lay etc. by doing the ears first, if you screw up and need to sand and repaint, the ears are not much space to sand, whereas youll have to put up with the face forms all over again, and that took me 2 hours alone to finish sanding. ears were about 30 min each.

 

the thing about this rustoleum, which ive never use before but was recommended as its super tough for armor and super shiney, is that the nozzle requires a bit more pressure to activate than most cans ive used, so i had a hard time keeping the flow consistant without the can sliding down my hand. it also comes out thin, but it all wants to come out at once, so theres thin paint rushing out fast, you have to be very careful you dont lay too much in one area cuz itll run.

 

 

second, the dome has always been the hardest part to paint due to its size and shape. you have to keep spinning it on your hand making sure to get an even coat all around. even as an experienced spraypainter i got a few runny areas on this so i have to resand those areas and spray another day.

 

the face however came out perfect the first time. shing shing sparkle sparkle

 

 

everytime you spray with this paint, let it dry for 5 days. i only needed one coat for the ears and face, but even E6000 dries faster than this. work on your other projects til then FIVE DAYS!

[Tekket[501st]]

That certainly is nice and shiny ......... your years of experience versus my zip experience I am wondering how mine will turn out

 

that looks great Derek

 

Not sure If I can get those paints here will have to have a look

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

Test first on the tumor or something else that's plastic so you can get a feel for the paint. You can do very light coats every few minutes between each coat and build it up, the next coat will "melt" or absorb into the previous coat. Do it enough so that the paint bonds into one solid coat and you'll get a good shine. That's what I used to do on model cars, especially with black since its hardest to get right. But with the rustoleum there isn't much time to do that as its hard to work with on its own so I had to do one all at once rotating a lot to get it even everywhere

[Griffin-X[501st]]

Very fine work Derek, you have some great painting knowledge and skills.