RT Mod Helmet

Unlike the FX helmet kit, this lid required a fair amount of cleaning up before test fitting and assembly.

After washing and sanding with a 3M wire wool pad, the outside was masked off (as well as the area in the dome where the parts will bond) to prevent overpsray. The internals were given a couple of coats of Vallejo Matte black plastic primer (this stuff bonds to the ABS really well).

The eyes were removed with a dremel routing bit, and sanding drum. Final shaping was done with jewellers files and 600 grit wet/dry paper.

The four "teeth" of the frown were first drilled and then cut out with a jewellers file, and finished with narrow strips of 600 grit sandpaper. The masking is just for a rough guideline for shaping the "teeth".

Next up the frown was masked off using tamiya masking tape (nothing else compares to this stuff for "bleed free" sharpness) and cut up plastic carrier bag :) .

The back side was also masked to close off the holes to prevent the black interior catching any spray through. A couple of coats of Humbrol grey (156) was airbrushed on, after a couple of minutes with a hairdryer the masking was removed and allowed to dry for 24 hours.

Masking the mouth was a bit of a pain, about 45 mins of taping and cutting. Airbrushed using Tamiya XF1 flat black enamel paint.

Also the decals that came with the lid are damaged, so I am trying to get hold of some more from the supplier of the kit (no quibbles, top bloke replaced them :) )

I decided to dress up the cooling fans in this bucket. Using 2 discs of styrene, painted yellow, decals applied (laser sensor custom mecha decals from Tim at CoM), and then several coats of clear varnish (Johnson KLEAR). These where superglued to the fan centre.

The black painted sculptors mesh was fitted over the top to give the finished fans. I will probably paint the cables black to disguise them.

I got hold of some excellent green lens material (Cheers Kenny )to replace the single piece of grey acrylic supplied with the kit. After trimming in was molded to the shape of the eyesockets by softening with a heat gun. They were fixed in place with hot glue,then I cut some self adhesive foam tape if half lengthwise and applied to the lenses.

The mesh supplied with the kit was formed around the inside of the frown, and secured with hot glue, I am probably going to cover the inside of the lid with foam drawer liner, painted metalic charcoal, which will cover the gluey mess.

The two fans are mounted on floating brackets made from folded brass sheet, bolted through the rear of the mic tip depresions, the tips will be attached to the other end of the bolt shafts. Two 9v battery boxes to run the fans fix to the inside of the tubes (probably via a brass bracket and velcro-so they can be removed easily to change batteries).

OK, rework time...........althought the fans work alright, the mesh decreases the air flow. After experimenting a bit more, the air flow can be increased dramaticallly by removing the mesh and positioning the fans further away from the helmet wall.

Using brass rod, a "floating" frame can be fixed to the same bolt points as before (through the rear of the Mic tip depressions).

The battery boxes are riveted to a brass strip, which can then be attached to the inside of the tube (front section, so weight is forward)

The brass strip is flexible enough that the battery containing section of the box can be slid off to change batteries.

The ear pieces required a fair amount of shaping, and after applying the decals the finished item looks like this............................