Adhesive for 'S' neck trim

[Femtrooper Julie[501st]]

For rubber, you need the Gel Superglue...just like the hand plates. It should stick.

[mr_speed[TK]]

So should the s trim cover the bottom of the ear piece?

[jonthevicar]

100% silicone caulk works like a boss

[Jancelot[TK]]

Due to inexperience I built my AP bucket with the opening a too small (i.e. side gaps are too close).  On this bucket the S-trim frequently comes off as my cheeks drag against it let alone trying to get my ears through.  It is especially difficult when I'm in full armor and wearing a headset.  I have two other helmets which were built bigger and do not have this issue.  The pressure hold works fine.

 

I'm planning on selling my AP bucket to someone with a smaller noggin' as soon as I can lock down a new AP bucket kit.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Jancelot

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

Due to inexperience I built my AP bucket with the opening a too small (i.e. side gaps are too close).  On this bucket the S-trim frequently comes off as my cheeks drag against it let alone trying to get my ears through.  It is especially difficult when I'm in full armor and wearing a headset.  I have two other helmets which were built bigger and do not have this issue.  The pressure hold works fine.

 

I'm planning on selling my AP bucket to someone with a smaller noggin' as soon as I can lock down a new AP bucket kit.

 

simply remove the neck trim, cut a little off the front near the chin, about 1/2" then buy new neck trim and reinstall.

 

works like a charm!

[Jancelot[TK]]

Hi Vern.  Definitely doing the bucket twist (is that Chubby Checker song?).  

 

I've already trimmed the front and back a bit.  I didn't want to trim the front too much as little ones can see up easier.  But that does seem to be the only solution with the way I assembled it.  I thought about pulling it apart, but the holes on the side would be visible and need to be filled, etc.

 

Thanks for the tip!

[Pancho[TK]]

So should the s trim cover the bottom of the ear piece?

 

I was wondering this myself. I've seen it done both ways. which is considered correct?

[bpoodoo]

I have a painted HDPE helmet with a Trooperbay s-trim (about 1 cm wide) which does not stay on.

 

I have an ABS helmet (SDS Battle Spec) which came with a larger s-trim (about 2 cm wide) which stays on with no adhesive.  On this one item, it could be that AA actually got it right.

 

Trooperbay on left; SDS on right:

 

 

The Trooperbay S-trim is flimsier while the SDS S-trim is stiffer:

 

 

When installed, the SDS trim doesn't touch at the cut ends, so it's not just the pressure around the trim that keeps it in place.  Keeping it in place are several factors which not all S-trim and helmet combinations will have.  It essentially comes down to force and friction.

 

Greater stiffness in the S-trim means it will push against the outside of the helmet more as it is fitted around the helmet thereby holding it in place more firmly.  Greater stiffness also means greater force between the surfaces, especially when making vertical turns in the undercut, which increases friction keeping it from slipping.  And a wider trim provides a more secure fit against the helmet edge.

 

I suspect silicone is slicker than rubber on s-trim, and I know painted or HDPE surfaces are slicker than ABS.

 

Slicker surfaces = less friction.  Flimsier S-trim = less force = less friction.

 

Less friction = need adhesive.

 

I suspect going to a 2cm wide rubber S-trim would provide an adhesive-free option for many, if we could find a supplier.

[Locitus[Admin]]

Ask troopermaster if he's willing to sell you some of his S-trim. It's glorious.

[bpoodoo]

Ah, thanks for the pointer.  I've conducted some business with troopermaster recently.  Definitely first class quality and service.

[Gep]

For those wanting to stick with the stock ATA trim, like myself, I have found a decent solution.

Clear silicone (GE Silicone II) adhesive sealant mixed with E6000.

The silicone sticks just enough to the trim, and the E6000 adheres to the ABS.

Holding better than any of the other glues I've tried in the last 2 years.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

every ATA lid I've ever made I've changed out the rubber trims!

[pandatrooper[TK]]

I've built plenty of ATA lids and have never had issues with the trim.I actually prefer it over many others.

 

The trick is you need to work the trim into every nook and cranny along the bottom edge of the helmet. Push the trim into a dip but never let it stretch out, if anything condense the trim back in the direction of where the trim was first laid down. When you get to the end cut it a half inch longer than you need it to be, so that there's tension on the trim.

 

I have never had any come off when doing this method.

[bpoodoo]

I see what you're saying pandatrooper.  I'd installed mine with the ends more flush and not pushing against each other.  Leaving that extra bit of length creates compression along the length of the s-trim and causes it to push out on the edge of the helmet helping to keep it in place. 

 

I found i could push the together my s-trim about an extra 1 inch under moderate pressure.  From leftover s-trim scraps I've put in a spacer of that length.  It seems more stable now and less likely to fall out if the helmet is flexed or if the s-trim is nudged.  Of course too much compression could run a risk of the s-trim bowing or popping out.  Build experience certainly comes into play to know how much is the right amount.  But I'll give this a try and see if it works for my helmet.  Thanks!

[Grimez]

Eh, 12 days isn't too bad. And this seems pretty relevant to my issue. I for the life of my cant figure out how i expect to get this s neck trim on my helmet. I think its due to the fact that I didn't trim the bottoms whatsoever, i have to do a lot of persuading to my helmet to fit my head in. The red line is a guess of where I think I would need to further trim the bottom to make it possible to both put the trim on and get my head in. Thoughts?

 

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Edited January 1, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[bpoodoo]

That trim line looks about right for a smooth oval shape, with the helmet edges pointing inward toward the center if possible. This helps I think to keep the s-trim secure when using compression (which is working for my helmet so far).

 

The challenge will of course be around the ears.  It looks like the front and back of the helmet will pull closer together once you screw in the ear at the bottom.  If you have the thinner s-trim, you probably won't be able to include all 3 surfaces (front and back of helmet plus the bottom of the ear) within the s-trim.  Often the ear is trimmed above the s-trim out of the way with the front and back of the helmet where they join within the s-trim.    But if there's too much of a gap between the helmet halves there, you could possibly shape the bottom of the ear so that it dips down in the center to provide a "bridge" between them.  Whatever works to provide as smooth and continuous a transition as possible.

[bpoodoo]

When the front and rear halves of the helmet don't match up well at the bottom, and a reasonable amount of trimming won't fix it, the ear might be used to bridge the gap or sharp angle and provide a smooth routing path for the s-trim.  This would be a case where you would have the ear within the s-trim rather than above it.

 

For example, if you have something like this at the bottom where the two halves meet (hopefully not as jagged and not as riddled with drill holes):

 

 

Then you may be able to trim the bottom of the ear to cover the gap:

 

 

After installing s-trim:

 

 

For the thinner s-trim as above and/or thicker plastic, you probably would not want all 3 surfaces within the s-trim at any given point.  You'd want back+ear, then just ear, then front+ear, and the surfaces should be mostly flush together.  Some shaping of the plastic at the bottom of the ear might be needed to achieve this.  I'll need to do this for one helmet I have made of thick ABS as I don't think the following is acceptable.  I need go boil some water.

 

and replace my current ABS trimming tool:

 

[bpoodoo]

Reshaped the bottom of the ear to make it more flush with the helmet so I could use it as a bridge between the helmet sections and apply the s-trim:

 

[pandatrooper[TK]]

My personal opinion is you've trimmed the ear way too thin. The area that wraps around the cheek tubes should be taller if possible. The flat circle of the ear is also too thin.

 

Do you have a spare set?

[bpoodoo]

Yeah, I agree.  I'd trimmed and installed this ear on the other side initially which turned out to be the wrong side.  After trimming to make it flush on this side there wasn't much ear left.  I do have 1 spare pair of ATA ears I got from Darth Voorhees back in April. 

[aliens8us]

Maybe JB Weld? That stuff works good on plastic, rubber, or metal

[bpoodoo]

I have jb weld for plastic. I've used it to seal and reinforce ABS cracks. It could work in a pinch for the s trim but may not be optimal. When workable it has a clay like consistency and dries hard and brittle for thin applications like between s trim and helmet. An adhesive and/or sealant that can be applied thinly and is flexible when dry would probably be a better choice.