First TK Build - ANH Hero

[evoxpilot]

Would you please provide some detail on how you built your helmet? Painted, stencils, etc? Looks great.

[McDNet[TK]]

Would you please provide some detail on how you built your helmet? Painted, stencils, etc? Looks great.

 

 

Sure.  And thanks, I am pretty happy with how it turned out as a first time attempt.

 

It was a standard 2 part kit.  Standard assembly as most threads show.  I did screw up the ears on my first attempt with them.  I cut them too shallow, so I had to order an extra set from my builder.  But I was MUCH more careful with the second set and they turned out much better.

 

The mouth is hand painted, the rest are stickers from the kit.  I was going to do hand painted, but I chickened out.  I want to buy another helmet from my builder so I can build a hero version, so I think when I do that I will attempt the hand painting.

 

After I had the helmet assembled I took it apart and sprayed PlastiDip on the entire inside.  I really like how that turned out.  It is very nice texture.

 

As I stated previously, I saw THIS thread during my build process and really liked how it looked.  I was going to do the construction helmet liner plan that TrooperBay teaches, but when I saw the motorcycle helmet idea I just liked how it looked better.

 

Just like TJTrooper, I went to CycleGear, which had a store not too far from my house and I bought THIS helmet.  The liner is buttoned in, so it came out easily.  I used the small velcro squares to attach the liner to my TK helmet.  When I put the helmet on it fit great on top, but when I looked down, the helmet didn't move with my head.  I kept having to pull the front of the helmet down with my hand to be able to look down.  So I pulled the side padding out of the motorcycle helmet and did the same velcro install.  That made the fit VERY tight and the helmet now moves with my head very well.  My mother-in-law sewed in the Imperial Cog.  The velcro will also make it easy to take the liner out to clean it when needed.

 

Next I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some black felt panels.  They were cheap... 4 for $1.  I cut out a pattern to cover the eyes and the mouth.  I used a white pencil I got at Hobby Lobby to mark where to cut out the eye holes and mouth opening, then used hot glue to glue each piece down.

 

Next I added my in helmet fan system that I got from Evilboy.  I mounted the fans and the battery back with the same velcro squares.  It took a bit of work to get the wires to wrap around the bottom of the helmet as well, but I used black electrical tape to keep the wires in place.

 

Lastly was the microphone.  I bought the Aker set from TK6294.  I cut the wire headset down so that I only needed to mount about of inch of the wire in the helmet.  I will have to run the mic wire down my neckseal to plug it into the iComm and Aker system.

 

So I am very happy with how it tuned out.  It looks good both inside and out. 

 

 

 

 

 

[evoxpilot]

Thanks for the detail on the build and the parts extremely helpful.

 

On the second attempt with the ears, did you trim, fit, repeat slowly?  They seem difficult to fit the curve.

Edited October 9, 2013 by evoxpilot

[McDNet[TK]]

On the ears, I found that something you had to keep in mind is that when you screw all the screws in and tighten things up the ears will pull down into the helmet.  

So on the ears from my builder, he had a cutout line that he had drawn some little dotted lines on for because he knew I screwed up the first set... Thanks TRAY!!  There was still another line that was the closer to the bottom that showed where things should end up, but I went to that second line the first time and that was too far.  

 

I rough cut, I dremmel'ed down to the "cut line" that he advised as a guide.  I then fit them and I could see where the parts of the ears were touching the helmet and where it was not.  So I used a pencil to mark the touching parts and took the ears off and only sanded those parts until the pencil was gone.  Refit, remark with pencil and re-sand.  I knew after my reading on these forums that the ears were going to be one of the most labor intensive items to fit.  So I committed to it and even though it took a while of on and off and on and off, i think they turned out just fine.

[Tray[TK]]

You did a great job on the helmet Michael. Nice job. I tried to make mine flush up like yours. I didn't get it perfect and then when trying to put them on I only had my two hands and couldn't snug it up any better. I'm going ot be workin gon a brand new kit one of these days and will be making sure to get my ears to fit nicer.

 

Great seeing your time pay off.

[McDNet[TK]]

Thanks for the complement Tray.  Now to move toward EIB and hopefully Centurion!!