How to trim the eyes

[DroidHunter]

I've read post after post on assembly, and I'm getting better at trimming stuff even though I'm still in the early stages. But I am stuck on the eyes. I was going to use a Dremel, but the wheel is big and I'm worried about the curved shape. Scissors are out. I watched the Trooperbay video. Can anybody tell me how they went about it and how it worked out for them? I don't want to mess these up!

[maxsteele[TK]]

I used curved lexan scissors.  I have an ATA helmet, and I marked with a pencil where the indent was between the piece you need to keep and the extra.  It's there, and you can see it / run a pencil in the groove.  I ended up cutting a bit too much from one of my eyes, because this was my first time really using those scissors, but if you look at the reference photos, you will see that there were all sorts of different thicknesses of edges left behind after the eyes were cut out.  Just remember that we are putting all of this time and effort into having this one perfect Stormtrooper helmet, and when they were making helmets for the movies they were making a bunch of them in a short time.  However you end up finishing your helmet, it will be yours, and it will look great!

[gazmosis[501st]]

Usually, there is a mold ridge that is pretty well seen on the inside of the helmet around they eye area. I make sure that is CLEARLY marked. I cut out the vast majority of the eye by first drilling holes around the perimeter so it looks like postage stamp perforations, then connect the holes with an exacto blade. The rest I grind down using the drum sander on the dremmel.  There are smaller sanding and cutting posts available for the dremmel that I use to get into the sensitive corners of the eyes.

[DroidHunter]

I appreciate the quick replies. Steve, even after watching Trooperbay's video, it did not occur to me to use the drill in this manner. I have marked the perimeter of the eye lines as Panda Trooper did in this pic (sorry, never got to take a pic of my faceplate):

 

So you drilled all the way around the perimeter of the pencil line with a small drill bit in a manner that was perpendicular to the pencil line (i.e. as if from the top of the head and drilling down in this pic), and then connected the holes with a blade, correct? I really like that idea and will likely give it a try, Thanks for the advice! I have a small Dremel sanding post to smooth it out, just not a good cutting post for that area.

 

Ron, I have those scissors, but I don't think I want to use them for the eyes. How did you get in there to cut in the first place?

[Oztrooper[TK]]

I used the sanding drum for the Dremel and went around the entire edge of the eye socket slowly until I broke through, lifting off the flap of plastic that covers the eye socket and now with an exposed edge all the way around slowly dremelled until I reached the pencil line drawn....

[DroidHunter]

I like that idea too. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

I appreciate the quick replies. Steve, even after watching Trooperbay's video, it did not occur to me to use the drill in this manner. I have marked the perimeter of the eye lines as Panda Trooper did in this pic (sorry, never got to take a pic of my faceplate):

 

So you drilled all the way around the perimeter of the pencil line with a small drill bit in a manner that was perpendicular to the pencil line (i.e. as if from the top of the head and drilling down in this pic), and then connected the holes with a blade, correct? I really like that idea and will likely give it a try, Thanks for the advice! I have a small Dremel sanding post to smooth it out, just not a good cutting post for that area.

 

Ron, I have those scissors, but I don't think I want to use them for the eyes. How did you get in there to cut in the first place?

 

Using this photo as an example, there are two zones penciled out.  One is the plastic you're leaving, and one is the plastic you're removing.  After seeing this pic, I remember that I didn't use the scissors exclusively on this.  I had a pretty defined indention where the pencil mark is, and I put my xacto knife in there are traced the pencil line.  Then I made perpendicular cuts up to the knife line and did the "score and snap" method to break off pieces.

 

I used the scissors for the rounded parts on the corners because I couldn't get the xacto to trace the lines around them.  Then I cleaned it all up with sandpaper.

[DroidHunter]

Steve, I gave your method a shot, and I like the results. It took a while, and I only have one eye done, but I'm happy with the result. I drilled with a small bit around the ridge line perimeter, then connected the dots with an x-acto knife, and used the Dremel to clean it up. I was a little nervous the the bottom return was a little small as I drilled a little closer than I wanted in one spot, but based on pics I have looked at of finished helms, I think this is OK. Thoughts?

 

[LChute1158]

thanks this is helping with my build!