BARC trooper and other helmets WIP

[Blaxmyth]

I found a file on line for a BARC trooper helmet. It looks pretty sharp and will make a nice change to be in a 'soft' costume instead of in my fibreglass stormtrooper 'tank'.

I had to spend quite a few hours re-meshing the file to make it more 'pep friendly'. This included flattening out some of the slightly curved panels, so that they can be replaced by flat plastic or plywood instead of card. Well, that's the plan...

IMG_0154.JPG (1.64 MiB) Viewed 7535 times

IMG_0155.JPG (1.69 MiB) Viewed 7535 times

IMG_0156.JPG (1.48 MiB) Viewed 7535 times

Hopefully now that I've posted these, I'll get into gear to get it finished within the next month or so.

Cheers, Phil

[SlyClone]

Looks fantastic so far. Nice clean lines and joins. You took your time making sure it all fitted snug from what I can see in the photos.

What modeling program did you use to edit the mesh? I'm using Maya 2015 on the ARF mesh.

Can't wait to see the finished version.

[Blaxmyth]

Thanks, Sly.

I used Blender for the re-mesh. Free and there are plenty of online tutorials these days - a far cry from when i started using it. I have heard great things about Maya, but I decided to stick with Blender as i could use it in a school situation so that kids could use the program at home without going to any expense.

[SlyClone]

Maya is good but then so is Blender too. Both have their pros and cons. Cost is a big one for sure.

So I'm assuming you'll bondo it etc? Is it large enough to fit on without modding?

[Blaxmyth]

Yep, polyester resin and bog next.

I can fit inside it without needing a raised faceplate - just going to test it today on Nick K to be sure. That'll give me an idea whether it is too big, just right, etc. Nick can be my Goldilocks tester!

[MattG]

Cool, keep up the good work.

I like your wall-mounted helmet stands to make the most of the corner space, BTW.

[TIE1138]

Even more space inside when you wear it. Not like the one I'm working on at the moment.

[Blaxmyth]

Been experimenting with a 'mixed media' pepakura build.
The face plate and the crown/visor are essentially flat planes, although the crown behind the visor will need a rounded top edge.I plan to swap some of the card parts for plywood. This should make the build quicker and stronger, but even more important - avoid distortion as the card warps with the resin. Well, that's the plan...

BARC brim and faceplate test.jpg (290.99 KiB) Viewed 7477 times

This test is a mite too small, so redoing it all. Also - and this is a real biggie! - it should be possible to wear glasses inside the helmet!

[SlyClone]

Great idea. The less chance of warping the better for when you get to covering it with resin.

Have you consider balsa wood for some of the curved parts of the helmet? Thin and easy to bend and is stronger than card but not as heavy as ply.

[Blaxmyth]

Have you consider balsa wood for some of the curved parts of the helmet? Thin and easy to bend and is stronger than card but not as heavy as ply.

Hmmm! Balsa wood.... Now there's a name I haven't heard for a lonnnng time...

About fifty years in fact, since I last used it. I guess it'll soak up the resin really well, and it certainly likes wood glue.

Thanks so much for the suggestion!