Scout Trooper Helmet

7/31/2019 Scout Trooper Helmet

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Scout Helmet Tutorial

So you wanna be a scout huh? You got your helmet... made by Rubies, or if youre

lucky, Don Post. Right? Well, you cant just slap that helmet on your head! You need

to mod it first!

This tutorial will help you in modding your Rubies or Don Post Helmet.

What youll need:Lexan Shade #5 welding face shield. (Substitute available)

Hard Hat Liner

EpoxyMachine screws and nuts #6

Velcro or more machine screws, or small rare earth magnets

Black sceen/mesh

Sink aerator

Hot Glue Gun and glue sticks.Black Paint

Tools needed

Drill with 1/8 bit

Screwdriver and pliersTin snips or sharp shears

Dremel rotary tool

PatienceNice cool beverage (or several!)

Ok. You got the materials and tools. Lets get going!

Heres what you need to do!

Well concentrate on the bucket first.

Take your helmet out of the box, if you already havent done so. Youll see the helmet iscomprised of 2 pieces, the facemask, and the back helmet (bucket). These are held

together with two screws and plastic nuts. To make things easier, remove the nuts and

screws and remove the facemask from the bucket.

Now that you have the facemask removed from the bucket, put it aside. Well work on

that part later. Inside the bucket you see yellow foam lining. This is supposed to makethe helmet fit snugly on your head, however its of little use. Remove it and discard. Try

to clean up the residue as much as possible.

Faid.comsolutions online


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There are a few areas on the bucket that need to be worked on. At the front of the bucket,

there is a lip. Many people say it cuts into your forehead and makes the helmet veryuncomfortable to wear (it happened on mine). Taking your Dremel, carefully remove

this lip, making sure not to cut too deep or take off material that is supposed to stay!

Take off enough material so that it is comfortable while wearing it and will not cut into

your forehead!

Next up the ears. In the film, these are not closed off, but are left open. Take yourDremel and very carefully cut out the ears keeping a small area around them for stability

and also to use later when you attach the mesh.


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On the back of the helmet is a raised piece that denotes the making and copyright

information for the helmet. This is not screen accurate and should be removed. Usingthe Dremel, sand down the pad, but dont rush this. The last thing you want to do is take

off too much material and leave an open gash. Take your time!!!! Your patience will be

rewarded!

Taking the black paint its time for some fun. To keep people from seeing the man

behind the curtain, it is advised that you paint at least the inside halo section of the

helmet black. When combined with the mesh that youll install behind the ear areas youhave cut out, itll help prevent people from seeing you! As youre waiting for the paint to

dry, its a perfect time to enjoy your nice cold beverage.


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After the paint has dried, its time to install the mesh. Taking your mesh, cut off pieces

big enough to cover the holes you cut for the ears. Using the hot glue gun, lay down abed of glue and carefully install the mesh (making sure you dont burn your fingers). As

the glue cools and cures, itll hold the mesh securely to the helmet. For added security,

you may elect to lay down a couple of strips of duct tape. This is completely optional

and being on the inside of the bucket, no one will see!

Finally time to install the hardhat liner. Put on the liner and adjust it for your head size.Now, dry fit your bucket while youre still wearing the liner so you can figure where

youll need to attach it. (Make sure the glue and paint are completely dry! You dont

want to glue your hair or accidentally dye it black!)


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After figuring out where you want the liner to go, remove the bucket and liner together,

carefully. (After all, you just got things lined up. You dont want to lose that now!)Taking a marker or pen, mark the areas where the tabs of the liner meet the bucket.

After making a batch of epoxy (I used JB Weld) smear it over the marks, making sure to

use plenty and extend it out over the area. This will help insure a good fit. You can alsoplace more epoxy over the tabs after the liner is installed to help secure it even more if

you wish (optional). Place the bucket aside and let the epoxy cure!

That completes the bucket portion of the mods. Now, onto the facemask.

The facemask has a few areas that need to be addressed. These are the snout/Aerator,lens, and blinders sections. Lets start with the aerator. The one thats on the bucket is

nothing more than a hunk of painted plastic. While it does kind of accomplish the job, it

can be cut off and replaced with an aerator that you use for your sink. After trimming the

plastic off, take it with you when you buy the replacement so you know youre getting

one the same size. The last thing you want is to have an aerator too big or too small!After getting the right piece, paint the aerator black. (keep the screen unpainted). Finally,

lay down a bed of epoxy and place the aerator on the snout and allow to dry. This notonly helps with accuracy, but also helps increase air circulation in the helmet (along with

the ears that you have done earlier).

Now, on to the blinders. Out of the box, the blinders are held on to the facemask with

two pop rivets on the top of the mask. This is good, but the blinders still flop around! Tofix this, youll need to secure them to the facemask on the sides using two #6 machine

screws and nuts!


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Taking your drill and using a 1/8 bit, carefully drill a hole through the blinder and

facemask portions. After painting the top of the screw white to help it blend in with theblinders, install the screw and tighten the nut to secure the blinders in place. Do this on

both sides of the mask.

Now onto the lens portion. I saved this part for last as it is probably the mostchallenging! First, remove the thin lens that is already on the helmet. This might provide

some resistance. After it is removed youll see that the opening is nothing more that two

large, crudely cut holes for you to see out of. Taking your Dremel, cut the excess

material and the lip that held the plastic lens on. Removing this will not only give youa better field of vision, but will also allow for a more clean looking helmet after the new

lens is installed.

After that has been done, take your #5 welding lens (a dark motorcycle helmet

replacement lens will also work and allow you to see in many different lighting

situations) and mark a rough template for your lens.


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Taking your Dremel (or shears or snips) cut out the new lens. Make sure it is larger than

the opening. This will allow you to install it easier! After the lens is cut and shaped, itstime to install. Using an epoxy I used putty designed for boats/fiberglass), run a snake

of the putty along the top and sides. Try to leave a small gap in the nose area for airflow.

After installing the lens, put the mask away to let the putty set up well. Place the mask in

your garage or in a very well ventilated area.

One note. You may be tempted to use superglue in adhering the lens to the mask.

DONT! The epoxy putty is a much better alternative!

After everything is dried and set, its time for final assembly.

In attaching your facemask to the bucket, you can use the screws and plastic bolts thatcame with the helmet (turn them around so the plastic is inside) or you can elect to use

elevator bolts and nuts. Elevator bolts are closer to what was used in the film and can be

found at most good hardware stores. If you use elevator bolts, paint the flat ends graybefore you install them.


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Lastly trying to cut down on the flair that is present. Most Rubies/Don Post helmets havea flair that makes the helmet look too fat. One way to take care of this is heating the

facemask and reshaping it, but Ive heard several horror stories about how it doesnt

always hold! On my helmet, I used a more traditional fix. Taking your drill and 1/8 bit

again, drill a hole at the bottom of the facemask and through the lip on the bucket.Taking another #6 machine screw and nut, install the screw threw the holes and use the

nut to hold it together. This not only helps hold the shape better, but also provides a

locking point when not using the helmet. When you do use the helmet, simply take offthe nut and place it on the screw under the facemask. Keep the screw on the facemask

portion to help the mask close over the bucket when youre trooping!

(Note: you can substitute the Velcro or use magnets for this part. Its not necessary to usemachine screws and nuts as I did)

Thats it. Youve modded your helmet! Now get out there and blast some Ewokstrooper!!!!!!!

Scout Trooper Helmet

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