Glitch
Sep 17th, 2001, 05:32:16 PM
This has been bugging me for a VERY long time, so I just tought I would throw it out there.
Here it goes...
It may be vacuum-formed and NOT fiberglass.
OK, I feel better now.
I have several reasons to believe this, and after looking through Brak's pics, I am now even more convinced of this. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think it could be vacuum-formed.
1. With the exception of Vader, NONE of the helmets, armor, etc... from the original trilogy were constructed of fiberglass. Vacuum-forming was just the way they did it back then. Vader was the only exception probably because of the size (wall thickness) of the helmet and the complexity of the facal details. The helmet also needed to convey weight and presence. Vader was also a lead character - Fett was far from this.
2. All of Fett's armor was vacuum formed, why would the helmet be any different?
3. A friend of mine that worked on ROTJ has a vacuum-formed pull off of what he says is the origial mold - not an original helmet. It is untrimmed and even still has the buck flashing. It didn't really occur to me at the time, but there are several odd things about his pull. First, there is no dent in the helmet. Second, it has no "vents" on the back of the helmet. It is just flat - not even a recessed area. Third, it was made in two pieces - front and back. Finally, it has NON of the small details (arrows, cheek disk, etc...).
4. The design of the helmet makes PERFECT sense for vacuum-forming. Much like the Stormtrooper, it would be made in two halves - front and back. The two halves are attached, the top of the dome is patched and filled, and the two "earpieces" are then used to cover the seams on the sides of the helmet - much like the earpieces on the Stormtrooper. After this, a rectangle is cut from the back of the helmet and a seperate piece with the vents is glued into place from the inside. Also, the helmet has ZERO undercuts. Why would they choose to make it out of fibergalss? They were looking for the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to do things back then. I can't think of A SINGLE reason why it would be made of fiberglass.
5. Wall thickness. EVERY pic I have EVER seen of this helmet has shown that it has remarkably thin and consistant wall thickness along the edges of the helmet. Even the most advanced fiberglass worker (which the people at ILM were far from back then) would be hard pressed to get a wall that thin and consistant. Also, the visor would be MUCH easier to install with a thin, consistant vacuum-formed wall.
6. A thin, vacuum-formed wall thickness would also explain a number of details on the helmet. I have already mentioned the vents on the back of the helmet and the visor, but it would also explain the two small arrows above the visor and the small rectangular notch on the inside of the helmet's left cheek. These would be VERY easy to do if it were vacuum-formed: simply cut out the shapes and back them with another piece of thin plastic from the inside.
I can think of about a half a dozen other reasons why I think it was vacuum-formed, but I don't want to go on forever.
Anyway, I had to get this out there. If this has already been brought up on one of the many Fett details thread, I would not know. As I said, it has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I have a feeling that just about everyone here believes that this helmet IS made of fiberglass, but it may be the time to challenge this.
After all, most of us were all comfortable with the thought that the ANH Obi-Wan saber was made of a sink drain and a rubber motorcycle grip until someone challenged that one.
Like I said, this is just a theory.
P.S. Chris King, please don't kill me.
Here it goes...
It may be vacuum-formed and NOT fiberglass.
OK, I feel better now.
I have several reasons to believe this, and after looking through Brak's pics, I am now even more convinced of this. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think it could be vacuum-formed.
1. With the exception of Vader, NONE of the helmets, armor, etc... from the original trilogy were constructed of fiberglass. Vacuum-forming was just the way they did it back then. Vader was the only exception probably because of the size (wall thickness) of the helmet and the complexity of the facal details. The helmet also needed to convey weight and presence. Vader was also a lead character - Fett was far from this.
2. All of Fett's armor was vacuum formed, why would the helmet be any different?
3. A friend of mine that worked on ROTJ has a vacuum-formed pull off of what he says is the origial mold - not an original helmet. It is untrimmed and even still has the buck flashing. It didn't really occur to me at the time, but there are several odd things about his pull. First, there is no dent in the helmet. Second, it has no "vents" on the back of the helmet. It is just flat - not even a recessed area. Third, it was made in two pieces - front and back. Finally, it has NON of the small details (arrows, cheek disk, etc...).
4. The design of the helmet makes PERFECT sense for vacuum-forming. Much like the Stormtrooper, it would be made in two halves - front and back. The two halves are attached, the top of the dome is patched and filled, and the two "earpieces" are then used to cover the seams on the sides of the helmet - much like the earpieces on the Stormtrooper. After this, a rectangle is cut from the back of the helmet and a seperate piece with the vents is glued into place from the inside. Also, the helmet has ZERO undercuts. Why would they choose to make it out of fibergalss? They were looking for the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to do things back then. I can't think of A SINGLE reason why it would be made of fiberglass.
5. Wall thickness. EVERY pic I have EVER seen of this helmet has shown that it has remarkably thin and consistant wall thickness along the edges of the helmet. Even the most advanced fiberglass worker (which the people at ILM were far from back then) would be hard pressed to get a wall that thin and consistant. Also, the visor would be MUCH easier to install with a thin, consistant vacuum-formed wall.
6. A thin, vacuum-formed wall thickness would also explain a number of details on the helmet. I have already mentioned the vents on the back of the helmet and the visor, but it would also explain the two small arrows above the visor and the small rectangular notch on the inside of the helmet's left cheek. These would be VERY easy to do if it were vacuum-formed: simply cut out the shapes and back them with another piece of thin plastic from the inside.
I can think of about a half a dozen other reasons why I think it was vacuum-formed, but I don't want to go on forever.
Anyway, I had to get this out there. If this has already been brought up on one of the many Fett details thread, I would not know. As I said, it has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I have a feeling that just about everyone here believes that this helmet IS made of fiberglass, but it may be the time to challenge this.
After all, most of us were all comfortable with the thought that the ANH Obi-Wan saber was made of a sink drain and a rubber motorcycle grip until someone challenged that one.
Like I said, this is just a theory.
P.S. Chris King, please don't kill me.