Metal mouth grill

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:14 am

Quick question... anyone thought about doing a metal mouth grill? I know I will want one when I finally get going on my command centurion!

Post by **Skullbeast** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:37 am

It was painted anyway. I have a mini
Forge and
That may be able to be sand cast. Maybe handschab can do it better.

Die human!!!

Post by **Hand-Schaub** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:37 am

better? I can cast one in bronze at the foundry but anybody who knows where a workig foundry can do that too... honestly... the vaced ones look pretty damn good in the large scheme of things. If you want sharpness... cast on in fiberglass and save the weight and money.

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:22 am

Like with my Vader stuff, I do like the idea of rebuilding the costume exactly as 'they' did the screen suits. I'd love to have an aluminum grill. And I would see the difference on my command centurion's mouth if I went with vacuform plastic. I'll go the fiberglass route for the grill in the end if the metal grill doesn't happen though.

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:24 am

Hand-Schaub wrote:better? I can cast one in bronze at the foundry but anybody who knows where a workig foundry can do that too... honestly... the vaced ones look pretty damn good in the large scheme of things. If you want sharpness... cast on in fiberglass and save the weight and money.

How about aluminum?

Post by **Hand-Schaub** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:47 pm

For alluminum to be cast the foundry needs to pour a full pot to make it worth the time and price. That's the equivelant to 6 or so helmets. I wouldn't mind to cast some Cylon helmets in aluminum but I would deffinately need a larger sculpt of one to make it close to accurate size.

In a case like one or two mouth grills - the garage furnaces may do the job just fine.

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:55 pm

Hmm, I like the sound of this. Am I the only one interested in this?

Post by **137th Gebirg** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 4:13 pm

Instead of manufacturing something, how easy would it be to take old-style aluminum venitian blinds, cut them to the shapes of the mouth grill and J-B Weld them to a standard vacuform mouth piece. That would give you the shape and look you need and for much less $$$.

Post by **Brisfx** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:45 am

I have a metal mouth and was considering having copies made

Brad

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:38 am

Hey Brad. I'm interested!

Post by **Megatron** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:31 pm

why cast it when it can be made from sheet stock and silver soldered?
I might do one, hmm I might see if my friend would like to try his press on making one. Then it would be stamped out of aluminum (which can be anodized)

Post by **Skullbeast** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:54 pm

Casting is definitely less man hours.
I personally think the metal is to heavy and the placement makes the helmet awkwardly front heavy ( and off the desk she goes). The originals were brushed over in paint anyway. No visible trace of the metal. The gold commanders had a softer plastic version, and so did the stunts.

The eye electronics originally required it as a heat sink but those days are over with our newer led scanners.

I'm pretty fond of that being fiberglass epoxy or simply plastic.
I get the need for a cast one for the OG factor.

Die human!!!

Post by **Megatron** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:51 am

Skullbeast wrote:Casting is definitely less man hours.
I personally think the metal is to heavy and the placement makes the helmet awkwardly front heavy ( and off the desk she goes). The originals were brushed over in paint anyway. No visible trace of the metal. The gold commanders had a softer plastic version, and so did the stunts.

The eye electronics originally required it as a heat sink but those days are over with our newer led scanners.

I'm pretty fond of that being fiberglass epoxy or simply plastic.
I get the need for a cast one for the OG factor.

Die human!!!

I had to add copper strips in the back of my fett helmet for weight to make it stop going forward from the front weight, I could see the same problem with this unless the metal was super thin but then again if its painted why? Its "space" metal anyway hehe

Post by **FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:56 pm

I just like authenticity. Though I have a 'real' helmet w/grill, I would love to have a metal one, preferably cast from one of the originals. I'm one of those guys who loves all the scratches and dings on the ANH Vader helmet... and has to have the correct spacing and number of stitches in Vader leathers, etc. too. It just makes me feel better.

But I have seen a fairly sharp grill in Vulpa, so I'm not certain his is vacuformed.

Post by **dme3o** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:39 pm

I would be interested in a metal one if you guys do a run.