Buckets

[am1sh2el3]

Ok! Got a lead on my fabric And my boots. Will start picking up parts for force pike. Now need leads on a DP bucket. If anyone could shoot me a PM. it would be welcomed.

[tavrikgannon]

ebay, my friend...... ebay.

- Bill

[am1sh2el3]

ebay, my friend...... ebay.

- Bill

Thank you going there now. Oh btw Is ther any mods to be done to theme.

[kivas]

Not sure about mod's but have you seen one? or attmpted to try one on?
I can't get my noggin into those... and Altman's are few and far between and some of the fiberglass ones on there are from a known recaster who is also known not to ship.. from what I hear.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread...but it's frustrating finding a bucket.

[tavrikgannon]

It is possible to mod a DP helmet, even if your noggin is too big for it. I got lucky with the DP helmet I scored. It fits me just fine. Of course I have to remove my glasses for a better fit. But then again, I am used to trooping without wearing my glasses.

Back to the DP mod: I have seen some guys carefully cut the bucket in half (vertically) and then put in some extensions to widen it. What they end up doing is having those extensions act as shims. They mount the extensions permanently and then proceed to bondo, or fiberglass the exterior until all the proper curves and lines are where they are supposed to be. Sometimes they cover the whole bucket to reinforce the shell. (if you know anything about DP or Rubies, you know that reinforcing is key to have a long-lasting helmet). Once everything is smooth and uniform as it should be it is a matter of priming and painting. Of course the original lens needs to be replaced because it is uber thin, crap plastic. The visor area would have to be cut out and then add a real visor and make sure that it is of the proper color - black or red. I'd suggest putting a film in it that would keep people from seeing your eyes inside.

Another suggestion would be to coat the inside of the bucket with some of that rubberized bedliner that comes in a spray can. It goes on textured and may be a little bit rough to the skin, but it should help keep the integrity of the helmet a little bit. Like I said, if you knew DP or Rubies, you'd know that reinforcing is important since the vinyl material that the bucket is made of is susceptible to hot and cold temperatures.

- Bill

[Darth Skellington]

Tavrikgannon pretty much sums it up. There were a number of detailed threads on teh old boards detailing various mods. Hopefully we'll get some back up before too long.

Basically, there are three "common" helmets available, via ebay or various contacts.

Don Post: probably the smallest helmet of the lot, made of pliable material that tends to mis-shape some in heat or cold. No longer produced...but perhaps the most common. People with "large" heads sometimes can't fit into these, thus requiring modification, that includes cutting the helmet in half and making it bigger. Visor modification is MANDATORY for these helmets. The "eyeslit" needs to be cut out to full size using a dremmel, sandpaper, or other tools, and a new visor added. DP sized visors are readily available from a South AMerican dealer on ebay in either RED (movie accurate) or dark tinted. You can also aquire your own transparent material and just make your own fairly easily.

Custom helmets: A number of helmets that turn up on ebay are custom helmets, made from enlarged Don Post helmets. These are usually cast in fibreglass, are wider from front to back, and vary in quality and craftsmanship. Most people will advertise their larger status, since a helmet that fits is an important selling point. If not sure...ask. Always ask lots of questions of the dealer.

South American (SA): There are two SA dealers that I am aware of that sell RG helmets and accessories. A third one sells custom RG gloves. The first two, I'll just call the "F" and "T", supposedly work together or something. F usually dones't list helmets, but if you inquire, they will sell you one (availble as an unpainted kit, painted helmet, or super special paint job helmet). T just sells helmets, presumably of a high quality paint job. The helmets are otherwise identical, made of fibre-glass, and probably the largest helmets available. They are EXPENSIVE....but nice.

Other Helmets: There are other helmets/dealers out there, including Altmanns, but I don't know enough about them to discuss, other than to say they are difficult to obtain usually, and sometimes have bad dealer reputations.


I own a SA helmet from "F". I really like it. I tried on a Don Post helmet this past week and, although I didn't have my helmet with me to compare, I noticed a big difference. I think I have an average sized noggin, and the DP fit okay, but felt claustrophobic. I'd say the SA has a good extra inch of air-space in front of your nose. Assuming a DP fits you, you can simulate your airspace like this: Hold your hand flat like a wall in front of your mouth and nose, so that it is not quite touching your nose. That is a Don Post. Now move your hand about an inch away from the tip of your nose. That is an SA. If you want detailed measurmetns of an SA, I'll be happy to post them sometime.

[McHale]

Could i have the Measurments? i'm considering the special painjob helmet from the SA dealer F. I've talked to him a few times on Skype, seems like a nice chap.

[Darth Skellington]

I'll try and get some measuremetns up soon. Probably won't have time tonight.

FYI, my experience with F was very positive. Only one downside.....the box arrived pretty beat up...enough to make me cringe as I opened it.....but everything was fine. I doubt they will use better booxes though....they appear to be a standard Agentinian post office box, that happens to be just big enough to fit a helmet into. Anyway, I would just makea point to ask for LOTS of peanuts or bubble wrap, to sink it in that you are concerned.

I got teh super special paint job, which looks great. Could still use a glossy wax coat on top of that, but looks good. I chose a dark visor, but you should be able to request red also.....or both. I asked for my visor unattached, so that I could add some airspace for ventilation. I ended up hot gluing it in place..which was tricky. My bucket also came with the hood/padding that they sell separately, for free as part of the package. I did not request this, but was a nice bonus. Not sure if I will wear the padding myself, but it does make for a nice helmet fit.

[Darth Skellington]

Okay, here are some measurements for my South American fibre-glass helmet. These helmets are tricky to measure due to their unusual shape, but I’m pretty close on these.



1. Overall width, measured from shoulder to shoulder: 14 & 5/8 inches

2. Overall heighth, measured if you set the helmet upright on a table: about 18 inches (keep in mind, buckets do not stand straight when you do this….the “chest armor” is shorter than the “back armor”, so it sits slightly tilted to the front.)

3. circumference – measured around the visor area: Approximately 28.5 – 29.5 inches. This is very difficult to measure inside the helmet (where it matters), so I measured the outside and subtracted a little for external bumps, ridges, etc. My forehead measures 22 inches. If your forehead is approaching 28 inches (to be honest, not sure if that is humanly possible), then this probably won’t fit you.

4. interior depth, measured inside from the nose to the back of helmet: between 9.75 and 10 inches

5. Interior width, measured from ear to ear, at visor level: just under 8.5 inches

6. interior height, measured from shoulder level to top of helmet: 12.5 inches (I measured this by turning the helmet upside down and laying a yard stick from shoulder to shoulder. I then measured from the yard stick to the top of the helmet.)


It should be noted that the inside of TR helmets are not round….the sloping “cheeks” of the helmet indent towards your face. Once you get past the cheeks…the helmet is round and has more room. This, in part, makes it harder for some people to find a fit. I suspect I could fit into my helmet wearing my glasses, but I CANNOT actually put the helmet on while wearing them. My glasses collide with the cheek structure.

[Darth Skellington]

Here's a photo someone posted on the old boards. That's a SA fibreglass on the right, presumeably a don post on the left.