Gray Fox KAI (part 2)
Last I wrote about the helmet, I had just finished 3D modeling it and had sent it off to the printers. A few weeks later, I received all the parts
The parts are all laid out, ready for assembly
Of course, I did a test fit with all the components, and took some pictures. The surface textrure was very rough, and the pictures make it seem like the helmet is almost done at this point. However, that is far from the truth - lots of sanding and priming in my future.
While I was waiting for the helmet parts to arrive, I started on the molds for the red lenses.
Many weeks of priming, sanding and priming again were necessary to get a smooth surface for all the components. Since I planned on making molds, I wanted the silicone to be as smooth as possible, so that each pull required minimum work.
After I successfully molded and cast the first parts, I assembled the whole thing to test the kinematics. There were some issues with alignment, as the mechanism is very sensitive to variations in position, so any molding artifacts made the helmet not open or close properly.
The finished helmet was then wired and tested, then disassembled and painted.
I painted the parts with createx airbrush colors, and followed up with a coat of alclad aqua gloss. I mixed in pearl powder by smooth on, to give the helmet a slight blue tint. After the clear coat, I added some water slide decals I made myself.
