ANH Helmets 3mm PP or LDPE?

TM has made some interesting points on The Prop Den about original ANH helmets.

Hope Paul doesn't mind me quoting him.

Quote :

The helmet felt a lot like my PP helmet. It had that distinctive feel of PP, but could easily have been HDPE or LDPE as they are all close relatives.

It was also very thick and not paper thin. My guess is standard 3mm was used to make the original helmets. It stands to reason really when you think about it. AA would hardly be making fish ponds from such a thin material. From personal experience, HDPE or PP does not stretch evenly like ABS and can thin quite excessively. If the fish ponds were made from a thin guage plastic then they would end up being as thin as shopping bags (which is what some areas of my PP helmets were like). It may be a different story using a professional machine to form HDPE, but either way, this helmet was thick and sturdy.

This makes a lot of sense. I have been searching for the correct shade of HDPE for a year now and have spoken to every plastic supplier in the UK. No one has ever seen HDPE in that shade as a stock colour, but there are stock shades of PP that are very close. I have a sample here and will post some pictures when I find it.

Paul is right that someone mentioned HDPE and we have all accepted it without actually questioning it.

No-one that I know of has actually analysed the plastic and confirmed this.

I am definately going to be trying out some 3mm PP and LDPE on our new ANH helmet molds shortly. With a pro forming machine we should get some nice sharp pulls.

Anyway would be interesting to hear what others think.

Paul certainly knows more about forming and stormtroopers than anyone else in the hobby and has a better eye for detail and he has handled this new ANH helmet and armour.

Joe

Oh Bugger looks like iam having to ditch the 1mm and 2mm helmets very intresting read from Paul , i think it great that you will be trying the pp and ldpe out Joe exciting stuff mate

Yeah Paul told me a while back via PM, I already then said "makes sense if he used it for fishponds before".

It does sound reasonable.

WOW 3mm,I cant pass comment on the plastics mate as i have no idea about forming and the diferences between PP and LDPE or even what they are (calling all plastic experts)

I have seen pictures of real helmets with paper thin cheeks ,maybe these were bad pulls but ended up being used because of deadlines and cash flow.So maybe most were as thick as the new found helmet and boy is that a sharp pull.

Thanks for putting this up Joe ohh and do tell more about your ANH helmet project?

Quote :

do tell more about your ANH helmet project?

yeah more more more

If they are 3mm thick - how did they all seem so toight?

I know there are some soft pulls - the Brian R but look at that loft find - its sooo sharp..

Or is this all a smoke screen from Paul?

Paul knows his stuff, he told me things I didn't know about the helmets that I owned!

I have never been near an original ANH helmet so have no idea, but I have not found any stock HDPE colours in the last 30 years that are near the screen helmets.

We should get Paul on here and ask him....

Joe

Ps: We got a cast of the Brian R helmet that TE traded Cam years ago, it arrives Monday.....

JoeR wrote:

Ps: We got a cast of the Brian R helmet that TE traded Cam years ago, it arrives Monday.....

I think im going to cry !

Jez would be another person to get involved - as he has handled several real helmets.

He is a member here

Paul didn't seem so keen to join us...

The plot thickens.

firebladejedi wrote:

Paul didn't seem so keen to join us...

The plot thickens.

I did wonder if he had been invited over.

Curiouser and curiouser.