Need Death Star Trooper helmet tutorial help!

I've looked through the threads to find this topic and haven't found one so here goes! I'm doing a Death Star Trooper costume (black flightsuit version) and I need a helmet. Trouble is, there's only one place on the web I've found that sells them and they are pricey and from what I've heard, undersized from the screen used helmets. I've scoured the web for a tutorial for making these but no success. Lots of tutorials for Stormtroopers, Jedi, Darth Vader...you name it, but not the DST helmet. There are many very talented SW propmakers out there and I wonder why they haven't tried this one yet?

I've seen a great vaccuforming tutorial on Studiocreation's website (moderators, can I post that?) and I think I've got the basic process for doing the DST helmet though I have zilch vacuuforming skills or equipment. First one would need to get a WWII U.S. Navy "Talker" helmet and create the base mold off of that. Then do two "pulls" with black ABS. The first is for the helmet itself and the second is for the front and the back pieces.
[image=http://www.swtroopers.com/imp_costumes/imp_dst_helmet1.jpg]
That's the easy part. The challenge would be to replicate the two side pieces and the large back "wing". Cutting a sheet of ABS into the proper shape or creating a mold for it shouldn't be a problem for a prop maker experienced in plastic. Figuring out the proper screen accurate shape, size and angle would be key. Once completed, a chin cup would need to be found that replicates the screen version. The chinstrap could be made from 1/2 inch black nylon webbing and a black "fastex-type" nylon buckle; both of which can be found at the local fabric/sewing store.

So, any SW propmakers out there willing to tackle this project and post a tutorial? If I had a tutorial to go by I could teach myself vaccuforming! Since the DST character is not a common one in SW costuming circles, this project gives the SW propmaker an opportunity to create something relatively different from the usual stuff that's so common out there in the prop community.

Are you up to the challenge?

 

Bump

 

Have you heard of Sintra? I think it'll work well for what you want.

Sintra is a brand name for expanded pvc. It can be cut with a dremel, and when you put it in boiling water, it becomes softer and you can bend and wrap it into shapes. A little cold water "freezes" it in place. It comes in black too, btw.

Just an idea.

 

Wow! Sintra, huh? Never heard of it. I'd just assumed everbody who did vaccuforming always used styrene or ABS if their vaccum was a stronger one. If a large enough piece could be made pliable enough then it could probably be shaped right around a Navy Talker helmet then, wouldn't you think?

 

You don't need a strong vacuum for vacuum forming. I have a small shop-vac but I've heard of people using home vacuum cleaners.

And yeah, if you have a big enough pot of boiling water, you can do it.

 

This is very interesting. I've found this on a website dedicated to simple homemade robot building while doing a Google search for Sintra:
"Thanks to a few Star Wars fan sites (Sintra® seems to be a big hit with the home-built costume crowd), I ran across another interesting item -- Sintra® is a thermoplastic, and starts to soften at about 150° F. This means that you can easily heat up thin (3mm or thinner) pieces of Sintra® and mold them as needed.

To bend a piece of Sintra®, you just boil it in water for 10 - 15 seconds (the length of boil determining how soft the material gets). After boiling, remove the piece with tongs (gently, so as not to leave an imprint of the tong in the piece), quickly bend it to your desired shape, and freeze it in shape with cold water. If you mess up, it's no problem -- keep your water boiling, and you can just repeat the process."

This is a tremendous help. Keep the suggestions coming SW prop builders!

 

My costume has officially started! I won these boots [image=http://i19.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/a3/5e/9e_2.JPG]on eBay this morning. I'll have to cut the straps off. I have sources for the black flightsuit, gauntlet gloves, Imperial shoulder patches and of course the Tandy leather belt. Until I make a helmet I'll have to go without one, but I should still be able to troop with the 501st.

Better boot pics are at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=7705317563