hey guys,this would be my first post.
first i should say i've seen some very impressive stuff on this board to say the least.i have read through other threads on this subject but thought i'd ask anyway for the basic steps to finish a(i guess it's abs)trooper helmet. i don't want a super glossy pretty mask here,i'll do it somewhat weathered as this one is a little rough as is.
so,dremel off the excess,sand,primer?anything else i should know?
thanks for any advice,here's a couple pics..

The split off "SFS Recast" topic can be found HERE

Check the Trooper section here for the colors to use - I believe you
might find them there.

As for the painting I would not use spraypaints - the Original were painted
with Brushes (also all the details) -

What evidence have you of this brush painting? I know there were paint runs, but has there been any photographic evidence of brush marks? I'm talking about the white, not the details.

- I'm no Trooper Expert, but I know the Original ANH Vader was
handpainted with brushes, so I was just "assuming" - sorry for that -

No, I'm seriously interested. I've heard mention that they were all sprayed and that it wasn't house paint like some have said.

Have I spun this one off in another direction?

I am also in the opinion ( assumption ) that the trooper lids would have been painted with emulsion with a brush. I geuss its because it makes sense. You have 50 or so lids that need to be white quickly. Take a pale of trade paint and a brush and get busy, job done. Spraying would be a total pain and im with JRX, they painted vader's armour and helmet with a brush and he's the main character so why not the 'extra's'...

Also look at the way it flakes off the helmets, thats just how emulsion or gloss paint cracks and falls off in bug chunks, stuff thats sprayed is usually different to that.

This is just my opinion i dont have any proof and its more than likely that im wrong but hey, when i get to work on a nice trooper lid im gonna reach for the dulux, he he....

I do agree. I think if they were sprayed with something, then it had to be a very thick coat. But, if you give me the choice of using a brush or one of those wagner power painters to paint my house, the airbrush would win, hands down. You can knock out some walls quick with that sucker!

The originals were spray painted. I remember talking to TE ages ago about it and he said that they were sprayed....badly. No brush marks anywhere and if you look closely at TE's original he owned, you can see where the paint has been sprayed thinly and the beige HDPE showing through. I think it could have been household gloss/emulsion that was used, only sprayed on.

interesting. i was intending to spray it actually,i find it hard to picture the Empire hand painting helmets with brushes,you know? i wouldn't be surprised if the props were done that way though.thanks all for the info.

Actually... if you spray on a too thick layer of paint on a surface it doesn't really adhere to too well... well... it can crack and peel off... also... the drip marks look more like drip marks made from over-spraying than from brushing. Just my opinion.

You would be surprised how sloppy they worked in the old days -

Not only the ANH Vader faceplate was handpainted with brushes, but it
appears also the Dome could've been -

Yes... but Vader was just 1 or a few helmets... the troopers were many and had to be done quickly...

Yes, but that was not what I meant to point out - -

I meant that the Empires "appearence" wasn't all that "shiny" as most
people "remember" it to have been -

99% of the (let's call them) "uninformed" people would always buy a
clean and high gloss spraypainted super pristine and shiny Vader Helmet
before they would buy something that is really screen accurate -

So the common thought or way of "newbies" to the hobby is to buy or make
everything as symetrical, clean and neat as possible ...

I guess there isn't much proof either way.

Or should I say there is proof of both...