Crash Helmet Collection

[Icon_Modeler]

Four or five years ago now I started acquiring old crash helmets off of eBay. The idea was that I would recreate some of my favorite F1 drivers helmets and display them with the models of their cars. Like the models we build I wanted to try and capture all the detail of the helmet. Not having any desire to use these helmets when completed I considered not even having interiors in them when finished since most of these had interiors that were very decade due to age. That idea however has given way to a bigger desire to have the helmets complete. So that they are not used I am still considering not installing the chin straps once the interiors are completed.

First up is Niki Lauda's Bell Star helmet from the year 1976-77. This helmet just as all in my collection was painted entirely using spray cans. Primer was Tamiya gray primer followed by Tamiya white primer. The primer was then top coated with Tamiya TS26 pure white. Originally I was going to use Tamiya TS36 for the Fluorescent Red but after reading many reports of the TS36 cracking on people I decided to go with a more traditional automotive paint from House of Kolor. I used a custom mixed half solid orange and half flo red blend over the TS26 top coat as a base coat for the pure flo red applications to follow. Once the flo red was applied I gave it a week or so to dry then I applied custom made white vinyl stickers to the areas where logos were intended to be applied. All of the logos except for the name "Niki Lauda" are water slide decals made for me by our friend and fellow F1Mer James B. JB and i worked back and forth exchanging many emails and messages to come up with the final artwork and then he printed it on his alps printer. I applied the water slide decals over the vinyl stickers to ensure that there would be zero bleed through of the flo red and so that the white was in fact purely white. After the decals had been applied I waited another week before clear coat. For clear coat I used a 2K clear in a spray can. Very nice paint!! I was very surprised how easy it was to use and at the level of finish it was able to provide without a huge amount of build up. Since it is a 2K clear once you pierced the can and mixed the two parts the can had to be used within 3 days or what you didn't spray was lost. so I would use the entire can (12oz of paint) in one application over about an hour long period. this usually meant 3-4 coats over the course of an hour letting each coat flash off for about 10 minutes. I then let the clear coat dry for a week and wet sanded carefully with 800 grit paper and applied another complete can of clear coat. I applied three cans using this method in total. the goal was not to feel any surface change between colors or logos when running your fingers over the surface. That is the reason for so many applications of clear. Following the clear coat and a 3 week cure time I wet sand again using 1200 grit paper and then polished smooth as you babies ass. Ready for assembly I machined new visor pivots because the ones you can get today are nothing like what they used back in the 70's. I also found a guy in the UK that was making and selling the "Life Support" tubes so I bought those and installed them as well. I have found that the same guy who makes the Life Support tubes will reline the interior so once I have some money together the helmet will be sent off to have the correct tan interior made along with the helmet skirt that goes around the bottom edge attaching with the velcro. I hope you enjoy looking at this as much as I did doing the work. It sure was a hell of a lot of fun for me and I look forward to creating more of these replicas in the future.

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Next up is Jackie Stewart's Bell Star circa 1972-73 I addition to all the same steps taken as described above. I want to point out that this is 100% painted. There are not decals or pin stripe tapes used to create the Stewart tartan. I also machined the "Life Support" tube on this one myself as it was not like the others. Colors used TS26 Pure White, TS16 Yellow, TS21 Gold, TS23 Light Blue, TS49 Bright Red, TS9 British Green, & the Dark red pin line is a House of Kolor pin stripers color painted on last with a brush. The "ELF" logo is done from vinyl by my friend Mark Jones AKA Scalemaster decals. Mark has a vinyl cutter and is second to none when it comes to graphic decal experiance

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Mario Andretti from his championship year 1978. Color used are TS76 Mica Silver, TS86 Brilliant Red, TS55 Dark Blue over TS14 Black. Again all the graphic logos are cut from vinyl by my friend Mark Jones.

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Jody Scheckter circa 1975-76 The Tyrrell years!! Colors used are TS26 Pure White, TS15 Blue, & TS56 Brilliant Orange. The "ELF" log is vinyl but the name "JODY" was sprayed using a mask that was cut by my friend Mark. I was worried that the blue vinyl we had was not going to match the blue paint so choose to spray the name instead of using a sticker. I need to add the "Life Support" tube on this one as well as change the visor over to a clear visor. Jody rarely used a tinted visor and I think the clear one looks so much better on his helmet. Both the visor and life support tube should be in hand in a couple of weeks, had to order those.

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Last entry for today is Ronnie Peterson circa 1977. That miserable year spent with Tyrrell. Ronnie is one of my all time favorite drivers. I was devastated when he passed after Monza 1978. This helmet was purchased as is from a seller in Portugal. It is complete with brand new interior though the interior is the wrong color and should be tan. It is black. I added only the "Life Support" tube to this one. Though this is a very nice helmet and it was not cheap I think my paint work in nicer. This one has a minimal amount of clear on it so you can feel all the color separations between colors which you cannot feel on my paint work.

[marlborored]

Nice collection!

[Orso]

Your work look very good. The Stewart helmet is very impressing.
'Sadly the Ronnie helmet isn't up to the same standard as your own work. The blue look much to light (but that might be the sun).
Looking at pictures from 1977, the helmet look very close to the blue on the car.
The polar bear on the left side is wrong. The nose should point at the front on both sides.
I like the idea of displaying the helmets together with the cars.

[Icon_Modeler]

'Sadly the Ronnie helmet isn't up to the same standard as your own work. The blue look much to light (but that might be the sun).
Looking at pictures from 1977, the helmet look very close to the blue on the car.
The polar bear on the left side is wrong. The nose should point at the front on both sides.

Hi Bjorn,

No the blue is correct it is the sun. The sun also affected how the Niki helmet looks as well.
I never noticed the polar bear but in fact you are correct. Disappointing to find this out considering the amount that the helmet cost.

[vekkuli]

Very cool Project . Do You have any bottom opening Gpa's, Gilles' for example?

[JamesB]

I have to join the wow-clap-clap section!
Wonderful job and happy of having been of help.
And as I have followed the process from a short distance (well apart of the Atlantic and the whole US width in between ) Ican give testimony of the care, dedication and passion Derek has put into this.
Result is great and I am still amazed about the Stewart one.
Oh yes, the Polar seems to have smelled something yummy in the wrong direction